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Organizational Crisis Management: 7 Surprising Ways HR Leads Through a Crisis

Organizational trends point to an increase in the “invisible structure”; culture networks, employee learning abilities, core values, and projected identity that aids in solving previously unforeseen problems. Human resources are the arm of the organization that builds this invisible structure.

 

HR typically functions as a bridge between management and other employees. Yet, this influential department is not often regarded as a business partner, playing a vital role in the organization’s day-to-day running, particularly during a crisis. HR’s responsibility is more than just managing administration and service contracts. The article below expounds that in times of crisis, HR can play a decisive role in safeguarding the company’s success, and as such, it is about time for the rest of C-Suite to bring HR to the decision-making table.
connecting

1. People First

Being the people-focused arm of an organization, CHROs must place the safety, culture, protection, and mental health of the employees at the forefront. According to a KPMG International survey, HR executives prioritize employee experience (EX) as their focal point. Pathfinding HR¹ organizations were almost three times more likely to “strongly agree” that employee experience is a strategic priority for the entire organization. Furthermore, when asked about organizational strategies in place as regards EX, 75% of Pathfinding HR organizations had a system in place to design an EX that reflects and supports the customer experience.

 

¹KPMG defines “Pathfinding HR” as a confident group of HR executives, simultaneously focused on four discrete capabilities to chart their course to the future in a disrupted world: shaping the workforce of the future, nurturing a purpose driven culture, and designing a “consumer grade” employee experience, all through the use of evidence-based insights.

– KPMG International

 

COVID-19 struck impromptu, hitting hard and affecting all levels of businesses. Suddenly, CHROs must focus on employees’ health and well-being over the potential for denial of access or financial loss. Executing workforce adjustments will prevent high attrition levels.

 

Crunched numbers determine the most optimum methods to prevent the company from being overwhelmed. Deciding employee teams, non-intermittent or rotational work and shifts in location (home or office), number of employees that can work together, those who cannot, and prolonged absences. C-Suite and upper management must prioritize additional insurance coverage specifically designed to protect and support their people, intellectual property, and premises in the event of a crisis.

 

2. Talent Management and Engagement

The past few years have taught us that business agility is vital to the future of work. With increasing digitalization, globalization, and the newer generation entering the labor force, the faster a company can evolve alongside shifting consumer and employee engagement trends, the better equipped they are to survive in the long run.

 

Chances are everyone who works for you is aware of at least one website or has an app that gently nudges them to change employers. And if you are like most business leaders, you work hard to give them reasons to stay with your company every single day willingly. In the latest PwC’s Human Resources Technology Survey, technology investments and their effectiveness were explored, with the views of 600 HR and HR information technology (IT) leaders on six continents collected.

 

58% of these HR professionals informed that they had issues utilizing technology to find, attract, and retain talent. Companies spend $310 per employee per year on HR tech, yet 74% of companies surveyed still plan to boost spending on HR tech in 2020 to focus on pressing talent needs.

 

During a pandemic, HR plays another significant role that most do not get to think about, one of which is ensuring that employee emergency contacts are up to date. CHROs also take the lead by providing all employees with appropriate outlets for emotional or financial support. Supplementary training offered to develop and retain the best talents.

 

3. Leading with Candor (Communication & Support)

The golden hours of a crisis are the period in which decision making is at the most critical. During this period, CHROs are looked upon to trigger resources to communicate and respond efficiently across the company, responding to employees’ questions and concerns. Other employees typically place high expectations on C-level executives such as yourself for strength, reassurance, and leadership in turbulent times. It is essential to keep your people sufficiently informed.

Cloud Computing

One of the most critical tools for any successful crisis management approach is implementing a practical communications framework and access to dedicated numbers to help businesses respond to new information as they are available. Examples are special groups and channels via Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, or similar messaging platforms.

Contrary to generally accepted organization data privacy and security laws, a key factor is to ensure the chosen platform is externally controlled, especially in the event of a cyber-attack that forces a section or company-wide network shutdown. This preset mode of communication might very well be the only way to communicate with teams safely.

While only a small number of companies use incentives (30%) and gamification (20%) to lift adoption rates, these two practices were rated the most successful methods to combat low adoption. The two most common strategies—training and leadership communication—while important, should be delivered alongside these other tactics that make using digital technologies more enjoyable, even fun.

