JD Sports is planning to open 200 new stores globally this financial year, despite recording a drop in profits. During the last financial year, the sportswear retailer opened 249 stores, closed 248, and disposed of 74 across all its fascias globally, bringing its total store estate to 3,317 stores. In
Panattoni, the largest logistics real estate developer in the UK and Europe, has increased its investment in its net zero carbon logistics park at Sittingbourne to £170 million with the acquisition of an additional 10-acre site at G Park Sittingbourne. Panattoni is preparing to submit a planning application for a
The Council’s housing company This City has celebrated a major milestone in construction as a topping out ceremony marks the highest point of the build. The development will become No 1 Ancoats Green on completion and will deliver 129 new homes bringing a long-term brownfield site back into use –
BAM has started building work on the first office development at Brent Cross Town in north London. 3 Copper Square is located at the 180-acre, £8 billion mixed-use park town development, which is targeting to be a net zero carbon town by 2030. The building designed by Shedkm Architects will
Baxi has added new Auriga medium temperature monobloc heat pumps, compatible cascade and hybrid controls, and a pre-contract design guidance service to its existing commercial heat pump offering. Leading heating and hot water solutions provider Baxi has announced the arrival of its new Auriga mid-temperature monobloc commercial heat pump series
Every industry is constantly looking to improve their respective sectors for great efficiency and streamlining. The construction industry is no different, as infrastructure supply chains are set for huge transformations in the coming years, thanks partly to technology and innovative strategies. But what are some trends the industry can expect
Prologis UK, a leading owner, developer and investor of logistics property has launched a market-first flexible warehouse offering, Flexxtra, at Prologis Park Wellingborough West DC4. Flexxtra, a warehouse-as-a-service offering, provides agile additional warehouse space to businesses on an as-needed, pallet-by-pallet basis. Both a convenient and flexible way to manage logistics
Urban Fox, a partnership between Balfour Beatty Investments and Urban Electric Networks, has today unveiled the UEone, Europe’s first fully retractable electric vehicle (EV) chargers, at a launch event held at the internationally renowned design museum, V&A Dundee, Scotland. Following over seven years of development and a successful two-and a
Harris Lamb, the independently owned, Midlands-based commercial property agency that acts for clients nationwide, is moving its established Birmingham office from Edgbaston to Brindleyplace. The company is taking 5,391 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of 4 Brindleyplace as it looks to grow its footprint in the city
As a business expands, its technology needs to grow, too. More employees require more computers, software, and IT support. New locations mean additional networking and infrastructure. Increased customers and orders translate into higher demands on databases, websites, and business software applications. If not managed properly, IT can become a bottleneck
JD Sports is planning to open 200 new stores globally this financial year, despite recording a drop in profits. During the last financial year, the sportswear retailer opened 249 stores, closed 248, and disposed of 74 across all its fascias globally, bringing its total store estate to 3,317 stores. In the UK and Republic of Ireland, JD Sports opened 21 new stores and closed 13, increasing its store portfolio by a net eight stores. This included the relocation and expansion of its Birmingham Bullring store, as well as new stores in Coventry and Bedford. After the period ended – at which point the retailer operated 454 stores – JD Sports also opened a flagship store at Westfield Stratford. The group also expanded its JD Gyms estate, opening in eight locations during the period. JD now operates 85 gyms in its principal UK market. This comes as the group releases its results for the 2024 financial year, during which its revenue increased by 2.7% to £10.4 billion. However, growth was negatively impacted by a number of disposals made during the period, which comprised the 52-week period ending 27 January. However, profit before tax and adjusting items fell by 8% to £912.4 million, which JD Sports attributed to increased investment. Régis Schultz, chief executive officer of JD Sports, said the strong revenue performance was “delivered in a challenging market.” He added: “We have started the new financial year with Q1 in line with our expectations in a volatile market and we are on track to deliver our profit guidance for the full year. Looking further ahead, we have a strong business model and a clear strategy to deliver long-term growth and value creation for our shareholders.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Panattoni, the largest logistics real estate developer in the UK and Europe, has increased its investment in its net zero carbon logistics park at Sittingbourne to £170 million with the acquisition of an additional 10-acre site at G Park Sittingbourne. Panattoni is preparing to submit a planning application for a 128,050 sq ft unit on the new site. Construction of this second phase of development is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year, with completion due in the third quarter of 2025. Panattoni is already under construction with the 645,000 sq ft first phase of development at the park, comprising two units of 440,000 sq ft (S440) and 205,000 sq ft (S205). Completion of these two units is expected in March 2025. Panattoni Park Sittingbourne, which will total 773,000 sq ft on 36 acres, is targeting net zero carbon development with an expected BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘Excellent’ and an EPC rating of ‘A’. All units are to be developed with enhanced sustainability measures within the base specification, including the installation of roof-mounted photovoltaic panelling and electric vehicle charging points. Panattoni Park Sittingbourne is strategically positioned between London and Dover, four miles north of junction 5 of the M2. The development provides convenient access to major national and international transport routes, with the port of Dover less than an hour away and easy connectivity to the M2, M20 and M25 motorways. Major occupiers in the area include Morrisons, Amazon, Evri and DHL. Tony Watkins, Head of Development for the South East and London at Panattoni, said: “This expansion of our site at Sittingbourne reflects theattractiveness of thelocation, which is suffering from an acute supply-demand imbalance. It is part of our strategy to acquire land in undersupplied markets in London and the south east that offers value-add opportunities”. Panattoni was advised by JLL. The vendor, GLP, was advised by Avison Young. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Council’s housing company This City has celebrated a major milestone in construction as a topping out ceremony marks the highest point of the build. The development will become No 1 Ancoats Green on completion and will deliver 129 new homes bringing a long-term brownfield site back into use – including 119 apartments and 10 town houses. A range of one bed to four bed homes are being built to meet a range of needs, including families choosing to live in the city centre, and 30% of these new homes will be capped at the Manchester Living Rent. This is a level of rent that can be covered by housing benefit, which makes sure the homes are accessible to as many Manchester people as possible. The ambition is that This City will scale up to build 500 homes a year. Six further sites are currently being considered for development in the coming years. This development is expected to be completed in 2025. The scheme is being built by Wates and designed by architect Buttress. A full list of contractors can be found in the notes to editors section. Find out more about This City No 1 Ancoats Green will overlook a transformed Ancoats Green, with the development site moving seamlessly into the improved city centre park. This investment will include new walking and cycling routes through the neighbourhood, along with significant new planting – wildflower and wetland planting, and a range of new trees, alongside new accessible play equipment and open grassed areas. This development will also be built to high sustainability standards, limiting heat loss through exemplar insulation, making the homes warm and more efficient to run – essential to support residents through the cost-of-living crisis. The Ancoats Green redevelopment is part of a range of public realm investment in Ancoats that looks to create a green heart for the local community and improve access to quality park spaces. Adjacent to the park, the Ancoats Mobility Hub celebrated its own topping out milestone earlier this year. The innovative investment will help create a low traffic, pedestrian first neighbourhood. The hub will feature secure parking for 150 bikes, alongside changing facilities, 102 electronic vehicle charging points, up to 30 spaces for car club and car share schemes as part of a total of 406 car park spaces which reduces the need for parking within new residential developments nearby (apart from disabled parking). The building itself will feature 400 rooftop solar panels and over 400sqm of living green walls. A last-mile delivery hub and parcel lockers will centralise how local people can receive post and packages, vastly reducing delivery traffic in the area. A new commercial or hospitality space is also being explored. Find out more about the regeneration of Ancoats Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of the Council, said: “The first This City development encapsulates a lot of what we’re looking to achieve when it comes to building new homes in the city centre. “Affordable, low carbon, close to great transport routes, built seamlessly into a rejuvenated Ancoats Green park – and with a range of housing types and sizes to accommodate different demand – including family homes. “Hitting the highest point is a welcome