bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The commercial viability of financial inclusion
Authors: Parker Andrew , Sachdev Sunil
Published: July 2024

Mobile phone penetration, regulatory trends, technological
efficiencies and the development of low-value payments
infrastructures now make it feasible for financial institutions to
deliver financial services to more people in more places. With a
few basic prerequisites in place, financial institutions are now
able to develop commercially viable approaches to financial
inclusion. However, they must first rethink traditional notions of
‘viability’ and approach inclusion as a long-term strategic play
rather than a short-term profit play. Moreover, the regulatory and
infrastructure hurdles are so significant that achieving scale will
require public–private partnership. The financial services industry
is characterised by its focus on short-term financial metrics and
quarterly reporting. Because financial inclusion efforts are a
longer-term play, they are typically relegated to CSR initiatives.
The model described here allows for a longer-term, stra­tegic
approach to product and service development within a financial
institution’s core business functions. Using the example of
goMoney, a mobile banking platform launched by Australia and New
Zealand Banking Group, this paper makes the case for evaluating
financial inclusion efforts through the lens of market-level
P&L, rather than firm-level profits. It proposes a model that
considers a combination of above-the-line returns, alongside
social, relationship and regulatory returns that affect the
economic activity of communities and nations.
Laurillard’s six types of learning in the contemporary HEI landscape : An institutional analysis of student digital learning experiences
Authors: Hollinshead Laura , Pope Melanie
Published: July 2024

In 2020–21 higher education (HE) students experienced a larger portion of their learning online than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) introduced the use of digital education models to help them outline the approach to remote delivery required during various periods of restrictions on campus delivery. With this trend continuing post-pandemic, it is therefore vital that institutions understand the current student digital experience, the benefits and challenges they face, and what this means for the strategic use of technology enhanced learning (TEL) and the introduction or further development of digital education models within the HEI. This paper articulates an approach used by one HEI for analysing this experience through the lens of Laurillard’s six types of learning. Focusing on the analysis of qualitative data through an institution-wide student survey about the digital experience, the paper outlines the barriers and mitigating approaches used to overcome these experienced by students. Flexible learning opportunities and interaction with academics and peers both emerged as dominant themes within the data, clearly indicating their importance for any future digital education model introduced within the HEI. The use of Laurillard’s six types of learning revealed a focus on acquisition-based activities within students’ experience of digital aspects of their learning, but also the need for facilitated activities helping them to reflect on their learning and their progress. Further research is required to explore the use of Laurillard’s six types of learning to analyse the student digital learning experience within HEIs, and to understand the seventh type of learning, ‘reflection on learning’, in providing a contemporary analysis of Laurillard’s model in the post-pandemic landscape.
E-payments in emerging markets
Authors: Rau Amrish
Published: July 2024

With emerging markets around the world migrating from cash to electronic payments, the opportunity is ripe for banks, merchants and service providers to develop strategies for entering these markets. Purchasing power is growing, online spending is accelerating, consumers are increasingly using debit and credit cards, and governments are encouraging shifts from cash to electronic transactions. But while the potential for growth and profit is enticing, these markets are fraught with challenges, including regulatory complexities, infrastructure insufficiencies and intense competition. This paper examines opportunities related to e-payments in emerging markets, as well as tactics for mitigating the risks inherent in entering potentially volatile new markets.
Making intangibles tangible: An emerging business issue
Authors: Gregory James R.
Published: July 2024

Historically, managers of internally grown intangible assets have often been in conflict with the financial managers of corporations on how to account for spending on these assets in budgets, because although potential return can be significant, it has no recognised value on the balance sheet. Consequently, accountability has been based not on mutually agreed-upon goals such as value creation and return on investment but instead on often arbitrary and less meaningful achievements and measures. More recently, the problem of valuing intangible assets during mergers has been in the media spotlight because of spectacular write-downs amounting to tens of billions of dollars by some of the largest and most sophisticated corporations, which had miscalculated and mismanaged the intangible assets they acquired. Given that intangible assets are material to an enterprise, how can they be better measured, valued and managed? The ultimate goal is to develop a better system of accountability without necessarily changing generally accepted accounting principles. To this end, the theory of intangible capital for managing intangible assets for value creation is introduced.
Nowcasting economic activity in India using payment systems data
Authors: Raju Sudhakar , Balakrishnan Mahadevan
Published: July 2024