 

4. Establish a Crisis Management Team

Despite a business’s best efforts, encountering a crisis may be inevitable for many. During the formative stage, CHROs as strategic planners can bring people together to form a crisis management team to formulate policies and guidelines. The team will propose potential outcomes and crises that might arise and develop multiple contingency plans based on such situations.

 

Such as communicating efficiently and effectively with customers, employees, the media, and all other stakeholders. It is critical for businesses with a strong social media presence; you cannot afford to stay silent during this period. Meticulously crafted, frank communications will be essential to maintaining your company’s reputation. The style of communication, honesty, and, when suitable, messaging on how your company is aiding an affected community and employees is vital. Lastly, develop a Business Continuity Plan, where the CMT is in charge of outlining strategies to overcome business disruption.

 

5. Encourage training and new skills acquisition

training & skills acquisition
During a crisis, leaders often refer to past experiences and or a guidebook of sorts to aid their decision-making. However, there is no single playbook during this pandemic that managers can reference for accurate advice and responses on how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and its multiple disruptions across all business sectors. Since many HR leaders are accountable for guiding the overall workforce response to COVID-19, they must model a learning mentality and influence others to stay interested and open to learning.

 

In recent years, technology has dramatically automated the typical functions carried out by the HR department. Summarily, it became possible to activate online payroll transmission, record keeping, training, skill management, employment interviews, hiring, and compensations. HR professionals and employees alike must also flow with the current digitization trend, focusing on skill development.

 

HR takes the lead to develop and model an experimental culture and encourage other employees to “fail forward” to learn from tough choices quickly. This crisis can also be a chance for HR leaders who have labored in the past to create learning cultures in their organizations, as there may be less opposition to trial and error from performance-focused leaders.

 

6. Providing Data-Driven Views

There are no clear-cut answers or precedents in this pandemic. C-suite leaders expect CHROs to resolve problems such as rotating the workforce to work productively from home, keeping essential frontline workers safe, and managing large-scale virtual downsizing furloughs. All these while trying to protect health benefits.

To achieve this, CHROs, HR teams, managers, and business owners rely on various software, including an information system to assist, manage, and automate many of the administrative tasks to improve HR activities’ workflow.

Analyze, Strategize

According to the PwC’s Human Resources Technology Survey, HR leaders report robust business benefits from cloud-based HR systems that shape their technology portfolio’s core. 72% report having core HR applications in the cloud or are in the process of moving them. 56% from the KPMG International survey agree that preparing the workforce for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies is challenging. A further 66% (2 in 3 HR executives) believe that one of the ways CHROs can manage the impact of AI (and related technologies) on the workforce is to prioritize workforce upskilling. Particularly during a crisis when scale-downs or ramp-ups might be in order. HR can and should be providing a data-driven opinion to any actions.

 

7. Hastening the Future of Work

It is imperative to be aware that the crisis’s effects remain long after it has ended for employees, their families, organizations, and communities during recovery. At this stage, HR must have the necessary tools to educate employees and business leaders on identifying stress impacts and recommending they get help. Achievable by sending out memos or paving the way for intranet pages containing the necessary information about employee benefits and other employee-related policies and programs. Programs such as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

 

Remembering to look towards the future is a common challenge for CHRO leaders. Companies will benefit significantly from endorsing human-capital decisions that respond to the current crisis and future proof tomorrow.

 

The previous months of lockdown have seen most of the world’s workforce telecommuting from home. Consequently, revealing many cracks and opportunities in the current workforce policies. Fortunately, something good can come out of it. It is an excellent time to rethink the processes and accelerate the future of work — the flexible workplace, wider talent pool, training for remote work, concentrating on employee well-being, and redefining events for societal connections.

 

Conclusion

The pandemic has devastated businesses and workers alike, obliging CHROs at the epicenter to make tough choices regarding safety, downsizing, compensation, engagement, benefits, and business permanence. Most CHROs have switched to working from home full time for the first time. What with schools and daycare/kindergartens closed. Many employees with young children and dual-career families struggle with work-life integration.

 

HR’s responsibility is more than just managing administration and service contracts. In times of crisis, HR can play a decisive role in safeguarding a company’s success. They have to be bold and defensive in building effective, cohesive cultures of collaboration, insisting that employees prepare to deal with the unexpected and the challenges ahead, rather than merely refining skills from the past. It is not in the moment of crisis that HR should shine; it is before and afterward. Achievable by insisting the organization do the right things before the crisis hits.