milestone and marks the hump of this project and we look forward to these homes welcoming the first residents next year.” Cllr Gavin White, executive member for housing and development, said: “This City is the innovation that Manchester’s housing market needs to help us deliver genuinely affordable housing – capped at the Manchester Living Rent – using brownfield, Council-owned land. These are the types of homes we know our residents need and in a city centre location. This development – complemented by the improvements to the park next door – is spearheading the final phase of regeneration for Ancoats that begins the end of two decades of investment in this community.” Adam White, Chair of This City, said: “Topping out our No. 1 Ancoats Green scheme marks a really important milestone for This City, proving the concept and our ability to deliver high quality, low carbon and affordable homes at scale. “Our exciting plans for the future will see us ramping up the delivery of our sizeable residential pipeline over the next few years, delivering hundreds more affordable homes available at the Manchester Living Rent. “I’d like to thank City Council Officers and Members, the This City Board, DLUHC, Wates, Buttress and the wider project team for all their input and efforts to date – No. 1 Ancoats Green is a seminal project for This City and one we should all be proud to have played a part in delivering.” Tom Maguire, project director at Wates, said: “The Rodney Street project encompasses everything we stand for at Wates – exemplary design that prioritises sustainability, delivered in a way that helps communities thrive in the long term through Social Value initiatives and the homes it will ultimately provide. “So far here at Rodney Street, we’ve spent more than £50k on local Social Enterprises and over £5m on local supply chains, as well as supported 315 Apprenticeship Weeks. While we celebrate this latest milestone of topping out, we’re focused still on delivering the rest of the project in the same way, creating opportunities wherever possible to benefit Manchester residents and businesses.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BAM has started building work on the first office development at Brent Cross Town in north London. 3 Copper Square is located at the 180-acre, £8 billion mixed-use park town development, which is targeting to be a net zero carbon town by 2030. The building designed by Shedkm Architects will provide 239,000 sq ft of office space over 14 floors plus flexible retail space at ground level. It forms the cornerstone of a new business and innovation district that will extend to 3m sq ft and create workspace for up to 25,000 people – alongside the 6,700 new homes, student housing, homes for later living, a new high street, three schools and 50 acres of parks and playing fields. Sheffield Hallam University is setting up its first university campus outside Yorkshire at Brent Cross Town and will be the anchor tenant. The University will occupy around 110,000 sq ft across the lower six floors of the building. Sheffield Hallam has award-winning teaching, learning and research capabilities alongside an outstanding student offer. The University’s London campus will provide tailored support to help businesses innovate, with access to sector expertise from academics and highly skilled graduates. It will also act as a conduit to strengthen links between South Yorkshire and London, creating new opportunities. 3 Copper Square is scheduled to open in Q3 2026. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Baxi has added new Auriga medium temperature monobloc heat pumps, compatible cascade and hybrid controls, and a pre-contract design guidance service to its existing commercial heat pump offering. Leading heating and hot water solutions provider Baxi has announced the arrival of its new Auriga mid-temperature monobloc commercial heat pump series with compatible cascade and hybrid controls. Baxi’s expanded commercial heat pump offering, now backed with a design guidance service from its technical solutions team, will be supported by a high temperature R290 (propane) heat pump range later this year. Baxi’s new air to water Auriga Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) series can achieve temperatures of up to 60°C with reduced global warming potential (GWP) due to the R32 refrigerant. Available in single outputs of 20 kw, 26 kW, 33kW and 40 kW, with cascade options of up to 320 kW, the new Auriga series offers design flexibility for commercial buildings of all sizes. As part of the new Auriga range, Baxi has launched a series of Auriga-compatible cascade and hybrid controls to maximise system efficiency. The new Baxi Commercial HVAC (CHVAC) Manager offers modular and flexible control of hybrid heating systems, with the option to cascade up to eight heat generators (either eight ASHPs or a combination of ASHPs and boilers). The new Auriga indoor controller is designed for simple ASHP cascade system control. The new Baxi VM-T controller can be used as an extension to increase the number of secondary zones controlled. The CHVAC Manager also enables connection to a