We look at this book by Charles Crowson. See more about Jam Tomorrow? Why Time Really Matters in Economics here.

Is it better to have Jam Tomorrow? The value of time in economics, reviewed

We loved the title. The premise is interesting, logical and definitely invites further investigation. Numerous chapters open up interesting lines of inquiry and good questions to be discussed and explored. We were onboard for this book, but, through many of the chapters we felt that while this is an interesting topic, we were struggling to come away with definitive takeaways from the prose in this book.

It is readable, the question asked is relevant, but we just struggled to nail specific takeaways or insights to discuss in this review. We are loath to trash a book unless it is deserved. Maybe we just didn't get it, but, beyond the good title and subtitle, it felt a bit like trying to nail smoke to a wall on this one. Maybe you will fare better than us on this one?

More about the book

With over twenty years' experience as financial-markets professional, Charles' career started at JP Morgan in 2000 and since then has seen him running the London office of a large, US event-driven hedge fund. Jam Tomorrow? is inspired by his practical experience in the investment industry, and his reflections on its shortcomings, observed over the course of a career which spanned the dotcom crash, the global financial crisis and the subsequent Eurozone crisis, as well as the more recent 2020 Covid crash and subsequent stock-market bubble.

From the marshmallow test to the climate crisis, from house prices to the digital revolution, Jam Tomorrow? shows that economics can essentially be reduced to the choice of consuming today or saving for tomorrow - and demonstrates that instead of being irrelevant to one another, time and economics are in fact inextricably linked.

We all know time is precious. Despite this, economics generally regards time as a unit of measurement rather than as something inherently valuable. What makes this strange is that economics as a discipline has always been something of an academic cuckoo in the nest, borrowing ideas from elsewhere. While it is over a hundred years since Einstein's theories of relativity revolutionised our concept of time, economics still labours under the old Newtonian conception of it as a sort of fixed, intergalactic tape measure - until now.

In Jam Tomorrow?, Charles Crowson presents a new theory of value at the heart of which lies our ever-changing perception of time. Humans are unique in their degree of self-awareness; particularly the awareness of their existence in time. As the basic economic choice is one of consuming in the present or saving for the future, all such choices are ultimately decisions about time. This means that we alone are the animal that chooses to save, since we alone understand that our actions in the present can affect the future.

Jam Tomorrow? recasts economics as a question of the balance between our needs and desires in the present and those of the future. This makes our changing perception of time a kind of invisible ink that links the micro to the macro, the past to the future, and that offers a new and challenging way of understanding the relationship between value, price, money and credit.

Author Charles Crowson is a finance professional with over twenty years' experience in the investment industry. Having spent a decade running the London office of a large, US event-driven hedge fund, he has more recently been involved in asset management, working as a global macro portfolio manager. Charles' career has spanned the dotcom crash, the global financial crisis and the subsequent Eurozone crisis, as well as the more recent 2020 Covid crash and subsequent stock-market bubble.

Charles publishes a bi-weekly blog (Market Depth) aimed at explaining the complexities and nuances of developments in global economics and markets for readers from a non-expert background.

See more reviews here.

A new report by Buglife has found that half of the UK's most special species are at risk of global extinction.

The report brings together knowledge on twenty invertebrate species which are endemic to Great Britain. Endemic species are those which are only found in Britain, and nowhere else in the world - they are the crown jewels of our biodiversity. They are species that we have an international responsibility to look after, to ensure that future generations can enjoy them.

The twenty special species include the Celtic Woodlouse (Metatrichoniscoides celticus) which is only found in Wales and the West of England, the Lundy Cabbage Flea Beetle (Psylliodes luridipennis) particular to Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel, and the Manx Shearwater Flea (Ceratophyllus fionnus) - which lives in the burrows of Manx Shearwater on the Island of Rum in Scotland.

Worryingly, the review has found that over half of Britain's endemics are threatened with global extinction, and some may have already been lost forever. The Ivell's Sea Anemone (Edwardsia ivell) - an animal that inhabits coastal lagoons - has not been seen since 1983 and so may already be extinct. Across the country, planning developments threaten to destroy some of the last known habitats for species such as Fonseca's Seed Fly (Botanophila fonsecai), threatened by a golf course development in Scotland, or the Horrid Ground-weaver Spider (Nothophantes horridus), threatened by a housing development in Plymouth.

