Business

John Sheridan, CEO at Digital Business insights. When we asked people across our industry networks two years ago, “Is manufacturing dead?” the answer was resoundingly “No.” But it is in transition. It is not just manufacturing that is changing. All our industries are being disrupted to a greater or lesser extent. And that is intimidating for many. The digital revolution continues to disrupt, largely in ways that are ill understood by politicians. Industry sectors are impacted and transformed. Jobs disappear daily. And nobody knows who to blame. Internet. Email, The World Wide Web. Google. Multiple apps and devices. Take your pick. The use of connected wisdom and insights (joined up thinking) to manage the disruptive change is absent without leave. Governments and businesses postpone action and wait and see. And “Leadership?” is a cry for help from populations across the planet. This is no time for dickering around. Another year has almost gone. The political news side-show alley in the US, Europe and Asia is super sticky and attractive day by day, but really just a shell game hiding the deep and fundamental issues of digital change that are a million times more disruptive than presidents and brexits could ever be. And to address that we need strategic and thoughtful action, not side-shows. We have to recognise and then understand what is changing and then do what we can about it. Which surprisingly is rather a lot. Because with the shift of power from vendor to customer, old world to new world, and “command and control” to collaboration, most useful action is now starting at the grass roots. Born of frustration. But also born from the recognition of the positive power of network connection and collaboration. Two years ago there were a number of comments from ministers in Canberra about […]

Rio Tinto has demonstrated how the completion of its world-class iron ore expansion project in Western Australia will deliver significant shareholder value as the sector transitions through the ongoing volatility in global commodity markets. At an investor seminar in Sydney today, Rio Tinto outlined the next phase in its long-term strategy to capitalise on the growing global demand for high-quality iron ore through a relentless focus on productivity and efficiency, technology, and people development to drive costs lower at its Pilbara operations. Rio Tinto also revealed new detail on the data underpinning its projections for 2.5 per cent average annual growth for steel demand across China and the rest of the world over the next 15 years. This rigorous analysis confirms that Chinese crude steel production is expected to reach around one billion tonnes by 2030. Emerging markets will also play an increasingly significant role in the iron ore market, with non-Chinese steel demand expected to increase by 65 per cent by 2030. Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Andrew Harding said “As we move into our 50th year of exports from Australia, Rio Tinto is embarking on a new phase in our iron ore business. “We have spent the past decade building the best iron ore business in the world – a project that has come in on time and below initial cost estimates. We intend to optimise these new assets to deliver maximum value for shareholders and stakeholders as markets transition. “Our long-term strategy is supported by comprehensive market analysis, leadership in people, world-class technology and an unrelenting pursuit of productivity improvements. Rio Tinto has some of the best tier one mining assets in the world and our workplace culture of chasing new efficiencies will ensure we remain the best iron ore producer in the industry. “We are […]

IoT Asia 2016 30-31 March 2016, Singapore EXPO www.internetofthingsasia.com Closing the Gap: From Vision to Reality The Internet of Things is opening up a world of opportunities for everyone from connected cars to connected healthcare to smart cities and even home automation. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2020, about 50 billion things will be connected. In short, the Internet of Things adds an entirely new dimension to transform governments, businesses and societies and advancing humanity in ways we cannot yet imagine. Since 2014, IoT Asia has been a key industry platform for governments, industry and technology leaders to foster closer partnerships and in turn create opportunities for the public and private sectors to embrace the Internet of Things. This tradeshow will highlight key areas critical to the development and the future of Internet of Things in Asia. Smart Cities * Wearables * IoT Data Analytics* Design Applications * Enablers * Industrial IoT What to expect at IoT Asia 2016? • 2,500 attendees • 80 sponsors and exhibitors • More international Country Pavilions • Thematic Zones for a richer attendee experience • Live product demos • New product launches • Focused conference tracks on Design Applications, IoT Data Analytics, Industrial IoT, Smart Cities and Wearables Organised by SIAA and SingEx Exhibitions, the 3rd edition of IoT Asia is an event developed by the industry, for the industry. Online visitor pre-registration and conference registration opens in late 2015. For more information, visit www.internetofthingsasia.com

