31 May 2017

Leaders gather in Uluru to discuss constitutional recognition

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Indigenous communities around Australia are suffering from poverty and neglect.

Despite the fact that this for long has been a known issue and the government keeps coming up with various strategies and plans, the problem continues.

Hundreds of members from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have come together for the National Indigenous Constitutional Convention in Uluru this week, to discuss constitutional changes.

The aim is to establish what recognition means to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia. The information will then inform a final referendum that will be handed to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Labor’s Linda Burney, the first Indigenous woman elected to the lower house, recalls to when she was ten years old in 1967, the year when Indigenous Australians were first allowed to be counted in the process.

Now, as a politician, she has another opportunity to drive change.

"Our job as politicians and as the parliament will be to receive the report, receive the outcomes of Uluru and work with those outcomes in terms of putting forward constitutional reform, the question and the timeframe for a constitutional referendum," Burney said according to News.com.

"The time has come in this country for Australia to finish the job of truth-telling in terms of our referendum, recognising aboriginal people, removing the race powers and looking at the other issues that come out of Uluru," Burney continued.

As leaders meet to discuss a rigorous principled approach, with a focus on the already existing variety of legal arrangements for Indigenous people across Australia. Since 1901, only eight out of 44 referendums have succeeded.
“We have a synthesis of the twelve dialogues from around the country, and we’ve pulled out of that some guiding principles … that will underscore the discussion,” said Pat Anderson said, Referendum Council co-chair, according to the Australian.

Amongst them, she said, was the crucial principle that “we will not do anything that abrogates our sovereignty”.
Specifically to discuss driving economic independence through strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises and practical employment strategies, Akolade brings you the 4th National Indigenous Economic Development Forum, returning to Cairns this 28-30 June 2017. 
Join us to hear from leaders across sectors and across the nation on strategies to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and communities, create sustainable job opportunities and effective pathways into employment.
Written by: Mimmie Wilhelmson
Mimmie grew up in Sweden and first came to Australia as a backpacker after high school. After travelling around the country for two years she returned to Europe and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in London. But the longing for Australia and the sun became too strong. After having worked for some time in the media industry, Mimmie decided to make a change and swap the news for conferences. She now gets to do what she loves the most, meeting new people and keep learning about cultures and issues while producing conferences on current topics.

29 May 2017

The security challenges facing Industrial IoT

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A lot of the excitement and press surrounding the Internet of Things centres on home automation, wearable electronics, and other consumer applications. But industrial applications of the IoT, such as predictive maintenance and integration of the supply chain are likely to be the more compelling use cases, at least in terms of ROI. 

However, for Industrial IoT to realize its potential, it must overcome some substantial security challenges.

Virtually everyone agrees that security is a critical issue for Internet-connected industrial systems. Dell Inc., a member of the Industrial Internet Consortium, listed security at the top of its list of IIoT challenges.

It doesn't take much to extrapolate an attack to a company with Internet connected devices
The technical challenge is to secure Internet-connected devices from cyber network attacks, as well as local physical attacks.

A similar challenge exists for the cloud-hosted services, such as data analytics. The business challenge is to ensure that security is taken seriously and designed in by the equipment vendors, not looked at as a cost centre and patched on after the fact.

A group called the Industrial Internet Consortium (ICC) is already increasing awareness around the IoT security discussion. The Industrial Internet Consortium, formed in 2014 by AT&T, Cisco Systems, General Electric, IBM, and Intel to accelerate adoption of the Industrial IoT, now has more than 200 members working to address these security challenges. 

They recently released the Industrial Internet Security Framework (IISF) that lays out best practices to assess risks to protect organizations. They are making steps in the right direction by promoting collaboration between companies to improve data security for the Industrial IoT, but the only realistic way to secure the plethora of valuable IoT data is through encryption. If the data being hijacked is protected with the highest level of encryption, it can prevent malicious use by cybercriminals.


The industrial IoT market is currently focused on reducing operational risks and improving business efficiency, but it is important for companies to stay focused on the ever-growing cyberthreats as the IoT expands into new markets. The harm that comes with a lack of data security would easily outweigh the benefits of an industrial internet and even result in physical threat and damage.

Want more on the accelerating Industrial IoT journey? Don't miss Akolade's Industrial IoT Summit coming to Melbourne this 20-22 September 2017!

Bringing together some of the most exciting and innovative case studies from leading Industrial Internet stakeholders, this ground-breaking Summit addresses the most significant challenges the Industrial Internet of Things is facing today and what is needed in terms of knowledge, technology, innovation, investment, collaboration and strategy to fully benefit from its potential.

Written by: Nicolas Verbeeck

Nicolas was born in Belgium and became an expert in consuming excellent beers, chocolate and waffles. During the winter period you can find him on a hockey pitch and in summer he loves to go for a swim or a surf. In 2013 Nicolas was wondering what the beers, chocolate and waffles would taste like in Australia and never came back. One reason… the weather. Nicolas obtained a masters in International Politics and tries to use this background to produce excellent conferences at Akolade.

