Banner Blog

Getting together with colleagues more often, virtually than face to face, could be just what you need

From finding the best way to solve a problem, to helping everyone get on top of their workloads, it’s all about collaboration.

Workplaces are embracing collective working because it can make a world of difference to their success. It can help to distribute work more evenly, improve everyone’s abilities, share responsibilities and increase motivation.

However, it’s one thing to know collaboration is a good thing, but another to do it well. Here are five skills that could transform collaboration in your workplace:

Getting our heads together is a great way to work

When we collaborate, we’re said to be more innovative and happier, and projects can run more successfully. This can only be a good thing for wellbeing in the workplace, yet we’re not all embracing it yet.

Research has revealed that while a fifth of UK organisations have some form of collaborative technology in place, only 9% are actively using it to full effect.

Here are six ways that collaboration can boost morale and wellbeing:

You may need a few break-ups if you want your open plan workspace to suit everyone

It's increasingly accepted that open plan offices alone do not provide the working environment that many employees need to perform well. Creating more separation across the floor could improve motivation and productivity, and significantly reduce noise level.

Making a workspace more diverse in its choice of spaces doesn’t need to be at huge expense. With the strategic use of colourful screens, or fabric covered ceiling and wall-hung tiles, it’s possible to create a range of areas without any major building work. It’s all about being flexible and creative with a room.

Is your organisation's waste management where it should be?

With more than half of recyclable waste in the UK, 51 million tonnes, ending up in landfill or being destroyed, improving our waste management should be a priority. Here is why organisations need to take the issue seriously:

We highlight how some of our Partnerships help use technology to meet a high standard

When you're sourcing technology, it's important that the products and services are recommended by suppliers that understand your organisation's specific needs, and who are qualified to offer this advice.

Suppliers accredited by the major manufacturers will not only be able to offer competitive prices and the latest product promotions, but will also be more likely to provide advice that is tailored to you, completely up to date and meets the highest standards.

Our Technology team at Banner have been put through their paces and are proud to have achieved the following accreditations, which means our customers can rest assured they are receiving the benefits of an accredited supplier.

Taking a fresh look on how you budget for cleaning supplies could pay dividends.

Cleaning supplies is one area that may benefit from zero based budgeting, a method recommended by some finance experts. They believe better results are achieved if costs are justified against business goals each year, rather than simply allocated on the basis of the previous years budget.

Better cleaning supplies procurement can significantly enhance value, particularly for businesses willing to invest a little time uncovering a few facts.

Whether it's asking your cleaning supplies partner to do some research, asking facilities management to find a few answers, or speaking to your cleaning team yourself, your time now could make a big difference to a key area of spend.

Nobo's innovative new product line-up for 2019 is designed to make meetings bigger and bolder than ever before.

Inspiring a clean, creative and collaborative working environment, a new range of boards offers a smart solution for every workspace.

Ignite your team's potential

What is Scrum Methodology?  If you’re collaborating on a quickly moving project that has lots of moving parts, Scrum can be a big help.  It’s a flexible, holistic strategy where a team works collaboratively to reach a common goal. By implementing it using Post-it Products, it might be just what you need to help your team get ideas out and assemble all the puzzle pieces of a project into a beautifully complete whole.

Follow our simple steps on how to plan a great meeting
There’s a lot more to a business meeting than just getting the relevant people into a room and waiting for the magic and ingenuity to happen.  As with anything, it requires good planning.

We interview Craig Varey, Managing Director at Banner, as he takes a look back on 2018 and into 2019

"I'm pleased to say 2018 was a success for Banner as we continued to invest and develop the business to add value to our customers. This was substantiated by the achievement of strong business growth and more customers entrusted Banner to support their business supplies and needs during the last 12 months.

We moved more towards partnership-based relationships with our customers, gaining insights and a deeper understanding of their evolving needs and requirements along the way. Our customer partnerships have informed many of the investments and developments that were made during 2018 and have enabled us to set strong foundations for the future.

Here are a few examples: