Technology

PaperCut: How to assess the performance of your hybrid workforce

Published

2 years ago

February 29, 2024

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Laura White, PaperCut Head of Talent, provides industry insights:

The Covid-19 pandemic pushed hybrid working into the mainstream, and it looks like the trend is here to stay. While employees are slowly starting to return to office, many prefer to continue working from home for at least part of the week.

I felt deeply during Covid that we were going to swing back to office work very quickly. But people have built their life on being at home five days a week for about two years. They’ve moved away, there are cost of living rises and family care for children to consider, so employers must manage the expectations of how feasible that is.

But with traditional talent evaluation based on visibility and performance, how can organizations assess their employees’ commitment and leadership in a hybrid working environment?

Understanding the challenges

According to my colleague Caz Butcher, Global Head of People and Culture at PaperCut, one of the key challenges in a hybrid working environment is employee engagement. For a global organization like PaperCut, it’s important not only to connect people with their direct team but across functions as well.

“The engagement element is about how you share knowledge and bring people together – getting people aligned outside of individual teams is a big thing,” Caz says. “If your business is growing, you need to build those foundational elements of communication and connection when people are new. That’s much harder in a global and hybrid business, so things take longer, and your expectations might need to change.”

Particularly when organizations have employees around the world and across time zones, effective communication is critical to ensuring everyone is on the same page. “From the business perspective, it’s how you communicate your strategy, your purpose, and your values so that it lands, even though people are all working at different times,” Caz says.

From performance reviews to feedback loops

While the move towards remote work has accelerated since the pandemic, a broader shift was already taking place in how companies review and assess talent. There was a school of thought that was evolving prior to hybrid: some people are throwing out the annual review process altogether and instead having more regular feedback though consistent check-ins.

Because hybrid working has limited face-to-face time between managers and direct reports, this has impacted on the ability to provide immediate feedback and to ensure people are prioritizing the right work. Says Caz: “Feedback is always difficult but it’s even harder over a virtual meeting. In a global hybrid business, giving feedback is something you really have to work at.”

In a hybrid environment, managers may also be at home for much of the week – forcing a change to their approach to assessing performance. They rely on a lot of virtual connection with the team, measuring output through deliverables and milestones, and really optimizing their time when they do come into the office.

For many organizations, this has actually led to a more structured approach to feedback. PaperCut is working on putting systems in place such as 360-degree feedback surveys to determine a more holistic performance rating. With hybrid working, businesses need to be more intentional in creating feedback because they can’t just grab someone at any time of the day in the office and have a chat.

Nurturing talent in a hybrid environment

Although hybrid working has become commonplace, not all workers are impacted equally. There’s a combination of lifestyle and economic factors that make it easier for senior leaders to come into the office more often. They’re more likely to live closer to the city because they can afford it; they may be older and have children already at school, so care isn’t as big of an issue.

In fact, people seeking remote-only roles will find themselves competing among the highest level of job applications – putting them at an immediate disadvantage for career opportunities. But even employees who are in the office only part of the week run the risk of being less visible than their peers, which is a more significant issue for those who are in junior positions or new to the business.

Work is still very much a relationship-driven environment. The more junior you are in your career and the newer you are in your organization, the more time you realistically need to spend in the office, to build up those capabilities and contacts.

But employers can take steps to nurture hybrid talent through coaching and mentorship programs that connect workers with more senior team members. If you have relationships at all levels, then you have multiple people looking out for you. That must be more prevalent in this environment because we don’t learn by osmosis from having people around us every day like we used to.

The next generation of hybrid workers

So where is hybrid work headed? A generational shift is also underway as Millennials start taking on senior management roles and Gen Z move up in the workforce. The greater role played by younger talent is driving a change in attitudes towards both work and technology.

Young people understand that you can stay highly connected without being face-to-face. At the same time, they’re requesting more flexibility than any previous generation. They’re forcing us to adapt to their needs because we already have a talent shortage, and we don’t want to lose out on great talent.

As the baton for executive leadership is handed between generations over the coming years, we’re likely to see a greater push for new models of talent evaluation. I think we have an opportunity to evolve how we assess the quality of someone’s output.

We’ll get better at understanding that just because you can’t see someone physically, doesn’t mean they aren’t a huge asset to the organisation – and therefore would be great for promotion or leadership position or investment in their development.

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SOURCE PaperCut Software

Technology

Samsung Selects Chandigarh University Student as ‘Punjab AI State Topper’

Published

13 minutes ago

July 18, 2026

CU Student Devesh Panwar Wins Rs 1 Lakh Award for Developing AI-Based Document Search System

CHANDIGARH, India, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar, has been named the “Punjab State Topper” in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program organised by Samsung in collaboration with Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) and training partner Focal Skill Development (Focalyt) to equip Indian youth with industry-relevant in-demand skills in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding & Programming, preparing them for future careers.

A final-year student of Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) at University Institute of Computing (UIC) of Chandigarh University, Devesh Panwar also won a cash award of Rs 1 lakh along with a laptop, and exclusive Samsung rewards for achieving this remarkable milestone under the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program.