BMS through Modbus or 0-10V for full remote monitoring and system optimisation. James Matthews, Director of Building Solutions at Baxi, said: “Our new Baxi Auriga ASHP has been designed with efficiency, occupant comfort and design flexibility in mind. Its excellent seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of up to 4.83 at W35 is combined with quiet operation and sound power of less than 65 dBA. “To help tackle the decarbonisation challenge and ensure optimal whole-life benefit from ASHPs, we have evolved our commercial customer support service as well as our heat pump range. At the outset, our technical sales team work collaboratively with our customers to understand their project goals, scoping out potential solutions and feasibility studies. “Following this initial assessment, our newly formed technical solutions team support our customers with system design, system sizing and simulation testing to assess solution suitability against the project requirements. “By partnering with customers at the early stages, we can not only supply the required ASHP system components, but the precise, validated advice, backed with predicted energy and carbon savings and capital expenditure modelling, that will help make the switch to ASHPs more seamless.” Designed, manufactured and tested at Baxi’s dedicated commercial heat pump facility in Vilafranca, Spain, Baxi’s new Auriga series comes with full Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to help customers assess the embodied carbon of their projects. The Auriga is backed with a Parts and Labour warranty of up to 5 years when commissioned by Baxi or a Baxi-authorised engineer. The Auriga is available to quote now, for July delivery. Features and benefits at a glance Dimensions For more information, visit: https://www.baxi.co.uk/lp/baxi-auriga-air-source-heat-pump Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Every industry is constantly looking to improve their respective sectors for great efficiency and streamlining. The construction industry is no different, as infrastructure supply chains are set for huge transformations in the coming years, thanks partly to technology and innovative strategies. But what are some trends the industry can expect for future changes throughout the supply chain? Wincanton, experts in logistics management in construction, have offered an insight into some things that will drive change within the infrastructure supply chain. Sustainability An area of supply chains across various industries that will see rapid changes in their future (as well as their present) is sustainability. Between consumers and clients on construction projects, there’s a greater emphasis on companies within the industry to be more eco-conscious and put sustainability at the heart of their mission. This is one area where integrated logistics being involved in projects from the outset can be hugely beneficial and could assist in a more sustainable future for the industry. This is due to integration that reduces the number of vehicles needed for deliveries by consolidating those travelling to project sites. In addition, this allows companies to optimise deliveries to be more sustainable. Looking at alternative methods of transport is one area where the industry is likely to move forward positively. With further advancements in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) and compressed and liquified natural gases (CNG and LNG) becoming more common as alternative fuels, the industry will likely see a reduction in emissions due to a grander scale move to these different fuel types. Visibility and reporting Having so many moving parts during infrastructure projects, such as deliveries of materials, machinery, and equipment, it’s important to have full visibility end-to-end of where everything is so that your project stays on schedule. One future trend that could help shape infrastructure supply chains is using a dedicated logistics provider to offer great visibility on materials. This can be done using emerging technology like the Internet of Things (IoT). This single system acts as a network for multiple devices for a singular truth by tracking and communicating with each other. This tracking can display full tactical information on the items ordered, the estimated time of arrival, and their current location. This information will also have visibility on any issues or delays to the delivery so expectations on scheduling can be set. Other data, including compliance and reporting, can be included and held in this single system, making product traceability even more visible. Transparency is a hugely important consideration in infrastructure as it can establish trust between stakeholders and project managers by putting everyone on a level playing field. Giving everyone involved the ability to trace the journey of materials and orders throughout the supply chain with a ledger that acts as a point of authority can help ensure compliance with regulations and standards. More cost-effective budgets One of the key challenges within infrastructure is keeping within budget restraints, which is where optimal logistics can see huge effects. A good logistics partner can identify how to save on costs by consolidating deliveries, identifying where overordering occurs, and helping improve productivity across teams. Wincanton has found that logistics can occupy around 6% of a project’s value, meaning that a £1 billion infrastructure project would spend £60 million on logistics. This is where the future of logistics could benefit from integrated approaches, with further statistics finding that savings of 20% can be made on this, thus keeping larger and more costly projects within budget and preventing overspending or reallocating funds. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Prologis UK, a leading owner, developer and investor of logistics property has launched a market-first flexible warehouse offering, Flexxtra, at Prologis Park Wellingborough West DC4. Flexxtra, a warehouse-as-a-service offering, provides agile additional warehouse space to businesses on an as-needed, pallet-by-pallet basis. Both a convenient and flexible way to manage logistics needs, Flexxtra enables customers to react quickly to market conditions and manage peaks in demand, without the long-term commitment of traditional leasing. The all-in-one turnkey solution acts to simplify leasing by taking the operational responsibilities off the customer. The Flexxtra service will be fulfilled at Prologis Park Wellingborough West DC4, a new building which has been fitted out to accommodate 70,000 pallets. As part of the service, Prologis UK has appointed Kinaxia Logistics, working alongside Visku and their Pallet Hotel platform to manage inbound receipts, insurance, and outbound fulfilment for customers so that they have a seamless experience. Visku, a well-established supply chain solutions provider with in-depth experience and strong sector relationships, will oversee the day-to-day customer management. Building on its existing relationship with Prologis UK, with its flagship site located at DIRFT, Kinaxia Logistics, a leading logistics group operating in the transport, warehouse and fulfilment sector, will oversee operations on site. DC4 is strategically located between London and the Midlands, providing an ideal location for businesses looking to strengthen their supply chain operations and is ideally positioned for access to the port of Felixstowe, a major gateway for imports into the UK. The unit is expected to be able to support between 10 and 30 customers at one time. James Hemstock, Capital Deployment & Leasing Director at Prologis UK said: “Flexibility is something that we know businesses of all shapes and sizes are looking for when they lease warehousing space, especially to help with demand spikes throughout the year. Flexxtra is something we’ve been working with Visku on for quite some time and we’re certain it’ll bring something new – and much-needed – to the logistics property market. We hope to be the incubator space for UK PLC’s next big success story.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Urban Fox, a partnership between Balfour Beatty Investments and Urban Electric Networks, has today unveiled the UEone, Europe’s first fully retractable electric vehicle (EV) chargers, at a launch event held at the internationally renowned design museum, V&A Dundee, Scotland. Following over seven years of development and a successful two-and a half-year trial, 18 new Mk5 UEone chargers have been installed by Urban Fox across nine locations in Dundee, on behalf of Dundee City Council. Designed with accessibility in mind, the award-winning, 7kW on-street charge points are the first of their kind to the market. The UEone effortlessly rises from the ground to an accessible height, and when not in use, auto-retracts flat and flush underground, leaving pavements clutter free and more accessible to pedestrians, when compared to other available EV charge points. By simply downloading the Urban Fox App, members of the public can easily summon the UEone to rise from the ground, power their EV and track their usage. At the launch event, Smart UK, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Group and Geely Holding, presented one of its latest award-winning electric models, the Smart #1. A compact SUV designed for urban environments, yet offering up to 273 miles of range, the #1 represents the kind of EV that can take full advantage of improved on-street charging. Oli Freeling-Wilkinson, CEO of Urban Fox, said: “After more than seven years of intensive development and testing, we are immensely proud to unveil Europe’s only flat and flush charging solution that complies with the highest accessibility standards. At Urban Fox we are passionate about addressing the pressing need for near-home EV charging infrastructure across the UK, to ensure that no one is left behind on the road to net zero.” Gavin Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Balfour Beatty Investments, added: “Today’s launch marks a significant milestone in the UK’s journey to achieving net zero. The launch at the renowned V&A museum in Dundee highlights how innovative technology can significantly enhance, not detract from urban spaces and living.” Dundee City Council Fair Work, Economic Growth & Infrastructure Convener, Councillor Steven Rome, marked the launch of the UEone chargers in Dundee by saying: ”I am pleased to see Dundee City Council invest in low-emission transport, further proving that we are continuously making progress towards achieving our net-zero targets. Dundee City Council believes that it is important to deploy charge points that are as accessible as possible to deliver equitable access to EV charging solutions, and this innovation helps cater to the needs of our communities.’’ Jason Allbutt, Chief Executive Officer of Smart UK, added: “As manufacturers like Smart continue the drive to make the UK’s transition to electric mobility a success, it is vital that our products are supported by a robust and reliable charging network. The development of innovative yet practical near-home charging solutions is therefore vital to ensuring that as many people as possible can benefit from the cheap, clean and convenient transport provided by electric vehicles.” Urban Fox, voted Top 6 European Cleantech Start-up by Climate-KIC – the EU’s innovation agency – combines Urban Electric Networks’ innovative and entrepreneurial spirit with Balfour Beatty’s unmatched scale, skill and capabilities in delivering infrastructure in the heart of local communities, building on the company’s experience and longstanding relationships with public realm services and local authorities. For further information on Urban Fox’s innovative on-street charge point, for product demonstrations or discussions on how Urban Fox can support your area to deploy charge points, please contact enquiries@urbanfox.network Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Harris Lamb, the independently owned, Midlands-based commercial property agency that acts for clients nationwide, is moving its established Birmingham office from Edgbaston to Brindleyplace. The company is taking 5,391 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of 4 Brindleyplace as it looks to grow its footprint in the city and provide its staff with a highly sustainable, modern and flexible commercial space in an unrivalled location. Harris Lamb prides itself on the quality of its advice, strength of relationships with clients, and the professionalism of its staff, and is looking to build upon this platform further by the move to Brindleyplace. As the city’s premier commercial estate, Brindleyplace is a great fit for the company, offering a quality environment where the new office space will be enhanced with a Cat A fit out and staff can benefit from all of the estate’s amenities and facilities right on their doorstep. Matt Long, asset manager at Praxis, said: “We’re extremely pleased to have another tenant of Harris Lamb’s high calibre join the Brindleyplace business community and add to our established roster of professional services occupiers. “Our continued commitment to refurbishing and repositioning this iconic estate is being recognised not only city-wide, but further afield as companies choose to make us their home. TASK has already been appointed to deliver the CAT A refurbishment of the workspace Harris Lamb is set to move into, and we can’t wait for the firm and its people to join us here at Brindleyplace.” Director of Harris Lamb, Charles D’Auncey, said: “Brindleyplace makes complete sense for us. From a business point of view, it affords us everything we need and more in a Grade A office building. Our space is undergoing an extensive refurbishment, including a new VRF heating and cooling system and LED lighting, which is on target to achieve an EPC A rating. “Outside the building itself, our staff are set to benefit from all of the estate’s amenities right on the doorstep, including an established and growing programme of health, wellness and wellbeing activities (such as yoga and massages) as well as estate-wide events like the film festival and regular markets.” The Brindleyplace estate is well served by public transport and is close to everything the city has to offer, including world-class connectivity, retail, leisure and eating out options. With unrivalled transport connections and situated on the city’s extensive waterways, the estate is a jewel in Birmingham’s crown both as a commercial office destination and as a place where people come together to visit, spend time in, exercise and relax in, and most of all, enjoy. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As a business expands, its technology needs to grow, too. More employees require more computers, software, and IT support. New locations mean additional networking and infrastructure. Increased customers and orders translate into higher demands on databases, websites, and business software applications. If not managed properly, IT can become a bottleneck that holds back growth. This article explains common IT growing pains and how to overcome them. Keeping Up With User Demands A recurring IT challenge is fulfilling requests from employees who need new technologies, hardware, software, or technical assistance. With more users, the IT help desk gets overwhelmed with tickets. Procuring, setting up, and supporting