In many economies, the publication of gross domestic product (GDP) figures tends to lag actual economic performance. In India, for example, the time lag is currently almost three months. This paper assesses whether real-time gross settlement (RTGS) data can be used to ‘nowcast’ Indian GDP. As RTGS data are available to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on an almost daily basis, such data can be used to construct timely GDP forecasts. This paper reports some initial results on using payments systems data to enhance GDP forecasts. The paper shows that GDP and RTGS are co-integrated, and using an ARIMA-type model demonstrates that RTGS volume data have considerable predictive ability for real GDP.
Ethics in artificial intelligence and machine learning: The importance of opening the dialogue for new processes at your organisation
Authors: Dorsey Colleen
Published: July 2024

This paper aims to provide an introduction to artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). It also seeks to explain some of the countless ethical ramifications that the application of these technologies involves and about which companies need to be made aware. The state of technology in today’s world demands that at almost any level in an organisation, some awareness of the scale of the role of technology is advisable. Having an inkling of the scale of technology is a starting point for understanding the gravity of the impact it has on our everyday lives and the how and why of its ethical implications. Ultimately, as a society, we need to start considering workable frameworks to address such issues at the front-end of this technology creation. The ethics of AI/ML touches all facets of our lives and therefore also all aspects of society, including private industry, government and religion. Despite that all of society needs to be concerned with the impact of AI/ML, this paper will deal only with how the corporate sector might start to develop frameworks to address the weighty issues. Much like the industrial revolution required workers to gain new skills, AI/ML will also require business personnel to adopt new skills and, probably more importantly, new attitudes towards technology and how it should shape the world.
Visualising corporate brands: Towards a framework of brandmark expression
Authors: Marsden Jamie
Published: July 2024

Despite the increased attention in corporate brand identity, there remains very little conceptual apparatus for understanding the types of expressions that feature in a corporate logo (brandmark). This paper proposes a conceptual framework that outlines the expressive dimensions of corporate brandmarks, and, in doing so, draws upon a thematic analysis of 243 archival documents. The results revealed that the framework had the capacity to accommodate 95 per cent of expressions from an expansive sample of cases. The early indications are that brandmarks predominantly convey one or more of four types of organisational expression. While further refinement in the specification and operationalisation of this framework is necessary, this research offers a preliminary step towards the development of a typology of corporate brandmark expressions and therefore has relevance to scholars and managers.
‘Regeneration’ in a time of austerity will mean the death of this metaphor, but what will come next?
Authors: Southern Alan
Published: July 2024

Regeneration as it came to be experienced over the past fifteen years or so is in retreat. This metaphor of physical regrowth and moral revival is in danger of losing its previous meaning, suffering from a terminal prognosis in light of severe austerity cuts. There is an ideological drive behind the cuts, with real impacts on welfare, on communities and local economies, accompanied by a harsh, if Victorian-like, language about the poor. Yet, there are other concepts in play, wrapped up in rhetoric about the Big Society and localism, there are those who advocate a Red Tory or Blue Labour approach to a virtuous defence of communities and individuals. It is here that regeneration may take a new and challenging turn.
Can a cyber insurance policy keep businesses ahead of information-security risk?
Authors: Gilbert Simon
Published: July 2024

There is a fine line between information individuals are happy to share and information people view as private, and it is essential for businesses to understand this. In addition, internal stakeholders must now be individually charged not only with protecting the data the firm holds, but also how the firm uses said data. Awareness of the value of data is at an all-time high, with regulators now threatening significant financial penalties and sanctions for non-compliance. Businesses procuring a cyber insurance policy must learn the necessary best practice controls and processes to help in the event of an information security crisis. This paper addresses a number of questions, such as whether the growth of the information security industry will bring new and innovative approaches to mitigating risk; whether cyber insurance will be integrated into such solutions, providing businesses with new forms of protection; and whether purchasing cyber insurance can help businesses stay one step ahead of information security risk.
The role of brands in online safety: Don’t trust Google to sort it out for you
Authors: Ahmed Imran , Obst Marlene , Rose Rachel
Published: July 2024

Programmatic advertising revenue is one of the main sources of funding for misinformation and hate actors online. It is also one of the key reasons why big tech platforms often fail to act on misinformation. Programmatic advertising, however, is invisible to the consumer, and mistakes in the placement of advertising can have a lasting impact on a brand’s reputation. As it is already becoming increasingly difficult for brands to convince consumers that they are unaware of participating in a system that enables the funding of online misinformation and hate, this paper argues that brands must take more responsibility for the placement of their advertising to ensure that they do not inadvertently fund — and thus become associated with — malicious content.
TikTok for good: How the American Red Cross grew a TikTok following to reach a new audience with its mission
Authors: Correll Haley , Buckholtz Jess
Published: July 2024

