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No. 2 /June. ’11

Michelle Mone: How the Ultimo founder became a success

MAXIMISE YOUR POTENTIAL

Stay secure Top tips for keeping your business safe

Flexible working How technology can optimise space

2 · JUNE 2011 AN INDEPENDENT INSERT BY MEDIAPLANET

Efficiency and creativity top space requirements

Post-recession, the challenge for office managers is to get the most productivity from a working environment while encouraging creativity with flexible spaces which cater for employees’ varied working patterns

Business is emerging from the recession and is expecting its investment in the workplace to make a bigger contribution to output and per-

formance.Occupiers, private and public

sector, are looking for three key attributes in their working envi-ronment. Efficient use of space, a working environment which stim-ulates innovation and creativity as well as reinforces the organisa-tion’s core values.

The challenges faced by work-place designers, managers and pro-viders therefore become more com-plex. It remains important that the basics are done well and consist-ently from the ergonomics of the individual chair and workstation, through to temperature, ventilation and the provision of safe, secure and accessible facilities that improve

rather than degrade staff wellbeing.

Beyond sustainabilitySustainable development is a given now not just because

of regulation but the ever more de-manding expectation of custom-ers, investors and not least employ-ees. We need solutions that deliver both financial and sustainability advantages.

It is impossible to understand the future workplace without ad-dressing new styles of working. Ag-ile working and the breaking down

of the expectation of a fixed desk is now in the mainstream, not surpris-ingly given the potential 20—30 per cent reduction in per capita accom-modation costs. The modern office provides internally a range of dif-ferent areas that give employees the choice of functional spaces to match the activity they are engaged in — break out rooms, coffee points, qui-et stations, client areas, one-to-one meeting places are all now common.

The future challenge is to become more sophisticated in tuning the right space to the needs of the occu-pying unit. Space booking and occu-pancy monitoring systems will play an important part together with de-signing for flexibility and adaptabil-ity. The range of work choices out-side of the corporate office is equal-ly important, from coffee shops through serviced offices, which can provide a local or easily accessible alternative, thus reducing travel time and carbon emissions.

Paul BartlettChairman, Office Productivity Network

“Companies should insist sensitive information is not carried around”

Richard HurleyCommunications Manager, CIFAS

PAGE 5

MODERN OFFICE, 2ND EDITION, JUNE 2011 Managing Director: Willem De GeerEditorial Manager: Katherine WoodleyBusiness Developer: Dominic Webber

Responsible for this issueProject Manager: Amanda RobertsPhone: 020 7665 4407E-mail: amanda.roberts@mediaplanet.com

Distributed with: The Guardian, June 2011Print: The Guardian Print Centre

Mediaplanet contact information: Phone: 0207 665 4400Fax: 0207 655 4419 E-mail: info.uk@mediaplanet.com

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Michelle Mone is proof that hard work, an attention to detail and a determination to grow can take a business from humble beginnings to the high street shelves in just a few years. Growing Ultimo has required dedication as well as a commitment for her to hone a fi rm but fair style

Finding a business style can often be more of a challenge for a woman than a man, Michelle Mone believes.

Many of the qualities one expects in a tough business man can be looked down on in a woman. So it can be more important for a successful woman to fi nd a style she is comfort-able with and which encourages loy-alty in staff but leaves no confusion what is expected of them.

“I’ve got my style and as long you’re fair with people I don’t think you need to scream and shout to get results,” she says.

“I’m happy with my style. It can be diffi cult because if a man is tough in business it’s seen as fantastic and it’s applauded. If a woman does the same, she’s seen as some kind of a witch.”

This style has been honed under Mone’s simple motto of ‘work hard,

play hard, give something back’ which has led to her involvement in championing women in business issues. The moral stance also led her to sack one of the country’s most fa-mous models for “rude” behaviour to a member of staff .

Supporting roleHer moral code appears to have been honed through a tough, but loving, childhood in East Glasgow which saw Mone leave school for work at 15. She had already lost her brother, and only sibling, to Spi-na bifeda and so felt she needed to support the family when her father woke up one morning paralysed and confi ned to a wheelchair.

Eleven years later, things were not looking good. She was preg-nant and had just been made re-dundant. However, one night, when she could not fi nd a quality

supporting bra for a party dress, the idea to co-found Ultimo, with her husband, was born.

“I’d cried myself silly for six weeks and then got the idea for the business,” she recalls.

“I was helped out by the Prince’s Trust and I’ve never forgotten their help and try to help them with speeches whenever I can. The funny thing is that was back in 1996 and the thing that drove me then still drives me today.

“It’s the knowing we’re not there yet, that there’s still more to do. I still love getting the deal, but then you’ve got to make it hap-pen, which isn’t easy in fast fash-ion. You’ve got to get 20-odd suppli-ers all having to deliver on time for you to make your product and sup-ply it yourself on time. It’s a huge challenge but it’s what makes me get up each morning.”

It is this attention to detail, w h i c h Mone jok-

ingly likens to “being a

bit OCD”, that she believes has enabled her to run a

business which relies so heavily

on multiple part-ners providing

quality materials to tight deadlines.

For more informa-tion go to Debenhams

and visit www.ultimo.com

Supporting style works wonders for lingerie legend

SEAN HARGRAVE

info.uk@mediaplanet.com

CHANGE

INSPIRATION

JUNE 2011 · 5AN INDEPENDENT INSERT BY MEDIAPLANET

Question: With headlines about Sony and the IMF being hacked, is cyber security the only protection a company needs to worry about?

