Assembly Line to AI – Generative AI Is Transforming Manufacturing

Lately, new AI tools like ChatGPT have been so impressive that employees are clutching their purse strings. Not too long ago in human history, we were gaping in awe of the revolutionary assembly line and wondering if any of us would ever work again – but look at us now.…

Comments Off on Assembly Line to AI – Generative AI Is Transforming Manufacturing

Workplace: Ways To Improve Social Media Security Awareness

Building social media security awareness at work may not be as exciting as, say, developing TikTok engagement strategies. But it’s still a critical function for social teams at organizations of all sizes. That’s because social media threats don’t just impact your brand’s social accounts. If they aren’t handled, security risks…

Comments Off on Workplace: Ways To Improve Social Media Security Awareness

How to Use ChatGPT for Social Media – Prompts to Get Started

Are you ready to tap into ChatGPT social media success? Social media managers have suffered too long with tedious, manual tasks. Caption writing, image sourcing, responding to followers…the list goes on. Luckily, ChatGPT, a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) tool that generates human-like content, promises to make social media success more…

Comments Off on How to Use ChatGPT for Social Media – Prompts to Get Started

What Does Generative AI Mean for the Future of Chatbot Design?

Generative AI is the shiny object that’s making many of us wonder how fundamentally it will change our work. It even begs the question whether “old school” chatbots have a future. The short answer is that, yes, chatbots do have a purpose in this new world of large language models…

Comments Off on What Does Generative AI Mean for the Future of Chatbot Design?

Sales and Marketing Alignment Best Practices

One of the most well-known issues in business is the lack of alignment between sales and marketing. In fact, some companies have even begun to merge their sales and marketing teams. Both teams must work together but struggle to communicate and often lose respect for one another. Sales may blame…

Comments Off on Sales and Marketing Alignment Best Practices

IT Leaders – Unleash the Power of AI to create a Customer Company

Regardless of industry or what you’re selling, delighting your customers is key to your success — where trust, personalization, and seamless interactions intersect. But pleasing your customers isn’t just about meeting their needs — you need to be one step ahead. In fact, 62% of customers expect businesses to anticipate…

Comments Off on IT Leaders – Unleash the Power of AI to create a Customer Company

Short-haul flying redefined: The promise of regional air mobility

Why drive to your neighboring city or region when you can fly? Over the past 30 years or so, the standard response has been because driving is cheaper, more convenient, and probably faster door to door. That may not be true for much longer, however. Advances in aerospace technology, new…

Comments Off on Short-haul flying redefined: The promise of regional air mobility

Workplace ready for flexible work – survey offers clues

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many companies have implemented flexible work patterns in pursuit of better employee experience, real estate cost savings, and more sustainable operations. However, a McKinsey survey of real estate and employee experience executives from 50 companies reveals that most firms have only scratched the surface. The…

Comments Off on Workplace ready for flexible work – survey offers clues

The NLRB Joins the Fray: Another Attack on Non-Competes

The FTC is not alone in taking aim at non-competes. Yesterday, the NLRB’s General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo issued a memo to all regional directors, officers-in-charge, and resident officers at the NLRB stating that non-competes in employment agreements and severance agreements violate the National Labor Relations Act except in rare circumstances.…

Comments Off on The NLRB Joins the Fray: Another Attack on Non-Competes

Walmart Doubles Down on Reducing Waste To Create Omnichannel Fulfillment Network

  Walmart announced new steps to help make the everyday choice the more sustainable choice by adopting measures designed to reduce the amount of packaging waste associated with online orders. This includes moving from plastic to recyclable paper mailers, right-sizing cardboard box packaging, giving customers the option to consolidate shipping…

Comments Off on Walmart Doubles Down on Reducing Waste To Create Omnichannel Fulfillment Network

Challenger consultancies, challenger nations – the parallels of business and elite sport 

Creating a vision and developing the strategy. Forming a plan and implementing the processes. Working with a group of like-minded people to achieve one goal. At its core, these three sentences can describe both a business and a sports team. Whilst the day-to-day successes of a sports team are of…

Comments Off on Challenger consultancies, challenger nations – the parallels of business and elite sport 

Trends driving automation on the farm

The agriculture industry is under pressure. Dramatic cost increases for inputs and labor are putting farmers’ profitability at risk. Globally, farmers report that prices for inputs such as fertilizer and crop protection chemicals have risen by 80 to 250 percent over the past few years. Climate change is also squeezing…