With more than 1 billion active users per month, TikTok has quickly become one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. Since its launch, the platform has positioned itself as a serious competitor against more established social media platforms. With the rise of TikTok’s popularity comes brands’ desire to tap into a fresh new audience. By way of illustration, this paper shows how the American Red Cross acquired a significant TikTok following by creating a content strategy based on niche subject matter, current events and user comments — turning the platform into a strategic part of the organisation’s social media strategy.
From K-pop to Korean products: An investigation into the mediating effects of imitation and attitudes toward Korean culture and products
Authors: Zhang Ruonan , Chang Bi Nicky , Kodzi Papaa , Goodwin Alana , Wasilewski Klaudia , Mccurdy Eiko
Published: July 2024

This study investigates how the consumption of South Korean popular culture (K-pop) media content influences the behavioural intention of international audiences with respect to the purchase of South Korean products. Based on a survey of international K-pop audiences, the authors examine the mediating effects of imitation intention, attitude towards Korean culture and attitude towards Korean products. The results reveal that both frequency and the number of hours of K-pop consumption significantly predicted participants’ intention to imitate their favourite K-pop celebrity, while attitude towards Korean culture and products was significantly predicted by frequency of K-pop consumption but not the number of hours of consumption. At the same time, attitude towards Korean products was found to be a strong predictor of international audiences’ purchase intention, while attitude towards Korean culture was found to be a weak predictor and imitation intention was found to be an ineffective predictor of intention to purchase Korean products. This study clarifies, at the international level, the influence of K-pop media content consumption on the intention to purchase Korean products. In this way, it confirms and explains how K-pop acts as a key cultural marketing strategy for South Korea in international markets.
The Internet of Things and the opportunity for payments
Authors: Bareisis Zilvinas
Published: July 2024

The Internet of Things (IoT) will have a significant impact on many industries, from manufacturing to health and insurance. At first glance, the IoT’s impact on banking is less obvious. And yet, its potential for banking, and for the payments industry in particular, is significant. As devices and entire platforms (eg cars) connect to the internet, they become conduits for commerce transactions and require payments capability. The IoT will change how commerce and transactions are conducted, and in turn will require changes in payments. This paper analyses the impact of the IoT on payments and banking. It discusses the opportunities and challenges the IoT evolution presents to the payments industry, and provides examples of how the payments industry is preparing to capture the IoT opportunity.
Paying abroad as you pay at home: The impact of SEPA on Dutch cross-border retail payments
Authors: Plooij Mirjam
Published: July 2024

Results from a longitudinal study among Dutch consumers indicate that the unification of the European payments market is beginning to pay off. The similarity between payment behaviour of Dutch consumers within the Netherlands and when visiting or making a remote payment to another country in the euro area has increased during the past seven years. Perhaps even more importantly, the satisfaction of the Dutch about cross-border payments within the euro area has also improved considerably, but some consumers still experience problems with respect to ease of use, transaction speed and acceptance of their preferred payment instrument when paying abroad or paying cross-border. Such issues deserve further attention on a European scale.
The mediation of construction disputes
Authors: Gould Nicholas , King Claire , Britton Philip
Published: July 2024

Much more has been written about the theory of mediation, and its proper place in the avoidance and resolution of disputes in construction, than about its actual use. This paper combines hard detail about the practice of mediation within UK construction litigation. It summarises the key aspects of mediation in, and its relation to other, formal and informal methods of dealing with construction disputes. The paper also summarises the key findings of ‘Mediating Construction Disputes: An Evaluation of Existing Practice’, a report by Nicholas Gould of Fenwick Elliott, conducted by the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at King's College London and the Technology and Construction Court.
Development and implementation of holistic facilities management concepts
Authors: Johannessen Rune L. , Berglund Viktor Heimer
Published: July 2024

In the authors’ experience, many companies still run somewhat immature facilities management (FM) operations, built on ad-hoc premises, with no holistic view. Deploying a holistic FM concept not only gives the organisation the opportunity to save more money, but also helps to shift the focus from cost and quality to cover proactivity and innovation in addition. In this way, FM can become a strategic asset and even a competitive advantage. Deploying a holistic FM concept will help to show the breadth and depth of the importance of FM within the organisation, and can contribute to moving FM up to a strategic level. The authors’ model of a holistic FM concept consists of five elements: FM strategy and goals, governance model, internal cooperation and communication, service delivery, and performance and cost management. When setting a new course for FM operations, the authors believe it is important to make sure as many parts as possible are thought of and melded together. By reviewing and using these five elements one can go a long way.
Blockchain technology and the potential of waqf (Islamic endowment) sector revival
Authors: Aysan Ahmet Faruk , Al-Saudi Hiba Ali
Published: July 2024

