Japan has a new government initiative to boost the adoption of intelligent machines and robots - as part of a drive to improve industrial productivity.  However, this has other benefits as well. Mechanised workplaces are generally more suitable for female workers and for workers with disabilities - so improving automation supports greater workforce diversity ..

Companies have long used music to set rhythm for production lines - and to boost morale of employees.  Now a new study by the University of Illinois confirms that people do respond - positively in productivity terms - to music They suggest however that instrumentals are best - words can  interfere with language "tasks" which are part

On the Internet, you get lots of tips about productivity - and what are called ' productivity hacks' (really just more tips). However you and I know that what brings about higher productivity is structure - to organisations, systems, processes, working methods - structure based on an analysis of need and then an identification of

Is climate change happening? Yes. Is it man's fault - down to greenhouse 'emissions'? Possibly. It does not matter what the cause is - we have to accept it is happening. There are lots of implications - some of them potentially catastrophic. Some parts of the world that are currently the world's bread (or fruit)

The Taiwan government is planning to spend NT$36 billion (US$1.12 billon) over the next nine years as part of its Productivity 4.0 project to elevate Taiwan's status in the global supply chain, Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou said recently. Over the period, the government will spend NT$4 billion (US$124.4 million) each year on electronics/information technology, metals,

All companies have limited funds to invest in new projects. (Well, perhaps Apple has all the money it needs.) And this inevitably means that those companies have to prioritise certain projects over others. Unfortunately too many firms seem to concentrate on physical assets -new buildings, new technology, new equipment - and forget about new knowledge

Businesses seem to be unwilling to invest in new facilities and even new skills for their employees. I think part of the reason is that investors have become used to the rollercoaster of the tech boom and bust cycle.  On the one hand, many expect new technology to keep arriving and providing them with relatively

Last week I talked about the problem of national productivity measurement when we fail to count lots of 'intangibles. Musing further, I got to thinking  about companies like Google and Yahoo who give away many of their services for free (at least to the end user at point of use). Google and Yahoo put lots