The future of work

**SalesServiceGuy** · 12-29-2020

Recognizing the forced changes in the workplace caused by the COVId-19 pandemic and the likely permanent reduction on print volumes. Toshiba Tec Corporation is changing its business model to embrace the future.

Notification of organization name change

December 28, 2020
Toshiba Tec Corporation

Toshiba Tec Corporation will change the organizational name of the "Printing Solutions Business Group" to that of "Workplace Solutions Business Group" on January 1, 2021.

Background of the name change

As the market environment evolves drastically due to technological innovation and the impact of COVID-19, we will accelerate shifting our strategic focus to providing new services such as building a cloud platform that supports "Work Style Reform” and “Productivity Improvement" in offices rather than depending on the printing-based business model in order to continuously meet the enhanced demands of our customers. To make our future direction more clearly, we will change the name of “Printing Solutions Business Group” to "Workplace Solutions Business Group". With the new organization name, we will aim to establish a new business model from a yet wider perspective than ever before while utilizing Toshiba Tec’s unique strengths.

New organization name	Old organization name	Effective date
Workplace Solutions Business Group	Printing Solutions Business Group	January 1, 2021

**SalesServiceGuy** · 01-19-2021

The rise of the fake commute, and why it's good for your mental health

If the blur between work and home is still a struggle, mimicking your route from the Before Times may be the solution you need.

For many people, commuting to work can be the worst part of their day: There is the chance of sitting in standstill traffic. Or, railway problems might leave you disembarking and on an unexpected journey.

For others, however, commuting may have been a ritual that was critical for their mental health and work-life balance. Enter the rise of the "fake commute," wherein people replace that daily transition with walks, runs, bike rides and more.

"Routines and rituals are very beneficial to us, because they're things that we understand and know what to expect from them," said Lynn Bufka, the senior director of practice transformation and quality at the American Psychological Association.

"The routine sets up for us, without having to think about what we're going to do next, 'Here is how my day is going to flow,'" she said. "It helps us ease from point A to point B."

Commutes are forced pauses that signal the time to transition from one's work identity to another identity, such as parent, spouse or friend, said Ravi S. Gajendran, an associate professor at Florida International University's College of Business. "Working full time from home during the pandemic makes it difficult to transition between work and home roles," he said via email.

"Many individuals are shifting between being a parent/spouse and an employee multiple times during a day," Gajendran added.

"It's hard to smoothly hop on to a work-related Zoom call right after dealing with a demanding situation with kids at home. Likewise, it's hard to leave behind the stresses and mental worries of work-related Zoom call and instantly switch to being a loving and caring partner or spouse."

Ilona Alcock, another faithful fake commuter, and her husband shifted from train rides and walks to enjoying strolls to "create a split between home and work."

"The fake commutes were an absolute lifeline for myself and my husband," added Alcock, cofounder of business development consultancy Elevate Greater Manchester in England. "They gave me a reason to get out of bed at the same time each morning and set me up for a more productive, active day. Walking outside has a massive positive impact on my mental health."

For several months now, the practice has been a way for Alcock to start her day with fresh air, green spaces and time to learn. "It has a positive impact on my whole day and I often have my best ideas during these walks," she said.
Kanter's fake commutes have been a meditational respite as well. She has found a way to "be in the moment and observe, which I know is another technique for getting through trauma," Kanter said. "It brought down the stress levels and the fear and the negative thinking, and improved (my) concentration."

Nick Shepherd, a business development executive in Stockport, England, has been waking up earlier to "go for a wander and see the world wake up" since October. "I think people (think) that it's nice to just wake up straight from your bed and go straight to your desk to work for the day," he added, "but it makes such a difference having that time before work to yourself."

No commute meant that Louise Sharp was increasingly logging in to her laptop earlier and finishing later. An 8-kilometer (nearly 5-mile) walk helped her process her responsibilities, improve her mood and become motivated and more aware.

"Spending too much time in front of a screen and with no likely return to the office, I knew I had to do something," said Sharp, a whole family practitioner in Warrington, Cheshire, England.