The waqf (Islamic endowment) sector encompasses significant untapped wealth that can contribute to socioeconomic and sustainable development. The sector suffers, however, from prevailing trust issues that have weakened its role and impaired its effective utilisation. As a trust-building technology, blockchain emerges as a potential solution to overcome waqf challenges. To demonstrate the prospects of blockchain technology in waqf revival, this paper presents the challenges faced by the waqf sector and the value that blockchain technology can bring to the sector, the challenges facing the adoption of the technology considering the prevalent governance and management structures and the current operating models. It also overviews blockchain in practice. This paper argues that the value of blockchain technology in waqf lies primarily in the development and management of waqf assets. This value, however, may only be reaped once existing waqf challenges have been resolved and a carefully architectured governance structure is developed. The waqf development and management model warrants close coordination with government agencies and waqf authorities as the current custodians of waqf assets. This renders some features of blockchain, namely decentralisation, irrelevant. Challenges related to legal and Sharia uncertainties surrounding blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies pose risks that must be carefully considered to ensure that blockchain waqf platforms are not pursued as a venture driven solely by blockchain hype.
Back to basics: Is it time for a housing-first approach to community regeneration?
Authors: Dicks Matthew
Published: July 2024

Why did voters in West Wales and the Valleys vote for Brexit despite £4bn of European Structural Funding being pumped into the region to regenerate the economy, housing and communities? Many must have walked past the brand new bypasses on their way to the polling station. They now act as metaphor — with a perception that the regeneration has quite simply passed them by. Despite the housing sector’s best efforts to improve the quality of ageing housing stock and regenerating communities, poverty remains well-entrenched. Regeneration, as a discipline, needs to reflect on this and we need to think differently about our approach.
Incorporating health systems engineering into COVID-19 vaccine planning and administration
Authors: Casadonte Tarin A. , Dhanorker Atul S. , Elsen Sandra J. , Krishnan Nalini P. , Lohmann Shane A. , Lu Luqing , Macickova Jana , Martindale-Mathern Sonia C. , Ring David A. , Stearly Joseph R.
Published: July 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique logistical challenges for vaccine transportation, inventory management, allocation and distribution at multiple levels — the federal government, states and healthcare institutions. Unpredictable weekly vaccine allocation from state health departments, changing population priorities, stringent vaccine requirements for ultracold storage, transportation, reconstitution and 2-dose administration intervals have presented challenges never seen before in the history of mass vaccination programmes, including those at Mayo Clinic. To meet the challenges, an efficient system of allocation and administration for COVID-19 vaccines was developed through collaboration with process engineering. To understand the challenges, ten health systems engineers from the Department of Management Engineering & Consulting at Mayo Clinic facilitated the institution-wide COVID-19 vaccine project, collaborating closely with diverse multidisciplinary teams that included physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrative services, information technology, human resources, scheduling operations and public affairs. The internal consultants designed tools and solutions based on systems and process engineering methodologies to solve a myriad of complex problems, including identifying priority populations, using resources efficiently and minimising vaccine waste. Tools designed included a vaccine resource playbook; dynamic staffing models based on vaccine allocation, storage, inventory and distribution processes using a hub-andspoke model; workflows and staffing models for face-to-face and drive-through vaccine administration sites; and end-of-day workflows to reduce vaccine waste. Through the collaboration, modelling and engineering, multiple sites across Mayo Clinic have implemented successful COVID-19 vaccination programmes that are efficient in resource utilisation and have minimal waste. In this paper, we share what we have learned to help other healthcare organisations prepare for future mass vaccination scenarios.
Transport and urban regeneration
Authors: Swanson John , Davies Andrew , Czauderna Danielle
Published: July 2024