22 May 2017

How a digital NHS saves resources and improves care

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“The National Health Service (NHS) is evolving. As technology improves, across the system organisations are increasingly embracing the opportunities for improved patient care, and quality data is at the heart of that.”
-          Dermot O’Riordan, NHS Chief Clinical Information Officer

NHS has a world-class reputation for being at the forefront of exceptional quality of care. The organisation is seeking to further improve its care delivery and reduce resource expenditure by moving to digital healthcare. 

NHS England is allocating £100 million to 20 of its hospitals to forefront the digital healthcare transition, one of which is the West Suffolk Hospital and Health Service where Dermot O’Riordan is leading the digital transition as the CCIO.

Moving to digital processes offers many benefits, including the use of electronic prescribing in hospitals which can reduce the likelihood of medication error by about 50%.

On his first visit to Australia, Mr O’Riordan is delivering the international keynote at Akolade’s Australian Digital Hospitals Summit, being held at the Swissotel from 21st-23rd June.

Hear from Mr O’Riordan on his leading case study:

The NHS digital journey: Integrating information and technology for better care
·         Establishing shared architecture and standards to encourage interoperability and develop digitally enabled services
·         Maximising the value of information technology and driving innovation
·         Transforming partnerships between organisations and staff to ensure engagement with the digital strategy


Don't miss Akolade’s Digital Hospitals Summit for strategies on how to build your hospital's capacity for innovation and implementing cutting-edge digital platforms.

Written by: Claire Dowler

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire minored in sarcasm and puns.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.

17 May 2017

Warming up to aged care

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It's a fact, we will all get old one day – and what we do then or where we are, are questions we all will have to ask.

Moving into an aged care facility can be a rather unpleasant thought. Not only for ourselves, but the idea of having to move loved ones into a facility can also be unsettling.

I think I’m not alone in wanting to give back to my parents and ensure they have the absolute best life and care as they continue to age.

There are some horror stories about how elder customers are being maltreated while in residential care. So it’s perhaps not difficult to understand the added reluctance to leave your loved one in the care of someone else.

The least we can do is to ensure we find a care provider that we can trust. One that makes sure our parents, relatives and loved ones are cared for with dignity and respect. One that ensures their retirement is well spent. And one that ensures their particular needs are cared for.

Australia’s aged care reform is meant to guarantee all that by putting the customer in focus.

Although many aged care providers are currently struggling with the reform and all the changes it brings, with a future-orientated view, I hope it is for the better.


Akolade has recently released two collocated aged care events bringing together key leaders to share with you their strategies on how to embrace the reform and enhance your organisation's processes to ensure the best quality of care for customers.

Don't miss the Future of Aged Care Summit and the Dementia Care Delivery Summit being held on the 29th-30th August 2017 in Sydney.

Written by: Mimmie Wilhelmson


Mimmie grew up in Sweden and first came to Australia as a backpacker after high school. After travelling around the country for two years she returned to Europe and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in London. But the longing for Australia and the sun became too strong. After having worked for some time in the media industry, Mimmie decided to make a change and swap the news for conferences. She now gets to do what she loves the most, meeting new people and keep learning about cultures and issues while producing conferences on current topics.

11 May 2017

Hello, is anyone there? Reducing staff turnover in contact centres

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Call centres have a reputation for having one of the highest rates of turnover of any industry, with a turnover rate of between 30 and 45 percent.

With angry voices in their ears and cords binding them to their desks, it’s little wonder contact centres struggle to retain a high level workforce. Call centre agents are also often entry-level positions with lower salaries which offer little temptation to keep them in the role.

Call centre turnover impacts directly on finances (in the cost to find, hire and train new employees), customer satisfaction (as workers are new and inexperienced) and an unpleasant work culture which, in turn, fuels more turnover.

There are strategies you can implement to reduce turnover in your contact centre:

1. Get the right people for the role
If you find yourself hiring someone you know will not succeed in the long term with a ‘someone is better than no one’ mentality, you’re setting your employees up for failure. Investing some extra time in the recruitment process can save you time and money in the long run.

2. Offer incentives
Consider monthly awards or a recognition scheme. Financial bonuses are nice but so is a handshake from the boss.

3. What do you expect?
Being a call centre agent can feel like treading water with no end in sight. By establishing clear goals on a daily/weekly/monthly basis you will ensure your staff have an outcome to strive for.

4. Create a career path
Call centres are traditionally flat structures and few call agents recognise the opportunity for career progression. It’s important to demonstrate the roles available- team leader, customer service advocate, etc.

5. Equip them with tools to succeed
“It’s like a thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.” It might not be ironic, as Alana would have you believe, but having the wrong tools for the job is a pain in the neck. Make sure you have the right call centre software to make life easier for your agents and long term ROI in both customer satisfaction and finance.

Check out Akolade's ground-breaking Contact Centre Operations Summit being held in Melbourne on the 25-27 September 2017. This summit features national and international key speakers with proven techniques to recruit, engage, and retain an efficient, customer-centric workforce.