Urgent action is required to prevent our endemic species from being lost forever. Further research and monitoring is needed to determine how and where these species survive. Many are so poorly known that we don't even have a photo of them. It is also vital that the important places for our threatened endemics are properly protected. The current protected area network doesn't sufficiently cover our most threatened species and many protected areas aren't managed with these special species in mind.

Craig Macadam, Conservation Director at Buglife, and author of the report, said "Our report highlights some of Britain's lesser known wildlife. The high proportion of these special species at risk of extinction is really shocking. Extinction is forever, there is no turning back. The UK has an international responsibility to prevent the extinction of our endemic species.

See more breaking stories here.

Lead photo details, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Ireland's Minister of State at the Department of Finance (six from left), Douglas L. Feagin, Senior Vice President of Ant Group and Head of Alipay+ (fifth from left), and Leiming Chen, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant International (fourth from left) at Ant Group booth, Singapore Fintech Festival, November 15.

Accelerating growth and expanding partnerships across cross-border mobile payment, global merchant payment, cross-border SME digital payment and financial services, and digital banking services

Ant International, a digital payment and financial services leader dedicated to building an inclusive and sustainable global commerce ecosystem, today unveils its strategy in digital payment and digital commerce for global merchants at its flagship Voyage Conference, from its headquarters in Singapore.

Ant International to scale up Payment and Digitalisation Technologies

"Despite the uncertainties in the global economy, trends like evolving financial infrastructure, accelerating digitalization and swift advances on the tech frontier present unprecedented opportunities for merchants all around the world seeking to achieve new growth, especially for small businesses who aspire to overcome the digital divide," said Yang Peng, President of Ant International.

"Travel, trade, technology and talent are the cornerstones of global inclusion and prosperity," said Yang. "We will accelerate innovations in digital payment and digital commerce to link up these areas of global collaboration."

Digital Payment and Digital Commerce Solutions across 4 Pillars

To realize the 4T vision and provide support to merchants, particularly in helping SMEs achieve their growth goals, Ant International has established a robust global compliance and service structure over the years. Additionally, it boasts an extensive coverage worldwide, especially in Asia, deep expertise in digitalization, and a continuously expanding repertoire of cutting-edge technologies.

The Company now focuses on 4 areas of innovations:

1.Alipay+ Cross-Border Mobile Payment Service connects over 88 million merchants to 1.5 billion consumer accounts on over 25 e-wallets and banking apps in 57 countries and regions, allowing consumers to travel and pay worry-free across borders, and merchants to build out cross-border consumer engagement and digital marketing.

The service builds on Alipay+'s extensive regional partnerships, including those with national QR schemes such as Singapore's SGQR, Malaysia's PayNet, South Korea's ZeroPay, and Sri Lanka's LankaPay.

"Alipay+ focuses on bridging various payment methods and promoting mobile interoperability across Asia and beyond. Its aim is to enable people to travel and live worry-free, while offering businesses, both large and small, new digital avenues for growth," said Douglas L. Feagin, Senior Vice President of Ant Group and Head of Alipay+.

2.Antom Merchant Payment Services help global merchants to engage digitally with consumers in Asia and beyond.

"With our AI-driven payment and digital marketing engine, we offer our merchants the broadest consumer reach in Asia and globally, and help them collect payments and grow revenue." according to Gary Liu, Head of Merchant Payment Services at Ant International.

3.WorldFirst digital payment and financial services for cross-border trade SMEs has served over 1 million SMEs to grow internationally with its World Account, by connecting small traders to over 120 global marketplaces and conduct secure and fast payment transactions in over 40 currencies.

"Today's cross-border trade is led by young entrepreneurs who are digital natives with global ambitions," said Clara Shi, CEO of WorldFirst. "With World Account, we aim to help them acquire next-gen CFO capabilities to sell, manage and grow across marketplaces and regions."

Building on its success in China and Singapore, Shi said, WorldFirst plans to expand its SME e-commerce digital finance solutions across...

For ALL the Cosmically Curious in Celebration of Science Week at SpaceFest

Join Fig O'Reilly for a free online event on November 19th exploring success in STEAM, talking about the launch of Ireland's first satellite EIRSAT-1, and answering questions from participants.

Former Miss Ireland and NASA Datanaut Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly will be the guest of honour at a free, public online workshop as part of the Science Foundation Ireland funded SpaceFest at the National Space Centre in Cork. The event will offer members of the public the rare chance to ask questions of a leading figure in Ireland's science outreach and emerging space industry.