“Being named ‘AI State Topper’ was a moment of profound pride and validation for me. Hard work, intense technical training and a passion for AI culminated in the immense honor of the Punjab State Topper title. Besides getting access to state-of-the-art tools to fuel my future research and development endeavor, I gained world-class knowledge during the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program. It helped me in gaining hands-on experience and applied AI to solve real-world challenges, especially in aeronautical and technical domains,”

During Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program, Devesh and his team worked on innovative AI capstone project which was presented before the jury panel as part of the final assessment.

“Our team developed the advanced AI-powered system AI Research Agent, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) platform designed for intelligent querying of private document collections. Organizations, researchers, legal professionals, and HR teams often work with large collections of documents. Traditional search methods rely heavily on keyword matching and require significant manual effort to locate relevant information. The project was developed to address the limitations of traditional document search systems, which often struggle with contextual understanding, retrieval accuracy, learning adaptability, and response speed,” said Devesh.

“The developed system demonstrated significant improvements over traditional document retrieval approaches with faster response generation with integration of modern AI techniques, full-stack development, database systems, and intelligent automation into a single practical solution. By combining modern RAG architecture with innovative retrieval and reasoning mechanisms, this system provides a fast, intelligent, and user-friendly solution for knowledge discovery and resume evaluation. This project not only enhanced our technical expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Full-Stack Development but also strengthened our problem-solving, teamwork, and professional communication skills. It stands as a significant achievement of our Samsung Innovation Campus 2025 journey and reflects our commitment to building impactful AI solutions for real-world challenges,” he added.

Congratulating Devesh Panwar for being named “Punjab State Topper” AI under the Samsung Innovation Campus Samsung Innovation Program, Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University, said, “Devesh’s achievement reflects Chandigarh University’s focus on experiential learning and industry-academia collaboration. Through the Samsung Innovation Campus AI Program, CU students gain practical exposure to AI and building solutions for real-world challenges. This accomplishment reflects not only Devesh’s commitment to excellence but also the growing culture of innovation and industry-oriented learning at Chandigarh University,”.

“Since its inception, Chandigarh University has set benchmarks for world-class education with its dynamic hands-on experiential learning model, industry-aligned programs, dynamic fraternity, state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities and impeccable placements. Samsung Innovation Program is also part of our initiatives to develop a future-ready talent pool equipped with advanced capabilities in AI, loT, Big Data, and Coding and Programming. By bridging the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application, this collaboration helps in providing CU’s computer science and computing students exposure to cutting-edge and emerging technologies. CU’s this partnership with Samsung is focused on building future-ready talent equipped with industry-relevant skills in AI and emerging technologies,” Sandhu said.

He said Chandigarh University’s Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology. “Chandigarh University carries a vision of crafting next-gen IT professionals who can take up industry challenges effectively and our Institute of Computing (UIC) prepares students for a successful career in computing, to create and disseminate computing knowledge and technology. UIC’s hands-on approach paves the way for a smooth transition to the workforce after graduation. Our students are equipped with the best knowledge, skills and passion to succeed in any number of computing careers. CU’s Institute of Computing renders cutting-edge education ranging from the expertise in traditional software development -to- modern computing technologies. Fully-equipped industry-sponsored labs, industry-aligned curriculum, and accreditations and validations by top companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Google Android, Red Hat etc. give our students an exclusive edge over others,” the Chandigarh University CMD said.

Sandhu said the latest edition of QS World University Rankings has yet again reaffirmed Chandigarh University global standing as a top educational institution. “Continuing its remarkable rise among the world’s leading higher education institutions, Chandigarh University (CU) has made impressive strides in the latest edition of prestigious QS World University Rankings 2027 by securing an overall world rank of 526, an increase of 49 ranks as compared to 575th rank in QS’ 2026 Rankings. This is for the fifth consecutive year that Chandigarh University’s global rankings have witnessed an impressive surge with CU’s world rank going up by an impressive 274 ranks — from the 800th rank in 2023 to 526th in 2027’s Rankings,”.

“As per the latest QS World University Rankings, with All India Rank of 13 among all universities in the country as compared to 16th rank in 2026’s rankings, Chandigarh University now ranks among the top 1% of universities in India and the top 2% of universities in the World, underscoring its growing reputation as a leading institution of higher learning, both in India and globally,” he added.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

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Technology

Samsung Selects Chandigarh University Student as ‘Punjab AI State Topper’

Published

13 minutes ago

July 18, 2026

CU Student Devesh Panwar Wins Rs 1 Lakh Award for Developing AI-Based Document Search System

During Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) AI Program, Devesh and his team worked on innovative AI capstone project which was presented before the jury panel as part of the final assessment.

About Chandigarh University

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

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Technology

Black Lake Technologies Shortlisted as SAIL Award TOP30 Finalist and Selected as Global Industrial AI Flagship Case, Showcasing Latest Industrial Agent at WAIC 2026

Published

1 hour ago

July 18, 2026

SHANGHAI, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) opened in Shanghai on July 17. Shanghai Blacklake Technologies Co., Ltd. (“Black Lake”), an industrial AI company, is showcasing a portfolio of industrial AI agents at the conference. The company has also been named to the Top 30 shortlist for the 2026 WAIC Super AI Leader (SAIL) Award and selected as a Trusted Partner under the Global Call for Trusted Partners for Industrial AI in the Global South.