Transport is frequently seen as the key to regeneration, for it provides businesses and employers with access to resources that they need to operate, and indeed where transport is a constraint on such access, investment may be crucial. Even where existing transport is not evidently a constraint on activity, it may still be outperformed by transport in competing localities. Some of the resources employers need — such as a good workforce — may be in limited supply and, if employers in one area have good access to them, this may imply that employers elsewhere do not. A consequence of this can be that some forms of well-intentioned investment can have unexpected distributional effects, even if their contribution to the national economy is positive. This paper discusses how and why this might happen, illustrating the argument with a model developed to explore how the balance of advantage and disadvantage can play out among competing locations over time. This model — the Urban Dynamic Model — has been used to support work being done for the Northern Way regeneration initiative, where it has shown how strategic approaches to transport can shape patterns of employment activity, sometimes to the gain of one area and the loss of another, depending on the patterns of connectivity provided. Following a brief discussion of the key issues, the paper provides an outline description of the model and how it was used to test two contrasting transport strategies in northern England. The summary indicates lessons that can apply in the case study and more widely.
Innovation and 'resistance to change' in urban regeneration practices: A new area-based programme in southern Italy
Authors: Tedesco Carla
Published: July 2024

This paper aims at highlighting changes in urban regeneration practices in the Italian Mezzogiorno. It focuses on a specific area-based programme, Programma Integrato di Riqualificazione delle Periferie (PIRP, Peripheral Neighbourhood Rehabilitation Integrated Programme), targeting social housing neighbourhoods, promoted and funded by the Apulia Regional government in 2006. During the 1990s the European Union (EU) introduced new programmes targeting deprived areas. These programmes were familiar in some parts of Europe but innovative in Italy in terms of formal procedures, content and social processes. The Apulian PIRP was set up in the following years as an attempt to build a programme which was intended to be as innovative as the EU programmes. This paper assumes a bottom-up and local perspective to investigate whether changes in the modes of tackling the complex problems of deprived neighbourhoods have been due to the 'formal' changes in the urban policy instruments or to a broader `cultural' shift.
Micro-influencer marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic: New vistas or the end of an era?
Authors: Gerlich Michael
Published: July 2024

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have incurred losses or shut down entirely. At the same time, however, COVID-19 has ushered in new opportunities for some people, notably micro-influencers, whose low overheads make them extremely appealing to companies whose advertising budgets have taken a hit. According to the popular literature, micro-influencers have much greater credibility than popular celebrities and mega-influencers. The findings presented in this study, however, suggest otherwise. Specifically, this study uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyse the results of a survey involving 1,012 participants from Italy, France and Germany, and finds that micro-influencers who are not known personally to their followers have only a minor influence on purchase behaviour.
Creativity, urban regeneration and sustainability/ The Bordeaux case study
Authors: Martone Assunta , Sepe Marichela
Published: July 2024

Competitive cities are currently working on how to improve the interaction between culture, regeneration building, economic development and social renewal in order to achieve more comprehensive development. It is a question not only of boosting the economies of culture but also producing new economies, starting from cultural capital, understood as an element of the expression of place identity, and as forming a system together with other types of urban capital. In this context, new alternative strategies and urban policies should be considered. Indeed, creativity is found not only in the typical characteristics of the entrepreneurial spirit but also in forms such as the dissemination of behaviour that is favourable to cultural exchange as well as the enhancement of lifestyle diversity. Starting from these premises, this paper aims to investigate the concept of the creative city/ who the drivers are, the factors that condition creativity in cities, and how they stimulate sustainable urban regeneration and innovation. Within the framework of cultural clusters, the case study of Bordeaux is illustrated. The urban transformation offered by the ‘Bordeaux les deux rives’ project and the other pilot projects are Bordeaux’s driving force for planning and producing new social, cultural and economic change, which enhances the city’s image.
Developing a new model for cost-effective direct access to Faster Payments
Authors: Tillotson Craig
Published: July 2024

Faster Payments Scheme Limited is creating a new way to access the UK’s 24/7 real-time payments service, to address the corporate objective to drive a consistent and trusted experience for end customers across all directly and indirectly connected payment service providers. This paper sets out the steps that have been taken towards the introduction of a competitive market in technology vendor operated aggregation services — also known as the Faster Payments ‘New Access Model’. This new aggregator model is intended to extend the reach of true real-time payments to millions more consumers and businesses. The Scheme’s aim is to create a level playing field for any payment service providers that wants to offer real-time payments.
The City Development Company model: The implications for economic development
Authors: Gulliver Stuart
Published: July 2024

The paper presents a description, analysis and critique of the City Development Company (CDC). It starts with the origins of the model in the 'rediscovery' of the city as an engine of regional and national growth. The paper goes on to identify the lineage of the CDC as a form of special purpose vehicle and its emergence as a policy idea. It describes the key characteristics of CDCs and seeks to identify the emerging principles of a 'new' economic development which underpins CDCs. The paper concludes by considering what needs to happen now.
Benefits of aligning AML and ABC compliance
Authors: Goodsir Michelle
Published: July 2024