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Endpoint Security and the Future of the Cyber Security Landscape

Establishing the Zero-Trust Cybersecurity Framework

In recent years, Cybersecurity has repeatedly been one of the leading anxieties for enterprises worldwide, and in 2020, that trend intensifies. Traditionally, it is easy to shirk the organization’s IT responsibilities and point fingers towards CIOs, CISOs, and the CTO. However, it would be imprudent not to acknowledge that most cybersecurity incidents have arisen due to employee negligence. As such, the culture of taking proactive security measures should be borne by the entire organization.

 

“Today, the only way to be sure your system is good enough from a security point of view is for the whole IT team to design everything with security in mind,” says Grossi. “It’s no longer okay to be only mobile first or cloud first; it’s got to be security first.”

– Piergiorgio Grossi (Former Chief Information (CIO) and Digital Transformation Officer at Italian motorcycle-maker Ducati)

 

A glance at today’s cybersecurity landscape

Cyber attacks alongside Deepfakes continue to increase year over year. According to the ISACA’s Global State of Cyber Security Survey—a survey of more than 2,000 information security professionals from more than 17 industries—looks at the threat landscape, the measures security professionals employ to keep their organizations safe, and key trends and themes in the practice of security.

The cybersecurity landscape presents a positive and negative outlook. On the positive side, at least 50% of fully or appropriately staffed teams are more confident in their abilities to respond to cyber threats. While on the negative side, 62% of survey participants agree that cybercrimes are severely under-reported, and 52% believe that it is very likely their enterprise will experience a cyber attack in the next 12 months. Nevertheless, Information security professionals still believe that real progress is being made against common threats.

The most common threat actors being Cyber Criminals (22%), Hackers (19%), Malicious Insiders (11%), Non-Malicious Insiders (10%), Nation-State Attackers (9%), and Hacktivists (8%). The most frequent attack methods being Social Engineering (15%), Advanced Persistent Threat (10%), Ransomware (9%), and Unpatched systems (9%). Other noteworthy methods are Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and Mobile Malware, especially via android.

Fortunately, Google is making more headway with its latest privacy-focused features and increased efforts toward security updates. Android 10 (Pie) introduced granular controls over app permissions, while the upcoming Android 11 (currently available as a developer preview) further conveys their commitment to improvements in security with the implementation of temporary one-time access, allowing an app to use, for example, your phone’s location or camera. Android 11 continues this security-focused expansion and uses biometrics (Face, Iris, and Fingerprint data) to authenticate apps and services. Android 11 will also support digital driver licenses and other identification documents.

The ISACA survey also shows that organizations that take longer to fill in their cybersecurity and related positions report an increase in cyber attacks. Enterprises that took less than 2 weeks experienced 26% more cyber-attacks this year. Those who took around three months experienced 35% more attacks this year. Those who took six months or more experienced 38% more attacks. While those who were or still finding it hard to fill the positions experienced 42% more cyber-attacks this year.

 

Why Endpoint Attacks Occur

There used to be a distinct difference between the inside and outside of an organization, with infrastructures possessing clearly defined roles and boundaries. Organizations would have offices with computers and servers running on-site, creating a physical firewall, and ensuring that data often never leaves the company.

However, with the rise in telecommuting, more employees were asked or forced to work from home where there is no apparent, easily guarded line that can keep all the data in and attackers out of the system.

Worse is that some organizations still have a legacy viewpoint of the boundaries. Combine that with the BYOD trend, and all these lead to an increasingly expanding frontline. Causing security personnel to deal with relatively easy to hack employee-owned devices. This is further compounded by the fact that most employees expect convenience—many opting to use free and popular services to bring their data outside the company and with them. The majority of these services are infamously insecure, as have been pointed out by several hacks lately.

One such cyber attack is the recent discovery of an additional six malicious Android apps (11 similarly malicious apps were discovered in July) that slipped through the Google Play Store’s safety net to plant malware on Android devices. Another phishing attack targeted government and security organizations, using a legitimate Box page with Microsoft 365 branding to trick the victims.

The attackers were careful to appear quite convincing. Botnets facilitated spam and malicious emails with sender names and domains from a legitimate third-party vendor, asking readers to view a sensitive financial document. Viewers who clicked the link were led through a series of pages till they landed on a phishing page, built to resemble the Office 365 login portal, where they were asked to log in with their corporate credentials.