An engineer and regional director of NASA's Space Apps Challenge in Washington, DC, she was recently invited by the European Space Agency to the European Space Research and Technology Centre. Located in the Netherlands, the centre is ESA's main development and test campus for spacecraft and space technology. Fig visited as part of the Irish delegation supporting the launch of EIRSAT-1, Ireland's first satellite.

In 2019 Fig herself made history as the first woman of colour and Black woman to represent Ireland at the international Miss Universe competition, highlighting the need for diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.) She subsequently launched Space to Reach, an organization dedicated to advancing Black and Brown women in STEM.

On Sunday 19 November, she'll talk with artist Linda Curtain about the value of extending STEM to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathmatics) and the intersection of space and art. Their conversation will also focus on the need for DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) in all aspects of STEM and the importance of companies reflecting the markets they serve.

Members of the public who register for the event here will have the opportunity to ask Fionnghuala about EIRSAT-1, her STEM advocacy for women and for women of colour, and her experiences in the space industry.

A recent detailed analysis by aplaceforanimals.com dives deep into crucial questions about our planet's threatened species. Through examination of diverse habitats, the findings are alarming! Amphibians, for instance, are facing greater danger with a staggering 41% on the verge of extinction. As we navigate further, of the 65,000 vertebrate species - constituting merely 3% of all animal species - an astounding 42,100 find themselves under the imminent threat of extinction.

2023 Biodiversity Alert: Urgent Insights on 42,000+ Threatened Species

The data casts a bright spotlight on Indonesia, a nation boasting unparalleled biodiversity with 10,408 animal species. However, it also holds the unenviable position of having 1,233 species under threat. Yet, the concern doesn't end there. Both Australia and Mexico are ringing alarm bells, witnessing threat rates of 12.5% and 13.9%, respectively.

Our investigation goes beyond just numbers. Some of the most iconic animals are facing extinction. To name a few, the Javan rhino, with a dwindling population of only 75, and the Amur Leopard, with a mere 100 remaining, are standing on the precipice. Despite this dire picture, there's a silver lining. With an investment of around $1.3 billion annually, we can potentially save 841 highly threatened species.

Aplaceforanimals assessed each nation based on criteria like species diversity, number of endangered species, and conservation efforts. We assigned scores based on these parameters, culminating in an overall rating. For credibility and precision, our research extensively drew upon data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), offering a meticulous perspective on the state of wildlife conservation across nations.

Key Findings

• 42,100 species are on the edge of extinction as per the IUCN Red List.

• Out of 8,536 amphibian species, a worrying 41% are endangered.

• Indonesia brims with biodiversity (10,408 species) but also leads with 1,233 threatened species.

• Javan rhino counts a mere 75, while only 100 Amur Leopards roam wild.

• $1.3 billion annually could halt the extinction of 841 critically threatened species.

Number of Endangered Animals by Species

Approximately 3,551 fish species, including the extinct Chinese paddlefish, are endangered. 2,606 amphibians, such as the Golden Toad and Borneo rainbow toad, face threats from habitat loss and disease. Among 1,842 endangered reptiles, the Radiated tortoise and Philippine crocodile stand out. Birds have 1,400 endangered species, including the unique Kakapo and Spix's Macaw. Mammals feature 1,340 endangered species, with notable examples being the Sumatran orangutan and Javan rhinoceros, while species like the Saber-toothed tiger have already vanished.

Countries with the Richest Animal Diversity

Indonesia leads the chart with a staggering 10,404 species, closely followed by Brazil's vast Amazonian treasures numbering 8,873. Australia, with its iconic kangaroos and koalas, houses 8,554 species, while the diverse terrains of the U.S., from Alaska's wilds to Florida's Everglades, cater to 8,372 species. Colombia's impressive range from towering mountains to expansive rainforests accounts for its 7,403 species.\

Countries like Mexico, China, and Malaysia hover above the 6,000 mark, and nations from Southeast Asia to East Africa, such as the Philippines, Tanzania, and Thailand, showcase over 5,000 species each. Even smaller nations like Japan and Ecuador boast numbers exceeding 5,000. Central Africa's Congo, with its 4,902 species, underlines the critical importance of every country in maintaining our planet's biodiversity fabric.

Countries with the Most Endangered Species

• Indonesia (1,233 threatened; 10,408 total): With 1,233 out of 10,408 species at risk, approximately 11.9% of Indonesia's animal species are threatened.

• United States (1,178 threatened, 8273 total): With 1,178 species at risk, which is close to 14.2%, the U.S. has significant wildlife needing protect...