Jared Fitzclarence, took over the Pilbara business, deciding to pay homage to the businesses beginnings by combining the initials of the original name. Their rebranding now represents the broader range of services KAW offer. Since Jared took over the business, he says he has seen the business grow not only in employees but in the services the business provides. “KAW Engineering started in 1986 and then I bought the business in 2010,” he says “Since then, we have grown from 2 employees to about 40 at our peak, “We now service the mining, marine, oil and gas and construction industries, offering welding, maintenance, model optimisation, plate processing and more,” Jared says. Recently investing in the OMAX 80X, KAW are seeing the benefits of increased efficiency and accuracy as a result of the waterjet. “The OMAX 80X has allowed us to be quicker in producing fabrication plates and the accuracy and responsiveness of the machine has improved efficiency,” he says. “What we try to achieve is to deliver services with minimal fuss, “We take basic instructions from our customers and interpret and visualise what they want, “We try to produce parts in hours or days, rather than having customers wait weeks or months,” he says. The OMAX 80X features high-precision linear drive technology and its robust and reliable system maximises both machine time and profit margins. The OMAX 80X is ideal for cutting larger or multiple part projects. Headland Machinery and KAW Engineering have been working together for over a year, and overall Jared has been happy with the service he has received from Matt Weaver (Headland’s OMAX Application Engineer). Headland supplies innovative and high-quality machines and services to customers throughout Australia and New Zealand in the manufacturing industry. Established in 1949, Headland is a privately owned family company with a […]

The City of Sydney is supporting business and residents while cementing Sydney’s place as a regional powerhouse. A record budget of nearly $2 billion over the next decade will provide the infrastructure necessary to support economic and population growth while attracting trade, tourism and high-value jobs. This investment is on top of the round-the-clock services delivered every day to meet the needs of over one million people who visit the City each day. “The City of Sydney is ‘fit for the future’ and has the scale and capacity to ensure Sydney continues to deliver its potential as a thriving, business-friendly and liveable global city,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. “The City has more than 400 infrastructure projects planned for the next 10 years. These will generate tens of millions of dollars in new contracts for businesses of all sizes and support around 2,000 new jobs a year. “This comes on top of the $3.9 billion worth of residential and commercial developments we have recently approved, including two new residential buildings in the heart of the city that will be over 230m tall.” “This enormous combination of public and private investment is a vote of confidence in the City of Sydney.” The Independent Pricing and regulatory Tribunal (IPAR) is currently assessing the City’s response to the NSW Government’s ‘Fit for the Future’ program. Members of the public are also able to tell IPART what they think of their councils between now and July 31. Through prudent financial management and forward planning, the City of Sydney has the scale and capacity to meet Sydney’s current and future needs. The NSW Treasury Corporation, TCorp, rates the City’s Financial Sustainability as ‘Strong’ with a positive outlook – the only one of 152 NSW Councils to receive this rating. The City is leading its own […]

SYDNEY – Unleashed Software, the inventory management software-as-a-service (SaaS) developer, has announced an integration with Intuit’s QuickBooks Online business and financial management software to increase the value of cloud-based inventory management systems for medium-sized organisations. The integration enables clients using Unleashed to share customer, supplier, inventory and delivery information with QuickBooks Online to gain real-time insights into their businesses. “By being able to add our inventory management capabilities to their QuickBooks Online account, clients can enjoy enterprise-level functionality previously only available with larger ERP systems,” said Gareth Berry, Chief Executive Officer, Unleashed Software. “Now that we are part of Intuit’s ecosystem, medium-sized businesses can gain comprehensive inventory, procurement, production and sales management capabilities, which combine with QuickBooks Online for a holistic view of business processes. “Customers can now view, monitor, and change asset information across multiple platforms whether they are in the office or on the road, while also administering financial data,” Berry said. “Also, because everything is stored in the cloud, up-to-date information is available in real time for accurate visibility across all channels.” Unleashed connects to a nominated QuickBooks Online company account with a seamless integration, sharing crucial data on customers and suppliers, purchases, sales and stock journal, credits and returns. For example, users can review stock in multiple warehouses across multiple locations at any time, and track the movement of inventory as it happens. From there, they can ensure appropriate accounts are paid or compensated. “We’re delighted that Unleashed is leveraging the power of the QuickBooks Online platform to deliver an integration that provides customers with deep insights into their business performance,” said Avi Golan, Vice President and General Manager, Intuit Developer Group. “This is just the latest example of how Intuit is turning QuickBooks Online into the leading platform for cloud-based small business management solutions and […]