additional technology takes significant time and effort. To stay on top of user demands, implement formal processes for requesting and approving new IT resources. Use online forms or ticketing systems so requests get properly tracked and prioritized. Purchase technology in bulk from established vendors to negotiate better pricing and streamline deployment. Consider managed services or cloud solutions that let you easily add new users and capabilities without major projects. This can be costly. So, if you think your business can’t handle the cost due to budget constraints, consider seeking financial assistance from Credibly based in USA, or other lenders of choice. Scaling Network Infrastructure As a company grows into multiple sites, data networking becomes exponentially more complex. Connecting remote offices, securing wireless access, ensuring adequate bandwidth – these tasks require specialized skills. An unreliable or underperforming network severely impacts productivity and customer service. Invest in high-performance network equipment and IT support from leading providers like Kenyatta in Denver. Implement standardized architectures so new locations come online quickly using proven designs. Use virtual private networks (VPNs) and software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) to securely link sites at reasonable costs. Proactively monitor network performance and prepare to upgrade bandwidth ahead of user saturation. Protecting Against Cybersecurity Threats Sadly, a cyber attack aimed at businesses has become quite common. Evolving threats like malware, phishing, and ransomware put company data and systems at risk. Larger organizations make bigger targets with more potential payouts for criminals. At the same time, a growing business likely has more IT vulnerabilities to resolve. Cybersecurity cannot be an afterthought. Follow best practices to ensure data protection like deploying firewalls, antivirus, and email filtering. Regularly patch software for the latest security updates. Implement multifactor authentication, data backups, and access controls. Most importantly, provide frequent security awareness training so employees remain vigilant against the latest cyber scams and security threats. Managing Software Deployments As a company grows, so does its roster of business applications and back-office systems. Without proper coordination, purchasing and installing new software can become chaotic. Different teams may unknowingly buy overlapping tools, creating compatibility issues and wasted spending. Application performance suffers when IT doesn’t properly size servers or storage. Establish a formal system for evaluating, testing, and approving new software. Standardize on core productivity applications used throughout the business. Rationalize and consolidate tools that duplicate functionality across departments. Maintain an inventory of existing systems and software licenses. Develop deployment plans and checklists for configuring applications in line with security policies and operational requirements. Supporting Remote and Mobile Users For most small businesses, working remotely or from mobile devices is now the norm rather than the exception. Employees expect seamless access to corporate data and applications from anywhere on any device. The rise of hybrid work models amplifies these demands. Yet providing this anytime, anywhere access presents multiple IT hurdles. Mobile device management tools can distribute software, enforce data security policies, and remotely wipe sensitive data to avoid data breach from lost or stolen devices. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and desktop-as-a-service enable centralized deployment of secure remote desktops. Collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams promote communication and file sharing for dispersed teams. Cloud-based office suites reduce version conflicts compared to mixing web, desktop, and mobile productivity apps. Developing an IT Strategy As seen above, growth opportunities creates widespread technology challenges around supporting users, connecting locations, securing big data, managing software, and enabling mobility. Successful companies take a strategic approach to IT rather than reacting ad-hoc to each new problem. They develop multi-year technology roadmaps aligned with corporate objectives. Begin by assessing current IT capabilities and anticipating future needs based on the business strategy. Gaps should drive initiatives like adopting new platforms, retiring legacy systems, enhancing security, optimizing costs, improving support models, etc. Make plans to source required skills, either by training internal staff or engaging third-party providers and consulting firms. Prioritize and schedule projects into a realistic roadmap with appropriate governance. Final Thoughts The path forward won’t be perfectly smooth, but developing a comprehensive IT strategy helps a growing business proactively tackle challenges in a coordinated manner. It promotes smart technology investments, management buy-in, and efficient execution – enabling rather than hindering continued expansion and success.