According to the cybersecurity awareness and data analysis firm, CybSafe and data from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), 90% of the 2376 cyber breaches reported to the ICO in 2019 were attributed to end-users’ errors. This was a significant increase from the years prior, with 61% in 2017 and 87% in 2018. The cybersecurity company reported phishing accounted for 45% of all reported cases, making them the primary cause in 2019 in the UK.

There is a general lack of public understanding around basic secure behavior, such as spotting fraudulent links and phishing emails, sending the wrong document to the wrong person, leaving a computer unlocked, or plugging in unidentified USB sticks. However, there are two sides to this human error issue.

  1. Passive Attacking: End-users and endpoints have become the primary targets for cyber attacks. This is because their behaviors and powerful devices are relatively easier to exploit, making them attractive targets. Security to most end-users is an untaught concept, and one they typically leave to the “experts.” Yet said experts are rarely the most communicative or most persuasive of tutors and thus, fail to communicate the pitfalls of not being security first effectively. Additionally, BYODs rarely include superior security, such as multifactor authentication (MFA), a system that can prevent the vast majority of data breaches by stopping unauthorized clients from accessing a corporate device. This all leads to the end-user becoming the weakest link, triggering a Supply Chain Attack.
  2. Increased IT Infrastructure Complexity: This second aspect encompasses the increasing complexity and distinctiveness of security tools. From intrusion detection, network monitoring, and encryption to security information and event management tools (SIEMs). Typically, more robust options are welcome; the issue is that all of these disparate tools need to be integrated effectively and correctly aligned to provide adequate and effective security. This also means that security teams have to know each tool, their uses, thresholds, and experience to create appropriate baselines. Unfortunately, teams are not trained well enough in the real world and most likely implement the tools with their default configurations. Doing this allows for an easier rollout but a risky and unsecured move, nonetheless. Such settings were predetermined by the manufacturer and basically put usability before all else.
 

“Though shocking, these statistics shouldn’t provoke a negative reaction. Employees of course pose a certain level of cyber risks to their employers, as seen in our findings thus far. Nevertheless, people also have an important role to play in helping to protect the companies they work for, and human cyber risk can almost always be significantly reduced by encouraging changes in staff cyber awareness, behavior, and culture.”

– Oz Alashe – (CEO and Founder at CybSafe)

 

Undoubtedly, cybersecurity has dramatically changed, and cybersecurity teams’ capabilities are being stretched past their limits. Fundamentally brought on by a ballooning attack surface blended with ill-informed and inappropriate consequential end-user behavior floated by some organizations that refuse to take security seriously.

 

Endpoint cybersecurity threats

Endpoint security is a critical aspect of the cybersecurity landscape, and it’s becoming increasingly important as the nature of work evolves. With more devices connecting to networks than ever before, from laptops and smartphones to IoT devices, the number of potential entry points for endpoint cyber security threats has multiplied. This makes endpoint cyber security a vital component of any comprehensive security strategy.

Endpoint cyber security threats are diverse and constantly evolving. They include malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and zero-day exploits, among others. These threats can compromise individual devices, and from there, gain access to the broader network, leading to data breaches or system disruptions.

Malware and Ransomware: Malware is a broad term that encompasses various types of malicious software, including viruses, worms, and Trojans. Ransomware, a type of malware, encrypts a victim’s files and demands a ransom to restore access. These threats can infiltrate endpoints through malicious email attachments, infected software downloads, or malicious websites.

Phishing Attacks: Phishing attacks often come in the form of deceptive emails that trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. They can also involve convincing users to click on a link or download an attachment that installs malware on their device.

Zero-Day Exploits: These are attacks that take advantage of software vulnerabilities that are unknown to the software vendor. Because these vulnerabilities haven’t been patched, they provide an open door for hackers to infiltrate systems and networks.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): APTs are complex, stealthy threats in which an unauthorized user gains access to a network and remains undetected for a prolonged period. These threats are often state-sponsored and aim to steal information or disrupt operations.

To combat these threats, organizations need to adopt a multi-layered approach to endpoint security. This includes the use of antivirus and anti-malware solutions, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) technologies. Additionally, organizations should regularly patch and update software to fix known vulnerabilities, and educate employees about safe online practices to prevent phishing and other user-targeted attacks.