The accreditations highlight Black Lake’s latest progress in bringing AI into critical manufacturing decision-making workflows and deploying industrial AI capabilities on the shop floor around the world.

This year’s conference attracted over 1,100 exhibiting companies and showcased more than 3,000 exhibits, setting a new record for exhibition scale. The conference delivered a clear signal: as artificial intelligence becomes a common priority across global industries, attention is moving beyond model capabilities toward practical applications in real-world operating environments.

Manufacturing provides a particularly demanding test for this transition. Factory operations are governed by multiple constraints, including process specifications, equipment capabilities, material availability, production capacity, delivery schedules and quality requirements. Therefore, AI has to do so much more than simply comprehend information input. It must make reliable judgments within clearly defined business rules and operational constraints.

Black Lake has focused on industrial digitalization and industrial AI for years, developing and deploying AI applications in a range of factory environments.

At WAIC 2026, the company is presenting industrial AI agents covering order splitting and process planning, quotation and pricing, procurement, production scheduling, quality inspection, and order tracking. These applications are designed to move AI beyond an auxiliary role and into critical manufacturing decision-making workflows.

Traditional industrial software is primarily responsible for data recording, digital workflows, and worker coordination. However, critical decisions such as how to split an order, determine pricing, schedule production, and assess quality risks still depend heavily on the experience of engineers and frontline workers.

Industrial AI agents are intended to convert fragmented industrial knowledge and production experience into decision-making capabilities that can be invoked, reused and continuously refined by software systems.

Order decomposition and process planning are representative examples. After receiving an engineering drawing, a factory typically relies on experienced engineers to identify components, materials and dimensions, define the required manufacturing processes and technical specifications, and establish a basis for subsequent quotation and quality inspection.

The process is highly dependent on individual expertise and represents one of the first critical decision points after an order is received.

Black Lake Technologies’ CAD-to-Process Agent can understand product drawings and, taking into account the factory’s equipment capabilities, process requirements, and production practices, rapidly generate process steps along with the corresponding technical requirements. Drawing analysis that once took hours can now be completed in approximately one minute, achieving an accuracy rate of over 95% in real deployment and providing engineers with stable, efficient decision support. Currently, the industrial agents developed by the company cover core processes including design, scheduling, production, and quality inspection, and have entered the stage of large-scale deployment.

Founded in 2016, Black Lake serves nearly 40,000 factories worldwide. Its customers span more than 30 industries, including food and beverage, automotive components and equipment manufacturing.

By working across factory order management, production and fulfillment workflows, Black Lake has accumulated the technical capabilities and industry knowledge required to support decision-making in complex industrial environments.

In April 2026, Black Lake completed a Series D funding round of nearly RMB 1 billion. The company said the proceeds would primarily be used to accelerate the deployment of its industrial AI products and support its international expansion.

AI-related products are becoming a new source of growth for the company. In a recent interview, Black Lake founder and CEO Zhou Yuxiang said that the company had recorded significant growth in AI-related revenue since the beginning of 2026. He also said that manufacturing customers were taking less time to make purchasing decisions for industrial AI agents.

Zhou expects AI adoption among Chinese factories to increase substantially over the next three to four years.

Unlike consumer-facing AI, which is primarily associated with content generation and personal productivity, industrial AI agents can directly affect production costs, capacity utilization, delivery performance, and product quality. Their commercial value therefore depends largely on whether they can perform specific tasks reliably in complex production environments.

During WAIC 2026, Black Lake was named to the Top 30 shortlist for the 2026 Super AI Leader (SAIL) Award. The SAIL Award is one of WAIC’s major awards and recognizes achievements in technological breakthroughs, application innovation, and industrial value.

Black Lake was also selected as a Trusted Partner under UNIDO’s Global Call for Trusted Partners for Industrial AI in the Global South.

The Global Call was launched under the guidance of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, and in connection with the work of UNIDO AIM Global and its Shanghai-based Centre of Excellence.

The initiative aims to build a curated pool of leading partners to co-develop scalable industrial AI solutions and public goods for the Global South.

For Black Lake, the two accreditations underscore the growing importance of reliability, explainability, and scalability in the evaluation of industrial AI, in addition to the capabilities of AI models.

Global expansion will be a major priority in the company’s next phase of development. Black Lake is currently focusing on Southeast Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, adapting its industrial AI agents to the industrial structures, production processes and management requirements of different markets.

Although manufacturing operations vary across countries and regions, manufacturers share similar concerns about efficiency, quality, delivery reliability and production flexibility.

Black Lake is transforming industrial AI capabilities that have been validated in complex factory environments into configurable and deployable products. Through these products, the company aims to work with manufacturers worldwide to explore more efficient, flexible and intelligent approaches to production.

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SOURCE Black Lake