What are you… a dog person or a cat person? I think they tend to be two very different breeds of people! I like both and have two cats (but I’m not allowed a dog yet). I was surprised to read that pets in the workplace can help to relieve stress. A recent study published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management found that job satisfaction goes up in businesses where dogs were allowed.

Apparently normal people are calmed by the presence of dogs, lowering pulse rates and blood pressure. Pets are sometimes used as a therapeutic tool; healing is enhanced when pets are allowed into children’s wards in hospitals. So why not make the workplace a more relaxed place to be? According to the author Prof Randolph Barker (I kid you not!) “Pet presence may serve as a low cost, wellness intervention readily available to many organisations and may enhance organisational satisfaction and feelings of support”.

Some companies in the US have introduced dog-friendly policies to allow employees to bring well behaved pets to work. Now I’m all for reduced stress in the workplace and happy places to work, but I’m not sure our bosses are going to be introducing this anytime soon!

I’m all about motivation – I thrive with a proverbial carrot! It doesn’t always have to be the big things, I’d do almost anything for anyone for a hug and a genuine thank you! Really I’m motivated by appreciation and it looks like I’m not the only one who is! A quarter of office workers highlight lack of encouragement as a reason why they’re not greener.

This week it’s “Green Office Week” (GOW) and we’re being encouraged to think about the impact our workplaces have on the environment and ways we could improve things! In an age where everyone’s banging on about return on investment, this is one area where even small changes can have a massive impact. The scheme puts the onus on workers to make practical changes in their daily work routines to recycle more, waste less and adopt lean, green thinking!

The biggest challenge is to change attitudes and the way people think about being green. Being one for praise and reassurance I think the tips of the day on the GOW website are spot on!

Tip 1: Set up a green ideas scheme that encourages and rewards lean, green thinking in your company.

That’s it! Companies need to step up to their social responsibilities, praise green initiatives and reward people for taking action. It’s about time we gave ourselves a big pat on the back for the small stuff, after all it can really make a difference.

There’s still time to get involved, check out http://www.greenofficeweek.eu to find out how your company can participate!

P.S. Check out our Footprint product! It’s not easy being green, but we make a difference.

Images Courtesy of the Green Week Website

So it would appear I’m suffering from the latest modern-life health affliction to go with my blackberry thumb and BMW hip – “iPad shoulder”! Is it any wonder? I ask myself – when I sit here, scrunched over my laptop, phone permanently sandwiched between my shoulder and ear alternating between typing and texting, ten to the dozen!

In my house we’re all the same when it comes to fueling the angry birds obsession, we assume the position – iPad on the lap, chin on chest, curved back (to the extent that we’re practically bent double!), swiping away with the right hand and clutching on for dear life with the left.

Some clever bods at Harvard have said we’re all at risk of hurting ourselves from excessive tablet usage, and I’d be inclined to agree (given my current discomfort). Apparently it’s all to do with the angle of your eyes, looking down too steeply forces unnecessary pressure to the joints and muscles in your neck and shoulders. Hence the stiff neck after a marathon angry birds sesh (not that we encourage this sort of behaviour the office, purely home relaxation time of course)!

What’s the solution? The research’s author Dr Jack Dennerlein found that using a tablet in an angled case on a table top helped to maintain a more neutral posture and relive the pressure. He says “Our results will be useful for updating ergonomic computing standards and guidelines for tablet computers”. Given that Apple have sold 15.43 million iPads in the last quarter alone someone needs to act fast or “iPad shoulder” will reach epidemic proportions!

Armed with my newfound knowledge I think my family and I will need to adapt our iPad positions or face the consequences.

PortHole: The easy fit power and data module from CMD.

The PortHole through-desk power and data module has been designed to fit any desk that has been designed to include a standard 80mm grommet hole.

The module is available in three colours; black, grey and white with a silver trim, and can be supplied with a choice of power, data and AV sockets. Sound good? The module is quick and easy to fit and the data, USB and AV keystones can be replaced at any time, to meet the changing needs of any business.

So, why not take advantage of those unused grommet holes and convert them with a PortHole today.

More information about the PortHole power and data module can be found on our website; www.cmd-ltd.com/product/porthole

Contour: CMD’s Contour power and data on-desk module is now available in white.