 

The Future of the Cyber Security Landscape

The evolution of large-scale breaches symbolizes a growing trend of security violations both in numbers and their gravity. Data breaches recurrently expose sensitive information that often leaves users at risk for identity theft, ruin businesses’ reputations, and leave businesses liable for compliance violations. Cyber Observer, holistic cybersecurity management, and awareness solutions predict that damages from cyber crimes are projected to reach $6 trillion annually by 2021.

In other words, as enterprises gradually emerge from the current pandemic, we expect to see a surge in new demands. Reacting to these will require CIOs to formulate strategies based on two structural principles; understanding what customers need in a transforming landscape and leveraging technology to respond to these challenges in ways that acknowledge scope, cost, and scale objectives.

It is virtually impossible to write about the cybersecurity landscape’s future without citing Artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in securing endpoints. AI has existed for quite some time, and its use in our daily lives has become so common that we hardly ever stop to really think about it. From “Weak” AI programs such as “AlphaGo” developed by Goggle DeepMind that combined advanced search tree with deep neural networks, to Strong AI and machine learning systems used in flying Drones, Google Nest, and Tesla’s Autopilot. CIOs will carry on utilizing AI in various fields within cybersecurity. If anything, but to combat the numbers of attackers misusing AI and machine learning.

Looking to the future, the potential for new threat classes remains; ubiquitous and non-discriminatory in nature and to which there are currently no known catch-all countermeasures. Intrinsically, meticulous observations on malware features, abnormal acts, attackers’ attributes, and machine learning-based AI algorithms empower the defenders to deal with cyber threats, and in some cases, actually, go on offense. Regrettably, such observations also provide the attackers’ chances to invent novel attack techniques. Particularly as the risk of inputting false data and many other unsolved errors are relatively high in AI, defenders must always stay alert.

 

10 Simple Steps to Protect Your Business

Today, homeowners go beyond the typical door locks and automatic lights to a fully integrated security system that can prevent attacks and detect and respond to an intrusion and even accidents like a fire. Similarly, a business should deploy a multilayered cybersecurity strategy, one that includes.

Prevention: Firewalls, Anti-virus, Anti-malware, Password Management, Cybersecurity Awareness Training

Detection: SIEM, IDS, Threat Intelligence, and Log Monitoring

Response: 24/7 SOC Monitoring Response, Automated Threat Remediation, and Forensic Investigation.

These are all great tools, but in reality, not all businesses can afford top of the line and often proprietary security suites. Fortunately, you or businesses do not need to invest endlessly in new security tools to improve and elevate your current Cybersecurity posture and awareness for the reason that 80% of data breaches can be prevented with the following basic actions.

  1. Patching
  2. Regular vulnerability assessments
  3. Institute end-user security awareness
  4. Ensuring third-party vendor compliance
  5. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
  6. Limiting access to your most valuable data
  7. Securing mobile devices and BYOD devices
  8. Proper device and or software configurations
  9. Conduct employee security awareness training
  10. Develop cyber breach prevention, detection, and response plan
 

Final Thoughts

Improving endpoint cyber security needs to be a top priority in 2020 and the foreseeable future. The border-less and seemingly non-discriminatory nature of cyber-attacks means it is of imperative importance that the cybersecurity industry shares their insights and work together to protect themselves and the wider population.

In today’s connected world, a breach of one organization can compromise an entire supply chain. Spelling disaster for businesses, eroding public trust and opinions, whilst leaving them in financial collapse, particularly with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU. It is up to the legitimate security community to learn from each other, sharing what works and what does not. Most importantly, we all need to identify where to improve and ensure we leave no one behind.

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Aki Levänen: Is A SIEM Necessary?

From time to time, you hear comments in security discussions that “Security Information & Event Management (SIEM) is dead” or that it does not provide sufficient benefit in terms of input to detect and handle security incidents. The advocate may have his own agenda behind his opening: replacing SIEM with another product or experience in his own operating environment where there has been no need for SIEM or has been perceived as useless.

 

However, without taking an immediate opinion on the necessity or unnecessariness of SIEM, the matter can be considered from a few angles. After reflection, based on these thoughts, the reader can think for themselves whether SIEM is necessary and what it might offer me. What does SIEM actually offer and for what purpose? Where is SIEM good and for what purpose and need may better tools be offered? Whose need is being talked about in any context: the organization itself, the Security Operation Center (SOC), or someone else?