The world's first maritime renewable energy project that combines deep-sea floating wind energy and aquaculture has been completed in China. Marking a significant step forward for China's wind energy sector, the project is developed by Longyuan Power Group, with Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group (the Wind Power Group), a subsidiary of Shanghai Electric (SEHK: 2727, SSE: 601727), providing the power generation equipment and towers of the offshore turbines.

Deep-sea floating wind energy and aquaculture project

As wind power has emerged as a fundamental pillar in the combat against the climate crisis, the Wind Power Group is speeding up its innovation, driving the frontier of global renewable energy technology as a key power source to help create a sustainable future. Since the creation of its 3.6-megawatt wind turbine, the Company has cemented its leadership position in the arena of onshore and offshore wind energy, spearheading a number of major projects in China in the quest for new applications of wind energy that address the challenges and development bottlenecks of the industry.

With the deployment of offshore wind power extending beyond coastal regions into deep-sea locations, Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group is fully prepared to lead the way in the development, installation, and operation of floating wind power and deep-sea wind power projects, equipping itself with state-of-the-art technology and leveraging its extensive expertise to create solutions for multi-purpose new energy infrastructure.

Built within the National Marine Ranching Demonstration Zone on Nanri Island, located in Putian, Fujian Provence of China, the project features three-column semi-submersible floating platforms, each one supporting a 4 MW offshore wind, and lightweight, flexible solar modules that are installed in the area with a water depth of around 35 meters. A hexagonal space within the platform's central area can be used for fish farming.

Once operational, the mixed energy project has the capacity to generate 96,000 kWh of electricity daily at full capacity, equivalent to the daily energy consumption of 42,500 individuals. The pioneering convergence of wind power, photovoltaics, and aquaculture presents a new horizon for the industry to develop sustainable and green renewable solutions designed to reduce carbon emissions while boosting economic growth.

On the safety front, Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group uses a multi-pronged approach to ensure the reliability of the project throughout its entire lifecycle. During the phase of the preliminary design, the Company established an integrated model that was confirmed through a multi-round consistency analysis. Other measures, including simulation result comparisons across various platforms and the development of control algorithms in partnership with DVN, have also strengthened the safety and reliability of the project.

The entire project has also undergone an extensive range of rigorous testing across nearly 200 operational conditions, including a 1:40 scale model used for examining the fishing pond. The Company also developed a custom-built intelligent terminal system for floating wind turbines, enhancing reliability to ensure the safe and consistent operation of the turbines while maximizing wind utilization.

2023 has seen Shanghai Electric make breakthroughs in market expansion and technological innovation. In October, Shanghai Electric signed a turbine contract with Hyosung Heavy Industries and Corio Generation for the South Korean project Dadaepo.

At CWP2023, Shanghai Electric unveiled its next-generation half-direct drive offshore turbines, EW14.0-263 and EW18.0-263, which feature a 263-meter-diameter rotor and an individual capacity of 18 MW. The two turbines are based on the Company's preparatory Poseidon Platform, which is designed for complex deep-sea environments.

In Q2 2023, the introduction of the ultra-long turbine blade S98, self-developed by Shanghai Electric, marks a signi...

Researchers at the International Energy Research Centre (IERC) are developing novel daylight-enhancing techniques to improve health and wellness while also potentially eliminating the use of electrical lighting during the day.

The health and wellness benefits of exposure to natural daylight have long been recognised. Accessing the right levels of natural light at the appropriate time of day can improve our alertness, mood, productivity, sleep patterns and many aspects of our physiology. Properly maintaining daylight-driven circadian rhythms requires a complex combination of light intensity, duration and timing of exposure to daylight. While adding additional windows to buildings could seem to be a simple solution, cloudy conditions, such as those we enjoy in Ireland, add some additional complexities.

The IERC research team at Tyndall National Institute, based at University College Cork, is developing novel daylight-enhancing techniques, which can be used even when skies are very cloudy and overcast, which will improve the health and wellness of occupants. This research also addresses the need for greater energy efficiency in buildings as making use of natural light can save up to 75 percent of the energy used in artificial lighting.

Supported by the Velux Foundation, the team is developing the world's first luminescent devices that can directly capture, concentrate and spread daylight deeper into buildings as well as modifying the light's spectrum to meet the requirements of the non-visual receptors in our eye that control our circadian rhythms. Their unique approach extends the length of time occupants have access to the luminance level required to maintain healthily synchronised biorhythms.