Antimoney laundering (AML) and antibribery and corruption (ABC) programmes, by themselves, are important tools in addressing problems that are global in scope. While AML and ABC programmes are distinct, they also entail complementary skills, which reflect the nature of the financial crimes they are designed to prevent. Although AML and ABC programmes have historically operated independently, it no longer makes sense to perpetuate that separation. AML and ABC can, and should, collaborate to enhance their effectiveness. The challenges facing AML and ABC programmes are numerous and sizable. Many financial institutions, particularly domestic regional or community banks, must manage the expense of compliance and limited resources, in terms of skilled staff as well as budgets. Nevertheless, they must recognise an immutable fact: the cost to prevent financial crimes is a fraction of the cost to remediate them. The stakes in AML and ABC have never been higher, but there are ways to mitigate the risks of both today and tomorrow. Institutions can strengthen their compliance programmes by aligning their AML and ABC teams. This paper will discuss the challenges ABC and AML programmes have historically faced, and provide tangible solutions for bringing the two verticals together to create efficiencies and enhance the efficacy of entities’ financial crimes compliance programmes.
Evolving regulation and the role of compliance since the 2008 financial crisis
Authors: Niebank Kami , Walker Justin
Published: July 2024

This paper examines the root causes of the 2008 global financial crisis, key regulatory changes in response to the crisis, and the evolving role of the chief compliance officer as a result. Key regulatory changes examined include: the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, US Basel III and recent guidance around cyber risk management and virtual currencies. In addition, the paper explores the changing role of both the chief compliance officer and compliance programmes. Prior to the 2008 financial crisis, compliance was often seen as a support function and after-thought in decision-making. The compliance pressures and expectations this past decade have, however, caused many organisations to place a greater emphasis and higher demands on their compliance teams.
How best-in-class organisations are making best use of bimodal supply chain strategy
Authors: Garcia Juan Carlos
Published: July 2024

Ultimately supply chain (SC) managers are the links between supply and demand, and consequently very much responsible for both SC response and financial performance. On top of the habitual suspects they are usually being measured by — service performance, order-to-delivery time, product cost and inventory investment — they have had to struggle with controversial trade-offs since their roles first existed. This battle became even more difficult to deal with when incorporating today’s new levers and trends, social and environmental pressures or a broad variety of alternatives for SC digitalisation. This paper will review how this new landscape has changed, making it extremely difficult to orchestrate, what new drivers and capability focus SCM needs to develop and how, due to the nature and the playground of those tradeoffs, a bimodal management philosophy is a must. The paper concludes with a practical case example that demonstrates the robustness of such an approach. We expect to validate the underlying foundation for sustainably managing future scenarios in a disruptive world and leverage the role of the supply chain in the business not only as a cost centre, but also as a differentiating capability to better compete in the market — a bimodal perspective.
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) and risk management for surveyors and valuers
Authors: Vigus Emma , Crossingham Robert
Published: July 2024

February 2016 – many surveying firms will be benefitting from an upturn in work as the UK property market continues to enjoy a period of relative prosperity. Whilst speculation about interest rates abounds, a glance at newspaper headlines could lead many to believing that we have returned to the heady days of the pre-downturn market with lending and property prices reaching record highs. Hopefully risk will not follow suit and hopefully surveyors have learnt from past mistakes. Businesses must not be tempted to underprice, take on too much work, agree to overly onerous contractual conditions or to use the inexperienced to counteract a short fall in capacity. This paper will try to explain why.
Electronic invoicing: The first step towards digital B2B payment modernisation
Authors: Berg Guy
Published: July 2024

US payments systems are in the midst of vital modernisation to meet the changing dynamics and demands of digital and global commerce. While social media and consumer payments have blossomed with internet connectivity, the underlying payments infrastructure in support of business-to-business (B2B) payment digitization and connectivity lags behind. Payment modernisation for B2B payments requires establishment of an infrastructure that enables end-to-end automated processing of electronic payments through the digitisation and exchange of supporting remittance information to effectively connect payments to invoices. There are four essential facets to B2B payment modernisation— 1) sending structured electronic invoices that can be automatically processed by the buyer; 2) paying the supplier electronically; 3) sending sufficient payment remittance information electronically to link the payment back to the original invoice; and 4) facilitating greater connectivity and interoperability between businesses to enable the previous three facets. Solving all four is necessary to complete the modernisation and digitisation of B2B payments and reduce unnecessary payment processing complexity, costs and inefficiency and to enable value-added service innovation opportunities for financial institutions, payment processors and corporations. This paper discusses the benefits, challenges and possible solutions to achieving the first step in the process, sending structured electronic invoices that can be automatically processed by the buyer, based on work performed by the Business Payments Coalition which was originally formed and coordinated by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Business Payments Coalition is a group of payment industry volunteers working together to advocate for industry innovation to solve B2B payment inefficiencies and achieve straight-through processing of electronic payments.
What Panda 4.0 means for online businesses
Authors: Kingshott Daniel , Keck Al
Published: July 2024