 

Investing in collecting logs

 

This blog post focuses more on observation, for example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the NIST cybersecurity framework Detect section, and what SIEM as a tool in that context can provide. It is true that from the point of view of collecting logs for the SIEM implementation, you have to invest in it and the workload can be big. The starting point for planning is to know the requirements for the operation and to think about the log policy, which creates the basis for technical supervision. Based on this, one can make an architecture as well as think about what is collected, from where and how. After all, it is not necessary to gather everything in one place, but you can even utilize the analytics in the cloud and pass the events to the person handling them, e.g. SOC, instead of building them yourself in SIEM. In reality, some sort of SIEM or data lake in the cloud is in the background.

 

User accounts and workstations are most often invaded in organizations

 

The most common way is to email the user with an attachment or link to access the workstation or email account, often O365. From the point of view of implementing the observation, I would take advantage of the security features of Microsoft’s O365 e-mail service, for example, instead of collecting data in my own SIEM and building alerts. At the workstations, this is partly the same, but can we investigate what has happened in more detail if necessary? Many security systems do not provide sufficiently detailed information about events and these could be supplemented, for example, by using the Windows system monitor (Sysmon) to collect more detailed information. This data can and should be collected in SIEM to support the analysis. Of course, newer Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools collect information and logs from the vendor’s cloud services that can be alerted.

 

For whom is snapshot information most useful?

 

The word snapshot comes across in every security conversation with organizations. What it is and what it contains varies almost every time. It is often discussed that one should have access to SIEM and get different views and snapshots of technical events. Now, the essential question is, to whom is this level of information relevant? For SOC, yes, definitely support analysis and for the organization’s technical staff to understand events and even provide information for proactive action. The security manager can look at the situation, but often the discussion is in the direction of management, for which SIEM does not provide direct support. At the management level, that information is already much less useful, as the discussion often revolves around risks and events. Yes, these can be formed on the basis of SIEM data by analyzing and making security deviations and describing what should be able to be developed from the point of view of detection capability. This view is more understandable to management and can be discussed, remembering that observation is only one aspect of the whole.

 

Security event management is a necessary extension to observation and a requirement in all frameworks

 

SIEM elevates the events that are collected in the event management system. These are analyzed and security breaches are created, often in a separate ticketing system. These are used to communicate with the various parties involved and to record the measures taken, in which case the activities must also be documented at the same time. The ticketing system usually has built-in integration between actors or portal views. Naturally, various means of communication between the people handling the event are used as support. SIEM does not offer such, although some kind of event flow has been modeled for them as well.

 

The latest in this entity is the SOAR (Security Orchestration, Analysis and Response) system. SOAR acts as a collection system, collecting alerts, ticketing, portals, and also automating SOC operations through use cases. SIEM is not directly replaced by SOAR, but analysis and data collection must take place somewhere in the background of SOAR. Automation sounds appealing to many, but already requires moderately good maturity in handling and responding to security incidents.

 

Log collection and monitoring requirements are included in every information security framework

 

From a compliance point of view, the EU-GDPR has been the most recently highlighted, where the processing of personal data must be traceable from a control point of view. Log collection and monitoring requirements are included in every information security framework. In this way, these control requirements must be able to be solved in IT environments and also in production environments (OT / ICS). Especially in multi-vendor environments, IT vendors do take care of management compliance, but does it meet all the requirements for the organization itself? Most likely, these do not monitor the use of the organization’s own services or do not react to anomalies in the use of the service, but a separate security service, the SOC service, must be purchased. In this context, it may be quite justified to build SIEM itself and to establish controls for both management and operation of all relevant information systems.

 

SIEM is not dead

 

In practice, control solutions as current implementations are a kind of Hybrid implementations instead of a fully centralized SIEM. SIEM is not dead, and it is a very key component in information security control. How control solutions start to evolve is largely dependent on the current state of the organization, operational requirements and development investments. As with navigation, you must first know where it is so that you can move on to the next tick or, in organizational terms, to develop information security. Systems are needed to support analysis to produce information. Based on this information, it is possible to react automatically or by people according to pre-agreed or applied measures and to ensure the continuity of the organization’s activities in information security events.