Professor Brian Norton, Tyndall National Institute, who is leading the project, explains, "Using quantum dots that absorb then remit solar energy, we will be able to concentrate daylight intensity, even under overcast skies, and modify it so it can spread deeper into a building.

These luminescent systems will extend the period for which daylight can be used, resulting in improved biorhythmic health for occupants, as well as displacing the energy and greenhouse gas emissions associated with artificial lighting, which can be up to 20% of a commercial building's energy use. I am delighted to conduct research which will help us to better harness light from the sky at Tyndall National Institute, named after renowned Irish scientist John Tyndall, who was the first to discover why the sky is blue".

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Recently, I attended two pitch events where early-stage and not-so-early-stage Startups pitched to gain the experience of presenting to a panel of experts/investors. The audience consisted mainly of wannabee Startups and the occasional private investor.

On both occasions, when the audience was asked to vote, the winner was the presenter who demonstrated passion and enthusiasm for their idea.

Why does this not surprise me?

I have been coaching/preparing startup businesses to pitch their story for fifteen years, and the foremost quality that good presenters consistently demonstrate is believability!

You must demonstrate this quality, whether it's a public audience or a judging panel.

The question foremost in every person's mind is, would I believe/trust this person?

You can have a great business idea and a confident presenter, but without believability, you will not gain your audience's attention or hold their interest for very long.

How to get attention and hold interest:

Gaining interest is best done by telling your audience a story with all the critical questions to be answered upfront. E.g., Example of problem, Sales/Markets/Team.

Then and only then will the listener remain engaged and attentive to the business questions that need to be explored.

It's your job to create a situation where the listener or someone close to them DESIRES what you have to offer, be it a person or an industry.

Put simply:

WOW!

I immediately understood the problem and would like to support the solution and help bring this to market as soon as possible. That's what I mean by creating DESIRE.

At this type of event, you, as the Startup, must have confidence in yourself and believe in how you tell your story.

Why?

Because often, the judges/investors provide conflicting advice.

Start with the ask.

Team much earlier/team later (who is full-time/part-time)

How do you make money?

Devote more time to the problem.

I did not understand your solution.

You're pitching to the wrong customer.

Even more scary, who is your customer?

Fewer slides/more slides?

Finish on time, always.

My advice:

Do not keep important information until the end, as the audience may have already (mentally) left the building.

Pitching to investors takes a lot of hard work before the opportunity finally arrives. Get it right the first time, as there may not be a second opportunity.

Find the pitch coach who fills you with confidence and helps you create a pitch conversation that flows and, above all else, demonstrates your passion and enthusiasm.

By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie

New cybercrime research released today has revealed some alarming statistics on the views and opinions people across Ireland have towards illegal streaming.

The research, which was conducted on behalf of the BeStreamWise campaign - a new initiative designed to highlight the dangers of illegal streaming - shows that 43% of the Irish population are not knowledgeable about the dangers. That's despite almost one in three (31%) saying that they, or someone they know, have been a victim of fraud, scams, or identity theft as a result of illegal streaming.

45% of Irish people regard illegal streaming as unsafe and perceive the risks involved to be the same as the risk of checking banking apps on public Wi-Fi or sending bank details online.

However, illegal streaming services are increasingly operated by sophisticated criminal networks, often involved in other types of crime. Upon accessing and registering for these illegal streaming services, users could unknowingly open themselves to fraud, scams, and identity theft. Giving away personal data and visiting unfamiliar links are two tactics which allow criminals and hackers to attack and gain control of devices and networks.

Speaking on the dangers of illegal streaming, Jenny Radcliffe, Social Engineer and People Hacker, said: "The perception that illegal streaming is a victimless crime is completely inaccurate. The sites that host these services are loaded with malicious links, back doors and tricks to access people's digital and financial information, giving professional criminals an open invitation to steal from anyone who engages in these activities.

Whether it's multiple charges to credit cards, installing malware on devices, accessing bank accounts, or stealing personal information such as emails, messages, contacts, photographs, documents and browsing history, engaging in illegal streaming makes you a prime target for professional fraudsters. And what is worse, because these activities are illegal, victims may have little or no recourse for recovering their losses and may even face criminal charges themselves."

Providing tips on how to stay safe when streaming content, BeStreamWise.com and Social Engineer and People Hacker Jenny Radcliffe recommends:

Beware of online pop-up ads and ads for streaming services online. Verify their legitimacy independently by researching the brand. A simple way to do this is by searching the provider's name alongside "SCAM" to uncover information. If it is a scam, you may well find feedback about this online.