The white Contour module was developed to improve the aesthetic range of the Contour power module, showing CMD’s commitment to listen and react to customer feedback, and push the boundaries of on desk power module design.

Like the PortHole, Contour was designed and manufactured in the UK and this stylish module is available in a variety of lengths and can be customised to meet the needs to any business to include; UK and international power sockets, data, telecommunications and AV sockets.

More information about the Contour range can be found on our website, www.cmd-ltd.com/product/contour.

Motion & Air: The new Motion and Air flat screen monitor arms are now available from CMD and feature the latest innovative design and engineering.

Motion is based on a traditional monitor pole arm but has been designed to include modern aesthetics. Available as a single or double pole arm and with a simple height adjustment mechanism, this is the perfect solution for any commercial environment.

But if you’re looking for something that is a little more versatile, our new Air arm offers all the benefits you would expect of an adjustable gas lift arm. The arm can be adjusted to counterbalance the weight of your monitor, allowing effortless adjustments to be made.

Both arms are available with through desk and c-clamp fitting kits and are fitted with our very latest quick release heads that allows the monitor be removed in seconds, or tilted and rotated to any position. And you’ll be pleased to know that both monitor arms are available in Black, White and Fusion Silver, to complement any contemporary office space.

More information about Motion & Air can be found on their dedicated pages on our website; www.cmd-ltd.com/product/motion-pole-monitor-arm and www.cmd-ltd.com/product/air-gas-assisted-monitor-arm.

Footprint

Imagine the possibilities when you track and monitor what desk power is being used!

CMD Footprint puts you in control of the energy usage in your business. By auditing, monitoring, managing and targeting how much electricity is being consumed, you can identify ways of saving energy and money.

The power to make simple but effective changes is quite literally at your fingertips. Your personalised dashboard means that the CMD Footprint allows you to see exactly how much electricity is being used in real time and by every workstation. Amazing!

More information about the Footprint System can be found on our website; www.cmd-ltd.com/product/footprint

So there you have it, ‘The Fantastic 4’, from CMD. But wait! If you’re in the London area between 22nd and 24th May, why not pop into our Clerkenwell studio where one of our team will be happy to talk you through our full range of Power Modules, Energy Management, Power Distribution, Lighting Control and Ergo Solutions.

Furniture Product Catalogue 2012.pdf

 from great design, quality manufacturing, to efficient delivery

Investment

In 2012 we invested in our infrastructure and consolidated all our manufacturing and warehousing at a single site. This move has seen innovative technologically and advanced machinery playing a much larger part of our processes, allowing us to deliver a more enhanced and efficient service to our customers.

Experienced

With a workforce of over 100 employee’s in production, CMD are well catered for small or large orders. Not only the size, but the wealth of experience in the team ensures that the manufacturing process runs smoothly while quality levels are maintained. All our products are tested in house, meaning the customer can be sure they are receiving the very best, first time.

Flexible

Being able to manufacture on site gives us an advantage over similar businesses in the industry as it allows us to be more involved with our customers  problems. Any specific requirements can be tailored on site and the manufacturing process amended to incorporate customer focused solutions. Warehousing on site also means we are unaffected by events abroad and can control the delivery times to our customers.

Porthole  – Available June 2012

The PortHole through-desk power and data module has been designed to fit any desk that has been designed to include a standard 80mm grommet hole.

The module is available in three colours; black, grey and white with a silver trim, and can be supplied with a choice of power, data and AV sockets. Sound good? The module is quick and easy to fit and the data, USB and AV keystones can be replaced at any time, to meet the changing needs of any business.

Contour - All White

Contour White was developed to improve the aesthetic range of the Contour power module, showing CMD’s commitment to listen and react to customer feedback, and push the boundaries of on desk power modules.  Designed and manufactured in the UK, this stylish module is available in a variety of lengths and can be customised to meet the needs to any business to include; UK and international power sockets, data, telecommunications and AV sockets.

Footprint Energy Management

CMD Footprint puts you in control of the energy usage in your business.

By auditing, monitoring, managing and targeting how much electricity is being consumed at the desk level – or more to the point, wasting – you can save energy and money.