The aim of Google’s regular updates is to provide the best, most relevant results to the end user. The Panda 4.0 update specifically targets what Google deems to be ‘low-quality websites’, although a number of major sites, including eBay, have also felt the impact. This update, intended to target content duplication sites, such as aggregators, while rewarding sites that work hard to produce useful content, will not be the last. In other words, mitigating the negative side effects from one update is no defence against the next one. The only solution is to create a website that your target market will find useful and interesting. This paper examines what Panda 4.0 means for online businesses and the future implications for maintaining a high-profile, searchable web presence.
Customer service in aviation security screening
Authors: Parry Neil , Sutorius Tara
Published: July 2024

There is a generally held belief that those mandated with security screening do not view passengers as customers. This notion is prevalent in the industry and amongst the travelling public. This paper looks at what the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) has been doing since October 2016 to start shifting this mindset amongst more than 6000 screening officers, and the almost 60 million customers it serves annually.
ISO 20022 : A migration strategy in securities markets for corporate events and triparty collateral management
Authors: Neuhaus Holger , Hanssens Benjamin
Published: July 2024

Anyone involved in processing corporate events and triparty collateral management needs automation and efficiency. A general transition to ISO 20022, the latest messaging standard available, will support further automation across Europe. Its rigorous structure and richer content — compared with the legacy standard ISO 15022 — enables efficient use of collateral across European financial markets and a harmonised process for asset servicing. The Eurosystem and the financial community have developed a Single Collateral Management Rulebook for Europe (SCoRE) setting out how to use ISO 20022. The adoption of this rulebook starts in November 2024 and use of the ISO 20022 format will then become increasingly common. The main issue is how long the legacy standard and local formats should run alongside ISO 20022. Market actors have not yet agreed on how long the transition should last because of a collective coordination problem. The result is a situation where everyone is worse off. To overcome this, a market-wide migration strategy is needed based on cooperation and incentives to define the point from which only ISO 20022 will be used. The Eurosystem is acting as catalyst for a common migration strategy to ISO 20022 because of the benefits it will bring to society.
The use of web technologies in urban planning management in Russian cities
Authors: Vilenskii Michael , Smirnova Olga
Published: July 2024

The emergence of web technologies has created new conditions for the improvement of town planning activity by municipal authorities in cities. There are more opportunities to receive and process increasing amounts of information for new forms of interaction with the urban community, and for the more cost-effective and efficient use of management systems. The improvement of urban planning management in cities increases both their investment attractiveness and their appeal to citizens. Official websites provide a basic source of information about a city and have become especially relevant in the context of high population migration and increasing competition between cities as centres of settlement. This study reviews the use of web technologies in the field of urban management adopted by the 50 largest cities in Russia; cities of federal importance, such as Moscow and St Petersburg, were excluded from this study. The study recommends measures that cities should take to improve and develop their technology assets. The technologies used in urban management and the effectiveness of cities to meet the needs of residents, property owners, business owners and investors were evaluated in this study.
Urban psychology and British cities: Do personality traits matter for resilience to recessions?
Authors: Garretsen Harry , Stoker Janka , Soudis Dimitrios , Martin Ron , Rentfrow Jason
Published: July 2024

There has been much recent interest in the ‘resilience’ of cities (and regions) to shocks of various kinds. Studies have found, for example, that cities (and regions) appear to have different degrees of resistance to and recoverability from economic shocks, such as major recessions.1–3 In this paper we explore whether and to what extent the clustered personality traits of a city’s population, as measured by the so-called ‘Big Five’ traits, might be relevant to explaining these differences. The paper utilises the personality scores of more than 400,000 UK residents across some 63 cities to examine how far variations in these scores help to account for differences in how those cities have reacted to major recessions. We find that for the three recessionary shocks in our sample period, the trait openness (to experience) has a strong significant relationship with city resilience. Cities with a higher degree of openness to experience turn out to be more resilient to UK-wide recessionary shocks. These results also hold when account is taken for the age and location of birth of a city’s residents. We also briefly discuss potential policy implications.
Digital inventory powered by drones and robots
Authors: Yearling Matt
Published: July 2024