Written by: Claire Dowler

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire minored in sarcasm and puns.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.

08 May 2017

The future of not-for-profit financing

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2017 promises increasing challenges and opportunities for the not-for-profit sector.

Australia’s continued population growth is giving rise to greater demand for community services in the context of the government’s relatively static capacity to invest in services, forcing not-for-profits to rethink their funding and financing. Here’s what we believe lies ahead for the sector in 2017.

Investors in a cause or not-for-profit organisation, whether they be the government, private partners, or individual donors, will be seeking better value for money. This creates an imperative for such not-for-profits to become more efficient through innovative solutions, and to demonstrate the impact of their service through the collection of transparent outcomes-based data.

Answering simple questions like, “What impact do we want to have? How will the world be better off if we succeed? Who will benefit directly and immediately? Who will benefit indirectly or over time? How will we measure real success?” are key to demonstrating value.

The Coalition government’s fourth successive cut to Australia’s aid program has seen the budget slashed by a further $224 million in 2016-17, bringing the total to $3.8 billion. This equals 22 cents for every $100 of national income – the lowest level ever in the nation’s history. Budget cuts like this have, and will continue to plague the not-for-profit sector, forcing organisations to engage in alternative actions to achieve financial sustainability. 

Given this operating environment, 2017 will see more not-for-profits consider entering partnerships with the private sector to unlock investment approaches fostering the sharing of capital, such as social impact investment and social benefit bonds. Such partnerships will provide increased opportunity for skills and knowledge transfer across sectors, leading to stronger and more productive networks and the creation of social impact for a sustainable future.

In recent years, we have seen not-for-profits move towards attracting alternative funding sources and diversifying their income bases. Independence from the political cycle has increased, and is set to continue in 2017. 

Crowdfunding, a form of impact investing, is fast gaining popularity in Australia as a way to raise funds for causes and not-for-profits, with individuals enthusiastic about investing their money into programs or charities with the intention of creating a measurable positive social impact. 2017 will see more not-for-profits tap into this form of participatory funding, increasing their fundraising options and reducing their reliance on government funding and grants. Such funding arrangements come with a range of different requirements and level of risk, which should be understood in order to be addressed and mitigated.

Creating value for people and the wider world has long been the ultimate goal for not-for-profits. However, only in recent years have we seen significant advancement in the strategic thinking, planning and measurement of value creation.

In 2017, more organisations will adopt sophisticated value creation models, to improve their overall performance and deliver more value to the people and communities they serve. Not-for-profits can improve value creation through developing more advanced measurements to quantify all of the unique social outcomes their services and supports achieve.

Understanding the full costs of delivering outcomes is also essential in order to gauge the cost per beneficiary, which reveals the true level of value creation. Strengthening value creation can also be a pathway to more sustainable not-for-profit models.

To keep ahead of the curve and safeguard their future, today’s organisations need to be on the lookout for new opportunities to create, deliver and measure their impact in the world.

Written by: Nicolas Verbeeck



Nicolas was born in Belgium and became an expert in consuming excellent beers, chocolate and waffles. During the winter period you can find him on a hockey pitch and in summer he loves to go for a swim or a surf. In 2013 Nicolas was wondering what the beers, chocolate and waffles would taste like in Australia and never came back. One reason… the weather. Nicolas obtained a masters in International Politics and tries to use this background to produce excellent conferences at Akolade.

01 May 2017

Take a walk in her heels- being a woman in a corporate world

Author :

Recently I was helping out a male colleague at work, sending invitations to leading international speakers to take part in one of our upcoming events. Coming from my LinkedIn account, it was my photo and name branded on the invitation.

After the first two “regretful declines” I caught myself with an unpleasant thought- what if it’s because I’m a woman?

I can hear your snort of derision. As if gender would make any difference to business negotiations, I hear you say.


Working for a small employment services firm, Martin managed Nicole and there had been complaints from higher up the ladder that she was taking too long with clients and business deals.

One day Martin found himself with a difficult client who was “rude, dismissive, ignoring my questions”. After some back and forth, Martin noticed he had inadvertently been signing his emails as ‘Nicole’, owing to their shared inbox.

For the sake of experiment, Martin told the client he would be taking over the project from Nicole. Immediately his disposition improved, thanking Martin for his suggestions and commenting “great questions!”

For the next two weeks Martin and Nicole switched names. “I was in hell”, Martin tweeted. “Everything I asked or suggested was questioned. Clients I could do in my sleep were condescending. One asked if I was single.”

Meanwhile Nicole’s experience was the opposite. “Nicole had the most productive week of her career.  I realised the reason she took longer is because she had to convince clients to respect her.”

I told this story to my colleagues to mixed reactions of surprise and disgust, however my male colleague and friend for whom I was inviting remained passive.


When I joked that my name might impact his work he easily replied, “If they don’t want to deal with you then I don’t want them anyway.”

Written by: Claire Dowler

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire minored in sarcasm and puns.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.