Starting your own fake commute can be as simple as walking, running or biking for around the same time or mileage that your former trip took. Some people drive to their office building, stay in the car, then return home in time to start work. "People who segment do have better work-life balances," said Kristen Shockley, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Georgia.

Whichever substitute you choose, a key is to "make it a habit and prepare the night ahead," Alcock said. Adding a social aspect could make the habit more enjoyable and sustainable. Kanter recruited her husband and declared their commute a "no-COVID discussion zone," she said via email. Alcock has found that the morning chats with her husband help keep their "relationship strong throughout the pandemic."

Since some people's homes are masquerading as offices, just having your laptop in sight can be stressful. Separate yourself from work by also shifting your area, Bufka said, perhaps by putting away your laptop and shelving notebooks.
"Depending on what people really appreciate about the notion of transition and figuring out what kind of time they might need," Bufka added, "plan on that." That transition could be spending time alone or simply changing clothes.

In addition to the benefits for mental health and work-life balance, fake commutes could improve your physical health. Before the pandemic, Kanter learned that her cholesterol was high — but when she had a follow-up appointment with her doctor months later, her cholesterol had normalized.

Walking and other forms of exercise can help to reduce problems with stress, mental health and sleep, research has shown. Physical activity can also boost your immunity and respiratory health, which are critical factors in how a person fares if infected with coronavirus.

"There's some opportunities here to build some new habits or new structures into our day-to-day lives that will serve us well," Bufka said, "whether there's a pandemic or not."

**mrnapolean1** · 01-25-2021

I think Jobs that can be done remotely should stay remote. Keeps traffic congestion down, saves time, saves money, and Ive found out some people are more productive doing stuff like Newscasting, Secretary work, Customer service, and Remote Support from home because your in a relaxed environment.

Plus youre not out there transmitting COVID, Common Cold, Flu or any other contagious disease around.

**SalesServiceGuy** · 03-03-2021

In the Fast Lane Toward a Contactless Supply Chain

In the name of safety, touchless technology is on the rise everywhere we look. Restaurants and retailers are adopting contactless payment methods. The journey through the airport terminal is trending toward touch-free. The touchless sensing market is expected to reach $15.3 billion in 2025, up from $6.8 billion in 2020. Not to be left out, we’re going to see touch-free supply-chain operations evolve this year as well.

As pandemic-induced safety concerns skyrocketed last year, so did the need for contactless solutions at every step of the supply chain, from shipping to shelves. Coming into 2021, experts don’t think this shift toward touchless delivery and workflows will be slowing any time soon. In fact, trends in automation, from artificial intelligence to machine learning to predictive analytics, are enabling contact-free methods in the supply chain to march forward.

The drive toward supply-chain digitization is underway. For many years, there’s been a strong desire among trucking companies and consignees to go paper-free, whether during pickups, deliveries or anywhere else along the supply chain. Transportation leaders want the ability to handle bills of lading and other vital documentation on mobile devices, because digital transactions are more efficient, accurate and environmentally friendly than manual paper-based processes.

Automated data-acquisition processes are a growing trend, including the ability to auto-generate and auto-populate data. In fact, regulations now require that truck drivers use electronic logging devices (ELDs) rather than paper logbooks. Going from paper-based to digital makes it easier for companies to collect important data and manage supply-chain operations using the broad array of cloud-based supply-chain software available in the market today.

Digitization also enables organizations to apply A.I. to massive amounts of aggregated data, giving way to predictive analytics, demand sensing and demand planning, to identify patterns for improvement that might not be noticeable otherwise. A.I. increases efficiency in many ways, including reducing the time it takes for carriers to move empty “deadhead” loads. It improves predictability by enabling carriers to better estimate arrival times based on historical trends.