The power to make simple but highly effective changes is quite literally at your fingertips. CMD Footprint enables you to see exactly how much electricity is being used in your business at each workstation – right now online with your personalised dashboard.

Air and Motion Monitor Arms 

Air is a flat screen monitor arm featuring innovative engineering and contemporary styling. It offers all the benefits you would expect of an adjustable gas lift arm with an extensive range of useful features.

Motion is based on the traditional monitor pole arms but brings with it modern aesthetics, the latest features, and the ergonomic benefits of previous generations.

The PortHole through-desk power and data module has been designed to fit any desk that has been designed to include a standard 80mm grommet hole.

The module is available in three colours; black, grey and white with a silver trim, and can be supplied with a choice of power, data and AV sockets. Sound good? The module is quick and easy to fit and the data, USB and AV keystones can be replaced at any time, to meet the changing needs of any business.

So, why not take advantage of those unused grommet holes and convert them with a PortHole today.

More information about the PortHole power and data module can be found on our website; www.cmd-ltd.com/product/porthole

Available from June 2012

If you enter a building and are confronted with an untidy and tired looking reception area then you won’t get a particularly good impression and probably won’t want to stay.  If, however, you enter a building come into a sleek and well organised reception area you will feel more comfortable and have more confidence in the company or hotel.  Everyone is aware of the importance of first impressions and so this is why time and money is often spent making sure that a reception area is suitable and looks the part.  Hospitals need to look safe and clean, hotels welcoming and offices professional and this can all be achieved through proper design and organisation.  The majority of reception desks and counters will be sleek and modern.  Many desks and counters are designed so that computers and terminals are hidden from view so that visitors are not confronted with a wall of computers.  Computers will usually be on a lower level behind the desk so that the reception staff can see them and use them but so that they are not a focal point in the room.

Many hotels and office buildings now offer wifi and internet connections to visitors and this is very often in the reception areas.  Most reception areas in offices and hotels will also offer visitors somewhere to plug in their laptops and phone chargers if they need to.  Being able to offer visitors access to power can be essential and so this is often incorporated into the design of these areas making sure that there are power distribution strips that can be used by visitors.  Power distribution strips will very often be located near the walls and edges of the reception area so that people can sit around the edge of the room and use their laptops whist waiting to go in or to meet somebody.  This means that they are able to get on with any work that they may have without having to try to find an available power source and it also means that they will not be in a prominent position or a distraction to anybody else.

The reception area is the first point of contact for any visitor building and provides the opportunity to convey the image that you want visitors to have and gives you the chance to make a strong and good first impression.  Having a professional, clean and tidy reception area will inspire confidence in those who come into it and reflect much better than a tired and scruffy looking welcome area.

Most of the trading carried out on the trading floor of a stock exchange was traditionally carried out by traders making use of hand signals and shouting but almost all stock exchanges now offer a much more modern service through the use of display screens and computer systems.  Stock exchanges now make use of large screens to display all of the relevant information and the value of stocks and shares.  They need to be large screens due to the sheer volume of people who need to look at them and the quantity of information that has to be displayed at any one time during trading hours.  Trading floors have hundreds if not thousands of traders and business men and women working on them and it is essential that they are all able to have access to the information that they need.  People would become rather angry if they had lost out on a good deal or suffered a fall in value and were unaware of this because they were unable to see a screen which is why it is vital that there are a sufficient number of screens for the people on the floor.

Not all workers in a stock exchange do their work while standing on the floor and looking at large screens as a lot of the work involves sitting at a computer.  Just as those on the trading floor have to be able to see a lot information at the same time so too do those sitting behind a desk.  Many of those who work in these positions will make use of multi monitor arms so that they can have multiple screens on the desk.  Having your computer connected to a number of different screens on multi monitor arms allows you to display larger amounts of information and to put it up on different screens rather than having to try to fit it all on monitor directly in front of you.  There may be a main screen that will be used more than others but there will be information that still needs to be displayed at all times and this will be put up on the additional monitors around your desk or where you are working.

Although perhaps not quite as hectic as it used to be, working on a trading floor or in a stock exchange can still be a stressful and fast-paced job and so you need to be able to see all of the necessary information and statistics clearly to perform your job properly.