Answer: No, not all threats are virtual. Many rely on lapse handling of physical information

With alarming stories in the press about major companies falling prey to hackers, it can be tempting to think protecting the modern office against theft is the preserve of anti-virus software and a robust firewall.

While these are essential, crime experts are eager to warn business-es there is a growing trend for or-ganised criminal gangs to steal da-ta on printed sheets of paper and unlocked draws. Richard Hurley, Communications Manager at CI-FAS, the UK’s fraud prevention service, believes sometimes the most simple security messages can be overlooked.

“Obviously cyber security is a big issue companies need to be look-ing at but they mustn’t forget the really simple things every employ-ee can help with,” he says.

“The police are warning us that there is still an awful lot of cheque fraud, for example, going on be-cause people think that the big issue is hackers and they forget to ensure the petty cash and the cheque book are locked away.

“It’s exactly the same with

data. People assume the threat is on-line but will then leave a print out of customer information on their desk where anyone can see it.”

Shred it firstHence, Hurley’s advice is if infor-mation does have to be printed out, it should never be left lying around for longer than is neces-sary and it must always be shred-ded rather than simply put in the recycling bin.

For working outside the office, the advice is to never carry around print outs of sensitive informa-tion but to instead rely on the data being kept safe on a laptop, which itself needs to be secured.

“It’s amazing how many secu-rity scares there are because peo-ple lose a briefcase with a laptop in it or print outs of customer da-ta,” he says.

“Companies should insist sen-sitive information is not carried around like this and they need to ensure information is encrypted on laptops so if they are stolen da-ta is illegible to others. “

As with all security issues, Hur-ley maintains, the secret is to pro-tect against new threats but never ignore the continued likelihood of physical data theft.

Data needs protecting

INFORMATION IS VALUABLE. Businesses should take responsibillity for their customers’ data and ensure it’s disposed of correctly PHOTO: RYAN R FOX /SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SEAN HAGRAVE

info.uk@mediaplanet.com

NEWS

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Secure access points

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CCTV

2Check your CCTV system is effectively installed and

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4Mark all valuable equip-ment held on site, including

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For more information visit www.bsia.co.uk

JAMES KELLY’S TIPS,

BRITISH SECURITY

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

5

6 · JUNE 2011 AN INDEPENDENT INSERT BY MEDIAPLANET

Question: How is technology changing our offi ce spaces and the way we work?

Answer: Flexible working means people are more free to get away from the desk, creating an opportunity for more effi cient use of space

After decades of companies con-centrating on cramming employ-ees into ever longer lines of desks, technology is now liberating of-fice designers to make far more efficient use of space.

The key factor has been tech-nology. In the past, there was no choice, people had to go to a des-ignated desk in their office and work throughout the day from the same chair.

Now, though, employees can be productive at home, during trav-el and, crucially, in different parts of a building, explains Gary Win-grove, Senior Vice President of the British Council for Offices (BCO).

“Everything is becoming wire-less so people don’t need to be behind the same desk for their phone or computer, it can travel with them,” he says.

“It’s great for getting people to use all the space an office has to offer and get them mingling and sharing ideas. A lot of companies are purposefully putting coffee machines in the lobby or every other floor to ensure staff have to move away from a desk and may-

be take their laptop with them to a cafe area and get talking to oth-er members of staff.”

Optimal useThe proliferation of break out rooms and bean bags sections for impromptu meetings might sound like a strain on space but Wingrove reveals the opposite is true.

“One of the big space savings is you don’t need so many large con-ference rooms for meetings,” he says.

“They’re often only half full for meetings, so why not have some that are smaller and why not let some smaller meetings take place in a break out area or the cafeteria. It saves space and it also makes sure the space you do have gets better used throughout the whole working day.”

One way companies can opti-mise space is to not have a ded-icated server room but instead use a server cabinet which can be housed in the office. Macmillan Cancer Care was recently donat-ed a server cabinet which allowed them to maximise the use of space at their new office in Cam-bridgeshire. The charity believes it has saved considerably through not having to build a server room which would then have incurred extra cooling costs.

Modern offi ces optimise space

SEAN HARGRAVE

info.uk@mediaplanet.com

Research commissioned by the

BCO recently found that, despite

predictions the offi ce is dying, only 2

per cent of the country’s work force

work permanently from home.

The major trend picked up in

the research is employee demand

for ‘home comforts’, such as

restaurants, leisure space and health

care facilities, to be brought more

into the modern offi ce.

The study also revealed

an increased demand among

companies for low carbon or carbon

zero offi ces.

FACTS

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Cutting carbon makes sense because it not only boosts a company’s reputation, it is a great way of attracting custom from businesses who want to deal with good corporate citizens

The carbon reduction goals over-seen by Inge Huijbrechts, Di-rector of Responsible Business at hotel group Rezidor, vary be-tween regions and normally rely on new hotels being built, or old-er buildings being refurbished, with modern technology. The biggest power reductions come through more effi cient air con-ditioning systems and better in-sulated buildings.

Her advice to companies, re-gardless of sector, is to give somebody ownership of carbon reduction.“You need somebody in charge of measuring emis-sions and then driving reduc-tions,” she says. “They need to set the goals across an organi-sation but then you also need champions on the ground.”

By taking action, Huijbrechts points out, research shows that emissions from buildings could be reduced by a quarter.

Gary WingroveSenior Vice President, British Council for Offi ces

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