Ask any manufacturer, distributor or retailer what its biggest supply chain challenges are right now and national labour shortage and changes in consumer behaviour and expectations will probably be on the top of the list. Following on labour’s heels will be issues such as e-commerce, high volumes of single-item orders and a lack of end-to-end supply chain visibility. Cumulatively, these issues are making life difficult for supply chain and logistics managers that at the same time are being asked to do more with less. Currently there is also a lot going on ‘under the covers’ of the typical logistics operation. Innovative technology, Industry 4.0, and overall digital transformation are all working to change the way supply chains are designed and utilised. While some leading-edge companies are investing in and benefitting from these innovations, many more are using antiquated methods and dated strategies (eg manual systems, spreadsheets and manual processes in the warehouse and yard), to run their supply chains. ‘As markets demand not only efficiency but agility and flexibility from supply chains, next-generation models are successfully combining automation and digital technologies to drive superior performance’, MHI reports ‘While this digital ecosystem is creating cost savings, innovation, and win-win opportunities along supply chains, it is also accelerating the pace of change, creating disruption and raising competitive pressures’.2 In this paper, we explore the use and applicability of autonomous vehicles and drones — computer-guided vehicles that can move without the need for human control, either on the ground, in a vehicle or in the air — to more effectively and efficiently manage digital inventory; show how one retailer is using drones to improve its digital inventory management; and explain how such technologies are being used to improve operational efficiencies, reallocate resources and improve employee safety in warehouses, yards, and stores.
Synthetic data and data protection laws
Authors: D'Acquisto Giuseppe
Published: July 2024

While synthetic data has the potential to address privacy concerns associated with real-world data in many scenarios — ranging from health applications to machine learning — organisations must proceed carefully to ensure they do not inadvertently violate the General Data Protection Regulation or other data protection laws. The boundaries between the processing of personal and anonymised data are sometimes overlooked, creating potential risks for individuals' rights and freedoms. This paper will start from a definition of synthetic data and, after reviewing some foreseeable use cases (also promoted by forthcoming sector legislations in the areas of artificial intelligence and data sharing), it will address the conditions set out in data protection laws (the EU General Data Protection Regulation in primis) in order to consider a set of data as properly anonymised, as well as the phases of synthetic data generation and use where personal data might still be processed, proposing some reflections towards genuine legal compliance.
Nature-related financial risks and central bank risk management
Authors: Barning Olaf , Broeders Dirk , De Jonge Marleen , Tiems Isabelle , Verhoeven Niek , Van Wijmen Catharine
Published: July 2024

Nature is undergoing a rapid decline, due to factors such as changes in land use, climate change and pollution, potentially leading to the sixth mass extinction of species. This process jeopardises ecosystem services and therewith the global economy. Over half of the global economy relies on nature and its degradation can affect supply chains, weather patterns, commodity prices and economic growth prospects. This paper finds that nature-related risks are in fact financial risks and offers empirical evidence that these risks are priced in corporate bonds, a relevant asset class for central banks. In light of this, central banks can acknowledge and evaluate the impact and dependency of their operations on nature, incorporating these considerations into their risk management framework, encompassing identification, assessment, mitigation and disclosure. This will help to ensure price stability and sustainable development, while enabling them to safeguard their balance sheets. The guidelines provided by this paper extend to other financial institutions, underscoring the need for a holistic approach to the challenges posed by nature loss.
Standardisation put to the test: How reference data standards have evolved in an era of unprecedented regulatory and technological change
Authors: Purcell Darren
Published: July 2024

Reference data standards are the backbone to financial markets, providing a single source of truth for security and entity identification that is universally accessible whether market participants are working with equities, fixed income or derivatives. That reliability and consistency are constantly challenged by the forces of regulatory and technological change, which have pushed standards bodies and national numbering agencies around the world to continually innovate around existing standards and press forwards to develop new ones that meet the evolving needs of the marketplace. This paper chronicles the refinement of existing standards and the development of new standards over the last decade, spotlighting the evolution of the international securities identification number (ISIN) to identify derivatives in the post Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) marketplace, the development of the legal entity identifier (LEI) in response to the failure of Lehman Brothers, the growing use of existing standards in the blockchain ecosystem and the ongoing development of a standardised approach to syndicated loan identification.