Comments Off on Trends driving automation on the farm

Understanding the California Privacy Rights Act

    The California Privacy Rights Act has significant implications for businesses operating in California and those that process the personal information of California residents.   What is the CPRA? The California Privacy Rights Act, also known as CPRA or Proposition 24, is a data privacy law that builds upon…

Comments Off on Understanding the California Privacy Rights Act

3 Key Tenets for Optimizing the Omnichannel Experience 

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…

Comments Off on 3 Key Tenets for Optimizing the Omnichannel Experience 

STAX consulting – Healthcare and Investment Trends: Opportunities and Challenges

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…

Comments Off on STAX consulting – Healthcare and Investment Trends: Opportunities and Challenges

The Open-Source Philosophy

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…

Comments Off on The Open-Source Philosophy

Thoughtful Consumption: The “Last Mile” in Well-Being and Sustainability

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…

Comments Off on Thoughtful Consumption: The “Last Mile” in Well-Being and Sustainability

Small Steps, Smart Gains: 4 Intelligent Approaches To Deliver Commerce Your Way

“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…

Comments Off on Small Steps, Smart Gains: 4 Intelligent Approaches To Deliver Commerce Your Way

Compliance and Key Differences between the Swiss regulation and the GDPR

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…

Comments Off on Compliance and Key Differences between the Swiss regulation and the GDPR

The Connection Between DEIB and Mental Health

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…

Comments Off on The Connection Between DEIB and Mental Health

New Yaris Brings Expanded Hybrid Line-Up, Enhanced Safety and Digital User Experience

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…

Comments Off on New Yaris Brings Expanded Hybrid Line-Up, Enhanced Safety and Digital User Experience

Using Meta Spark to Power The Rare Space Garden Experience

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…

Comments Off on Using Meta Spark to Power The Rare Space Garden Experience

Three Lessons From Chatting About Strategy With ChatGPT

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…

Comments Off on Three Lessons From Chatting About Strategy With ChatGPT

At Retiretech 2.0: Focusing on the future and the need to evolve

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…

Comments Off on At Retiretech 2.0: Focusing on the future and the need to evolve

The Latest with LabVantage: CTEC 2023 Takeaways 

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…

Comments Off on The Latest with LabVantage: CTEC 2023 Takeaways 

Transforming Communication: Exploring the Power of Hearing Assistive Technologies

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…

Comments Off on Transforming Communication: Exploring the Power of Hearing Assistive Technologies

Why Keep It Simple When You Can Make Things Complicated?

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…

Comments Off on Why Keep It Simple When You Can Make Things Complicated?

Equality Policy at an Impasse

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…

Comments Off on Equality Policy at an Impasse

FATCA – transfer of data to the US illegal, says Belgian data protection authority

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…

Comments Off on FATCA – transfer of data to the US illegal, says Belgian data protection authority

The five red flags of wage non-compliance

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…

Comments Off on The five red flags of wage non-compliance

Why Understanding Your Customer is the Key to Business Success

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…

Comments Off on Why Understanding Your Customer is the Key to Business Success

How Creative Content Automation in AEMaaCS is Speeding Up Content Delivery – Part 1

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…

Comments Off on How Creative Content Automation in AEMaaCS is Speeding Up Content Delivery – Part 1

3 Takeaways From Our Panel Discussion on Proactive Women’s Health

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…

Comments Off on 3 Takeaways From Our Panel Discussion on Proactive Women’s Health

Optimize your office portfolio with scenario planning

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,…

Comments Off on Optimize your office portfolio with scenario planning

Developing a Corporate DE+I Communications Plan for a Luxury Brand

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…

Comments Off on Developing a Corporate DE+I Communications Plan for a Luxury Brand

The AI Future of Digital Experience Platforms

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…

Comments Off on The AI Future of Digital Experience Platforms

New York State’s Proposed At-Will Prohibition: The “Big Apple” Does Not Fall Far From the Tree

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…

Comments Off on New York State’s Proposed At-Will Prohibition: The “Big Apple” Does Not Fall Far From the Tree

High Times: Marijuana Positivity in Workplace Drug Tests Reaches 25-Year Record

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,…

Comments Off on High Times: Marijuana Positivity in Workplace Drug Tests Reaches 25-Year Record

Assessing Overlapping Boards After DOJ Crackdown

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…

Comments Off on Assessing Overlapping Boards After DOJ Crackdown