July 2013
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IT Offshoring: Another Look
Wikipedia describes offshoring as a process in which an organisation shifts its business process from one country—usually the parent firm’s country—to another. The online encyclopaedia also refers to a term Bangalored, a euphemism for one losing their IT job as a result of offshoring.
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Warning: Final Salary Schemes’ Deficit Grows
In March this year I wrote an article in BCCJ ACUMEN (“UK Firm Pensions: Is the End Nigh?”) in which I spoke about the problems facing UK corporate pension schemes and what individuals could do to protect their pension.
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Essentials for Motivating Salespeople
“Hey, it’s a jungle out there”. A brilliant meeting followed by a woeful meeting; the emotional roller-coaster world of sales.News in Brief
Your monthly digest of UK–Japan news
Helping the Other Half
Partner has become a popular word, with many couples, sponsors, firms, friends, colleagues, countries and ideologues preferring this warm and fuzzy term to “the missus”, “comrade” or “collaborate”.
From Dundee to MBE
Accompanied by my parents and brother, I collected my MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) at Buckingham Palace on 7 June.
Driving the New Dragon Economy
Japanese corporations hold Welsh engineering and technological prowess in high esteem, while consumers in Japan are keen on the high-end, niche products that are increasingly emerging from Welsh firms.
Getting the Word Out:
Some of the biggest names in Japan’s corporate world—from Sony Corporation, Fujitsu and Olympus Corporation, to Panasonic Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation and Hoya Corporation—already have a firm foothold in Wales. But Edwina Hart says there is plenty of room for more.
Brighton Rocks Chiba Beach
Under a clear blue sky on a long stretch of beach at Makuhari Seaside Park in Chiba Prefecture, the Big Beach Festival ’13 brought thousands of music lovers together to indulge in the music of some of the world’s best DJs.
Exiled from Home
British nationals living outside the European Union are up in arms over new immigration rules for foreign spouses that, they say, make it difficult—and, in some cases, impossible—to return to the UK to live.
EU–Japan FTA: Update
A 30-strong delegation from the European Commission held a second round of discussions on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan over 10 days in Tokyo in late May and early June.
The Power of Word of Mouth
Advertising is helpful and promotions have their uses, but entrepreneurs Christian Schmitz and Loren Fykes are firm believers in the overwhelming power of word of mouth.
Future Workplace: a New Model for the User Desktop
Traditional PCs—with the exception, possibly, of those used in computing-intensive areas such as R&D and development—are more than less a phased-out model.
IT: the Future Is Bright
The technology sector in Japan has experienced significant growth over the past 18 months. Further, there has been an increased demand for information technology professionals across start-ups, as well as small and large multinational businesses.
My Brother and I
When the Cure Is Worse than the Disease
Many medical tests can cause problems. These can be indirect, for example when unhelpful or misleading results cause confusion or delay in reaching a diagnosis.
Journey to the Heart of Nature
BBC Worldwide is teaming up with Sega Corporation to create a new theme park that will use cutting-edge technology to enable visitors to experience the natural environment and interact with the wildlife that inhabits the planet.
Wanted: Sponsors to Be Scared Silly
The driver turns his steering wheel sharply as a woman squeals with delight from the passenger seat. But her screams are barely audible—drowned out by the roar of the car’s engine as the vehicle bounces from side to side on the dirt road.
Arts Events
Arts events compiled by Yoko Yanagimoto.
Reds in Bed
Red was the colour of Kagome Co., Ltd’s booth at the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2013. Red is also the colour of tomatoes—known for being not just delicious but healthy—and are what the firm is about.
Turning On the Tap
In October 1887, British engineer Henry Spencer Palmer completed work on the first modern waterworks system in Japan. It brought clean drinking water to the 87 households that made up Yokohama. In addition, it laid the groundwork for the coastal village to grow into the thriving modern city that it is today.
Book Reviews
Adolescence without End; Shutting out the Sun
Unleashing Creativity
The UK and Japan share a rich creative heritage that includes architects, musicians, filmmakers, video game developers, fashion designers and technologists across a broad range of industries.
What You Missed in the Japanese Press
Bling and Home Loans Are Midyear Hits; “Moonlighting” Mini Cafes Perk up Coffee Sales; Putting the Alpha into Accommodation; Gearing Up for New Wardrobes
Crisp Maker to Supply 7-Eleven
Tyrrells Potato Crisps Ltd has secured its biggest-ever overseas listing with a deal to sell its products at 7-Eleven stores in Japan, The Grocer reported on 29 May.
Royal Visits Worcester Tool Factory
Prince Charles visited the Yamazaki Mazak Corporation factory in Worcester to learn about its highly regarded training programmes for young workers, The Japan Times reported on 6 June.
Record Exports for Scots Cloth Firms
Textile firms north of the border have secured record sales of £1.3mn in Japan over the past year, after adopting a new strategy to increase business in the Far East, the London Press Service reported on 2 April.