Further, A.I. can optimize labor resources and reduce the time involved in determining how best to load a truck, which often requires multiple stops and drops before final destination. A.I. and machine learning enable a company to take historical usage data and plan the loading and unloading of a truck, which manually could take six to eight hours, and reduce that time to mere minutes.
Though touchless was on the minds of many transportation leaders prior to the pandemic, COVID-19 has widely accelerated demand because of its sanitation requirements. Heightened safety needs have prompted even industry laggards to make the move from paper-based freight documentation to digital, removing contact risk with paper-based bills of lading, proofs of delivery, freight invoices and auditing. With the forced removal of the paper barrier, there was finally room in the industry to facilitate widespread adoption of digital logistics solutions.

Even smaller companies, which make up the majority of U.S. freight carriers and are often most resistant to change, are ready to transition to digital methods because of their safety benefits.

Today, the transportation market is more poised than ever to invest in A.I. and machine learning. Many shippers, carriers and brokers are moving toward an all-things-digital environment, as they already use transportation management systems (TMS) to automate operations and aggregate important information.

Whether trucking companies have taken the plunge, dipped their toes in the water or are watching innovation from the shore, none should be intimidated by contactless workflows. What might seem ultra-advanced today is often table stakes tomorrow.
Before anyone had heard of COVID-19, the supply-chain management industry was already headed toward digitization, but as the pandemic wears on, the need to go contactless accelerates. The benefits to transportation companies and their shipper customers are many, including increased safety, enhanced accuracy and productivity, and access to crucial data to drive the business. All signs are pointing to a fully digitized supply chain, and we believe that more transportation leaders than ever will follow them this year.

... the copier industry is rapidly going contactless as new apps like Toshiba's eConnect TouchFree gives users full control of their copier's LCD panel from their smartphones.

Toshiba's latest firmware allows a copier technician via the built in Virtual Network connection and TeamViewer to reach all service aspects of a customer's copier from their desk wherever it may be.

Toshiba's eCloud Connect allows technicians to update copier firmware and download, analyze and upload all of a copiers settings remotely.

... a kilometer not driven nor a minute wasted in commute allows copier technicians to rapidly resolve customer issues, increase customer satisfaction and reduce expenses all while providing a safe, contactless experience.

**SalesServiceGuy** · 03-15-2021

What a 2021 courier delivery vehicle will look like. FedEx UK has already bought 1,000 and is awaiting first deliveries end of 2021.

Inside the Van | Arrival Van Walkthrough | ARRIVAL - YouTube

**skynet** · 03-15-2021

Originally Posted by SalesServiceGuy

Further, A.I. can optimize labor resources and reduce the time involved in determining how best to load a truck,

Err put the stuff to be delivered first on last not rocket science, is it?

**SalesServiceGuy** · 03-15-2021

Originally Posted by skynet

Err put the stuff to be delivered first on last not rocket science, is it?

... but what if the driver is not familiar with the route, has 100s of boxes to deliver and not enough time to figure it out. Then multiply that by 10 trucks everyday out for delivery.

Result: trucks leave the dock faster and can complete more deliveries per day with less time and km driven wasted = big $ savings.

**skynet** · 03-15-2021

Originally Posted by SalesServiceGuy

... but what if the driver is not familiar with the route, has 100s of boxes to deliver and not enough time to figure it out. Then multiply that by 10 trucks everyday out for delivery.

Result: trucks leave the dock faster and can complete more deliveries per day with less time and km driven wasted = big $ savings.

You seem to be promoting a future where these people have no job, if this could work don't you think Amazon haven't already experimented with this.

**SalesServiceGuy** · 03-15-2021

Originally Posted by skynet

You seem to be promoting a future where these people have no job, if this could work don't you think Amazon haven't already experimented with this.

... regardless of the argument, FedEX UK has already bought 1,000 trucks. It is going to happen no later than 2022. Competitors will be forced to follow as the fleet savings and improved efficiencies will be tremendous. What makes you think delivery truck drivers will loose their jobs?

GM has created an entire new Division called BrightDrop to manufacture a similar product in Canada.

https://electricautonomy.ca/2021/01/...de-in-ontario/

There is no turning back to the pre-COVID way of doing things!