As the retail industry continues to evolve, one of the greatest challenges in creating an omnichannel experience is converting website visitors into loyal, returning customers. To ensure a seamless and consistent user experience throughout the customer journey, businesses must prioritize meeting customers’ needs and providing easy access to their brand…
Healthcare M&A Activity: Q1 2023 Overview The healthcare industry has seen an increase in M&A activity in Q1 2023, with 15 announced transactions, just below the post-pandemic high of 17 in Q4 2022. During Q1 2023, the average size of the seller in announced transactions remained high at $827M, just…
Open-Source vs. Proprietary Software – What’s the Difference? To thoroughly grasp what open source is, one should understand what it is not. Open source is not restricted by licensing agreements, and the user behind open-source software is not forbidden to change, edit, study, or redistribute manipulated versions of it. Open-source…
Fashion, one of the most unsustainable industries on Earth, has long grappled with its damaging environmental and social impact. Consumers, on the other hand, tend to act like passive bystanders at a crime scene, placing the blame solely on brands and producers. While companies and executives face mounting pressure to…
“Quick wins” are music to our ears. To stay ahead, you need to move fast: test, learn, optimize, and repeat. It used to be that commerce deployments were massive and intimidating, requiring major IT resources, long timelines, and big budgets. But with the constant pressure commerce leaders face to both…
Do you worry that your business isn’t generating as many sales as it could be? If so, then you are not alone. So many other business owners are in the same position that you are right now, but there are things you can do to try and turn things around.…
Navigating the New Swiss Data Protection Act: A Checklist for Compliance and Key Differences between the Swiss regulation and the GDPR In the ever-evolving landscape of data protection regulations, Swiss companies are bracing themselves for a significant milestone – the implementation of the new Swiss Data Protection Act (revFADP). As…
In today’s ever-evolving work landscape, it’s refreshing to see organizations finally acknowledging the pivotal role of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in cultivating a thriving workplace. At the same time, the growing recognition of mental health’s significance reflects employers’ understanding that the well-being of their employees is integral to…
Toyota today announces a series of improvements and enhancements that will further strengthen its Yaris Hybrid hatchback range, increasing the market appeal of a model range that has proved an outstanding success for the brand. A significant programme of performance, safety and styling upgrades will ensure the model presents class-leading…
In support of The National Brain Appeal‘s Rare Space Garden at The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show 2023, we have partnered with The National Brain Appeal to launch an augmented reality garden (AR) experience that helps people with rare dementias. ‘The Rare Space Garden Experience’, which was developed…
When Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer of deep learning, quit Google recently, he made it clear that he is worried about the risks of artificial intelligence. He is not alone. Following the launch of ChatGPT-4, thousands of artificial intelligence experts signed a letter calling for a pause in the development of…
The financial services industry is changing all around us. The trend started in the property and casualty insurance (P&C) industry and rolled into banking. And, let’s be honest, it was a necessity. Now we are seeing major changes occurring in the life insurance as well as benefits spaces. What’s bringing…
Clarkston’s LIMS experts recently attended LabVantage’s North American Customer Training and Education Conference (2023). The event brought the LabVantage community together to gain new skills, share best practices, network with fellow LabVantage customers, and discuss new solutions to help solve the latest challenges within the LIMS space. Below, Tina Yauger…
Communication is a fundamental aspect of human interaction, enabling us to connect, share ideas, and build relationships. However, for individuals with hearing impairments, participating fully in conversations and accessing auditory information can be challenging. Fortunately, advancements in technology have given rise to a wide range of hearing assistive technologies, revolutionizing…
As part of the Paris Agreement of 2017 ‒ and backed up by a Federal Council decision in 2019 ‒ Switzerland has committed to becoming climate neutral by 2050. The reduction targets adopted so far are 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2030 versus the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of…
A study by the University of Zurich has been stirring things up in Switzerland in the last few days. The alleged and heavily debated core message is that female students in female-dominated fields of study have fewer career ambitions because they stick to traditional gender roles. Now imagine if the…
Following a number of GDPR complaints, including with the assistance of Mishcon de Reya, the Belgian data protection authority has held that the transfer of data to the United States under FATCA is illegal. FATCA requires the automatic exchange of sensitive personal and financial information relating to bank accounts to…
Many in our readership will have embarked (or are embarking) upon a compliance audit of workplace entitlements. Anyone who has done so will appreciate the difficulties associated with what becomes a massive and complex task. The future will see monthly pay reviews as a matter of course rather than large…
I like to shop, and I think I am really good at it. I have the ability to make wise and efficient purchasing decisions when shopping. This may include having a keen eye for identifying high-quality items, knowing how to find the best deals and bargains, calculating my cost per…
Overview A few years ago, Adobe introduced a feature of Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service which reduces the amount of time it takes to produce creative assets. This work is typically done by Creative groups and involves some manual steps and operations before having a completed, web-ready set…