Never share personal or financial details online or elsewhere unless you are certain you are dealing with a legitimate brand. Be suspicious of adverts that use urgency or other pressure tactics to get you to buy or subscribe. Don't act in the heat of the moment. It is always best to verify their official website or with their customer service before acting.

Use unique strong passwords with numbers and special characters for all your accounts. Never reuse your password for more than one site and use a password manager if possible. Enabling MFA (multi-factor authentication) allows for another layer of security whenever someone tries to log in to your accounts.

Check your bank statements regularly. Notify your bank if you see anything suspicious or unexpected on your account.

Remember that scams come in all shapes and sizes. You can be contacted via phone, text, email or through social media DMs. Scammers will ask the victim to give something whether that's money, information or even to click on links or open attachments. You should be suspicious and double-check before sending money or information, especially if you feel emotional or time pressure to do so.

Formed in partnership with key bodies across the sports, film, and TV industry - including FACT, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Crimestoppers, British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE), Sky, Premier League, and ITV - BeStreamWise seeks to help viewers consider the persona...

Lean practitioners from all over Ireland attended Shannon Chamber's Mid-West Lean Network Conference in Dromoland Castle Hotel last week, where an impressive line-up of speakers shared their experiences of maintaining lean momentum in their organisations.

Speakers at this one-day event, organised by Shannon Chamber, sponsored by real-time data management specialist WrxFlo, and supported by Enterprise Ireland, included An Post's head of talent, diversity and organisation development, Heather Lowry; Limavady, Co. Derry-based Seating Matters' director, Martin Tierney; Niamh Doherty, director of lean with STERIS and CEO of Ennis headquartered TTM Healthcare, Paula McDonnell. The keynote address was given by Paul Blahyj, a group senior leader and lean manufacturing coach at the Toyota Lean Manufacturing Centre in Toyota Manufacturing UK.

Previously held at the Analog Devices Building in the University of Limerick, the conference, the sixth annual lean conference held since the network was set up in 2016, moved to the Co. Clare venue to inject a new dynamism into the day, which it most certainly did. The feedback from attendees is that it had 'something for everyone', from the operator on the floor to the manager striving for continuous improvement.

As well as keynote speakers, 11 projects were featured in a street event sponsored by LBS Partners. This event comprised an exhibition of display boards outlining how company-specific problems were solved using a technique called A3 storyboarding. The entries were split into two categories, small and medium-sized enterprises and larger Irish or multinational companies, with the winners selected by attendees using a live online voting system.

Shannon-based Berka Solutions won the SME category and Element Six, the larger MNC category. Both winners received a crystal trophy, as well as visits to Toyota's Lean Manufacturing Centre, Seating Matters in Limavady and a half-day consultancy with LBS Partners.

The main presentations on the day were multi-sectoral, which served to demonstrate that, contrary to popular belief, lean is as applicable and beneficial in a service environment as it is in manufacturing.

An Post's Heather Lowry showed how lean has helped the company transform its shared services activities through giving its leaders the tools and techniques needed to ignite efficiencies in their teams. It has injected greater clarity into the teams' daily workload, given them timely sight of problems before they become big issues, led to a reduction in the time spent on non-value-added tasks, and initiated the use of metrics to support decision-making and change.

"It has empowered our teams to bring forward solutions and work collaboratively," she said.

Examples of wins at An Post's corporate centre, facilitated through lean, include the digitisation of 3,000 training records, 48% less purchase orders generated by procurement, a simplified graduate placement programme, streamlined parcel quotes for sales, and much more, all enabled by new ways of working at its new corporate headquarters.

In a fast-paced presentation, Seating Matters' Martin Tierney, whose company makes specialist and bespoke orthopaedic chairs, spoke about the transition from a position of carrying too much stock and losing key people to now being a much-expanded operation, winning design awards, through focusing on quality versus production and starting each day with a book club and new learning sessions.

"Fix what bugs you and grow your people" was one of his stark giveaways on the day when he likened a visit to Japan as a 'brain transplant', that gave him a new enthusiasm to change work practices in his company.

"Our principles today are centred on growing and developing exceptional people, creating a culture of continuous improvement, delivering remarkable customer service, developing industry-leading products for patients and carers, fostering creativity in our workforce, setting exceptional standards and leading ...