Blue Technologies Blog

Healthcare workers are often underserved and undervalued. And now they are even at higher risk for workplace violence than the average worker across other industries. Studies show that if you are a healthcare worker, you are up to five times more likely to be a victim of assault than people in any other job. Some recent surveys even showed that almost 70% of nurses in emergency rooms have been kicked or hit while doing their jobs. 

BST Global’s report on the State of the AEC Project Lifecycle showed that the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector is still accumulating data through all phases of its operations, but is remaining incredibly inefficient at processing — and getting the benefits of — this data. While project documentation is on the rise, many firms are still using old-school strategies such as paper spreadsheets to track work, leading to increased operational inefficiencies as well as reduced project success. 

It’s not news that the coronavirus pandemic affected the automotive industry, causing car dealers to struggle to keep a full inventory of new cars on the lot. This shortage of new cars drove up the price of used cars and motivated more consumers to choose a used car over new when purchasing a vehicle. This may seem like a boon for auto repair shops that make revenue on repairing used vehicles, but the opposite is true. Now, auto body shops are feeling the supply shortage pinch as well, as aftermarket industries bend under parts and labor shortages. 

Cyberattacks are increasing at an alarming rate, with a global spike of 105% in ransomware attacks alone in 2021 across all industries, with the health care industry experiencing a 755% increase in overall activity by cybercriminals. Data breaches are becoming increasingly common, with large enterprises such as Solar Winds and others making headline news. As a small business, you may be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that you are too insignificant to warrant attention from hackers.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, manufacturers were just beginning to adopt tactics put forth by Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The foundational technologies that makeup Industry 4.0 include human-machine interaction; advanced engineering, analytics intelligence; and connectivity, data, and computational power are extremely impressive. In fact, for manufacturers using digital solutions based on Industry 4.0 principles, the disruptions caused by COVID were lessened and they did better than their peers throughout the crisis. Importantly, some of these strategies can be advanced without major investments in technology as in the case of digital work instructions and performance management, allowing manufacturers to see big benefits with modest outlays of capital.

Winter storms and other strange weather patterns have affected at least one-third of the United States in recent years, with hurricanes and blizzards being among the most cited weather experiences. These extreme weather events have taken a toll on utilities, who have struggled to keep services available to all customers. Aging power grids, maintenance expenses, and the need for upgrades on legacy equipment are putting utilities at a great cost disadvantage as they strive to keep things running smoothly. In some areas of the country, utilities have been taken to task for higher than usual billing of specific populations during extreme weather events. 

As industries continue to recover from the disruption posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many are struggling to stay ahead of competition in what has become an extremely hypercompetitive marketplace. Pundits continue to trumpet the value of digital marketing, noting how digital strategies can be used effectively to target specific markets and increase the personalization of your marketing efforts.

The use of QR codes to assist with sales and marketing efforts is on the rise, partially due to the change in consumer behavior propelled by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to their functional benefits that confer a touchless, mobile way for organizations and businesses to communicate with their customers, QR codes were widely used over the last two years as more consumers demanded contactless services. Now that the world is — largely — back to business as usual, consumers are continuing to access QR technology to get on-the-spot information about products, services, and more.

Back in 2019, over one hundred nursing homes were without health data and payroll information due to a cyberattack after a ransomware attack where cybercriminals demanded $14 million in payouts to return full use of affected systems to the facilities. Everything from telephone services, electronic billing and payroll management to the ordering of medications and management of electronic health records (EHRs) was affected, leaving the nursing homes — and their patients and staff — at a great disadvantage. 

When architects design beautiful spaces, their buildings stand as a testament to their abilities. And yet, architectural firms must use other vectors to grow their presence, market their abilities, and increase their standing among the competition. With the economic recovery uncertain, architects need to not only expand their marketing reach, but also focus on ways to recover costs through streamlining business processes. Fortunately, one piece of technology can help savvy architectural firms achieve all of these objectives and more — the wide format printer.