To kick off National Women’s Health Week, we facilitated a discussion with leaders from American Cancer Society and BD on inspiring and supporting proactive women’s health. Our conversation covered several ways the health ecosystem seeks to better understand women’s needs and a meaningful care journey. The discussion was moderated by Marlana Voerster, senior…
With post-pandemic workforce trends in a state of flux, developers, landlords, owners and corporations are continually adjusting strategies as they consider the performance of their real estate portfolios. If you’re one of these real estate stakeholders, understanding what is driving the new workplace, from hybrid work to variability and flexibility,…
Clarkston’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consulting Practice recently partnered with a global luxury brand to enhance their approach to internal communications relative to DEI. Download the full corporate DEI communications plan case study below to learn more or contact us to learn how Clarkston can partner with businesses like yours…
How will AI impact digital experience platforms and the online experience? We’ve all had bad sales experiences … dealing with a slick seller trying to make his quota. The classic used car salesman comes to mind pretty quickly. They are impatient, motivated only by money, lacking awareness of our needs…
Seyfarth Synopsis: Like the New York City Council, the New York State legislature is considering a bill to effectively abolish at-will employment. If passed, the State bill would prohibit employers from discharging employees absent good cause if the termination occurs after a mandatory probationary period. As we discussed previously, the…
By Adam R. Young, Jennifer L. Mora, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: Across nationwide testing, marijuana positivity rates for 2022 reached 4.3% (up from 2.7% in 2017), with biggest gains found in states that legalized recreational marijuana. Impairment and related safety hazards have been disrupting the workplace resulting in lost time, absenteeism,…
Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Justice has garnered headlines by issuing press releases announcing that directors have stepped down from 10 company boards, in response to DOJ concerns that their roles violated the Clayton Act's Section 8 prohibitions on interlocking directorates. In October 2022, the DOJ announced the resignation of…
The Supreme Court of Canada recently considered the statutory test to dismiss strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) under British Columbia’s Protection of Public Participation Act, S.B.C. 2019, c. 3 (PPPA). On May 19, 2023, the Court released its long-anticipated decision in Hansman v Neufeld, 2023 SCC 14. In a…
On Friday, May 26, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC or the Supreme Court) dismissed the taxpayer’s appeal in Deans Knight Income Corp. v Canada, 2023 SCC 16 (Deans Knight). This much-anticipated decision deals with the general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) in section 245 of the Income Tax Act1 (Act). The GAAR,…
Great design is good business. In 2018, a McKinsey analysis of 300 publicly listed companies showed that those with the strongest design behaviors grow twice as fast, and generate almost twice as much value, as their industry peers. In our previous article, we argued that Japanese companies could have even more…
Success breeds complacency, complacency breeds failure. Andy Grove Most people know the fable The Tortoise and the Hare. In the story, the two animals challenge one another to a race to prove who is faster. The hare starts strong and is soon out of sight. Midrace, the hare lies down…
For the past few years, the middle class in Vietnam has been on the rise, spreading out geographically and growing increasingly diverse. Consumers are growing in number and becoming more demanding and discerning. It is estimated that more than half of the Vietnamese population will enter the global middle class…
New research from international management consultancy Nous Group shows university leaders are under pressure to make big investments to embed hybrid learning despite subdued confidence in their financial outlook and sustainability. The findings come from Nous Group’s second annual Study of Higher Education Professional Services Leaders which brings together insights…
US healthcare organizations continue to grapple with the impacts of the nursing shortage—scaling back of health services, increasing staff burnout and mental-health challenges, and rising labor costs. While several health systems have had some success in rebuilding their nursing workforces in recent months, estimates still suggest a potential shortage of…
It is becoming increasingly essential for companies to understand and address the effects that externalities can have on their social license. The latest McKinsey Global Survey on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues asked more than 1,100 respondents in more than 90 countries how their organizations are rising to…
Communication is a fundamental aspect of human interaction, allowing us to express our thoughts, needs, and emotions. However, for individuals with speech or language impairments, this basic form of connection can be challenging. In such cases, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices emerge as powerful tools, empowering individuals to overcome…
Minnesota is joining the growing list of state legislatures targeting non-compete agreements, and doing so with one of the most aggressive laws in the nation on the subject. Included as part of the Senate Jobs and Economic Development and Labor Omnibus Budget Bill (S.F. 3035), the newly-enacted Minn. Stat. Section…
Championed by some as a route to universal access to mobile services, single wholesale networks (SWN) have failed to deliver. Lee Sanders, Managing Partner at Aetha Consulting, wonders whether Malaysia abandoning its SWN means the concept has run its course. Governments around the world are increasingly attuned to the…
Like in most lines of work, soft skills are critical to your success as an independent consultant, perhaps even more so. This is especially true in a free market, where you compete against other professionals. It’s not just about “what” you have to offer but “how” you sell your services…
Traditional methods of recruiting clinical trial participants include tapping into healthcare providers such as doctors or clinics, patient advocacy groups, online registries, or referrals. However, to seek out a more diverse and representative group of potential patients, trial coordinators and sponsors might consider looking to other sources or methods to…