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TOPdesk: The Secret To Great Customer Experience

Customer experience – a crucial impression of a customer towards your company that can either make or break the brand.

From the early days of trading to the modern business era, customer experience (CX) retains as one of the most important aspects of a successful business. However, while many companies know why customer experience is important, they lack the strategy and technology to fully optimize their customers’ experience.

TOPdesk, a supplier of service management software in the Netherlands, shares its thoughts with Management Events on how organizations can provide great customer service experience.

 

A Snippet of TOPdesk

A provider of service tools, TOPdesk started in 1993 and has since garnered 10 million active users.

With 15 offices worldwide, the company offers service solutions that include enterprise service management, IT service management and facility management. TOPdesk also provides consultancy, tailored implementations and support to help their clients in service delivery.

 

DEFINING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Different companies have distinctive definitions of customer experience. For TOPdesk, customer experience is a combination of culture, capabilities, and systems.

“The three aspects work in tandem, therefore, lacking in one of these areas results in tarnishing the customer and supplier relationship.”

Harvard Business Review echoes this sentiment, stating that oftentimes businesses either don’t have the systems and technology, processes and operational capabilities, or most importantly, customer-centric organizational culture.

TOPdesk also voices the vitalness of customer-centricity in a company, expressing that, “The client values interactions with a vendor that go beyond the services they provide. This is where company culture comes in.”

“Working in partnership with clients allows us to have a better understanding of the customer to drive continual improvement of products and services based on their needs.”

 

PUTTING CUSTOMERS AT THE CORE

In the past, customer experience and satisfaction were thought to be attained by the product itself or by the service given during the sale. What companies failed to realize at the time was that every encounter with a customer, from raising brand awareness to aftersales, is crucial in building and nurturing client relationships.

Today, businesses have to go even further in order to become a truly customer-centric organization, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Being customer-centric means focusing on the client’s needs and adapting based on these. And we believe that creating an open dialogue with the customer is key.”

“This is the best way to get to know each and every customer, creating a personal connection, and understanding what they expect from us as an organization.”

“Facilitating this open conversation means taking an outside-in approach instead of inside-out – using customer feedback to drive changes and improvements.”

For TOPdesk, one of the most important characteristics of a customer-centric organization is transparency.

Other key characteristics include a highly engaged team that exists to learn, share knowledge, and form partnerships.

“Without the entire team buying into this method of service delivery, it is impossible to succeed.”

 

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE OF TODAY

Over the years, there have been many customer experience optimization strategies with the core focus on building relations. But how is customer experience today? What has changed?

“While nurturing and serving customers has always been at the forefront of service delivery,” TOPdesk reveals, “the changes we have seen are in this being a priority during the initial stages of the sales funnel to the entire customer journey.”

“It’s no longer enough to just provide a service. It’s now expected that we go the extra mile.”

“For example, talk with each customer about how they define a successful relationship and involve them in shaping the process.”

This practice is highly encouraged at TOPdesk as the company understands the importance of providing a space for customers to share experiences with one another.

“This can come in the form of a customer event where clients can share stories, projects, and get new ideas to enhance their service experience. Or setting up a call between two customers in need of help and advice, or writing a case study to further promote their journey.”

Another key customer experience excellence trend is customer journey mapping, both internally and with the customers themselves. At TOPdesk, the customer journey maps look beyond the implementation of a tool to how they can continually support clients by identifying gaps.

“Service delivery is never ending. We must always be looking for ways to improve our offering and share our knowledge.”

 

ENHANCING DIGITAL CX CAPABILITIES

The arrival of the digital era brought great changes to the field of customer service, increasing organizations’ ability to maximize customer experience through technological innovations.

“The digital landscape offers a lot of scope when it comes to delivering great customer experience.”

TOPdesk observes that, “Digital tools provide an outlet for collecting both qualitative and quantitative data to influence improvements in customer experience.”

One example TOPdesk provided was their use of digital surveys to get product feedback, which can be passed onto the stakeholders in product development to prioritize enhanced features.

The company further believes that digital resources are also key for achieving great customer experience, naming podcasts, webinars, virtual events, blogs, ebooks, and case studies as top sources to help customers expand their knowledge and utilize their service better.

 

TOWARDS SEAMLESS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

With the multiple channels and stages of customer service, companies need to ensure that they provide a seamless customer experience throughout the entire customer’s journey.

As Forbes stated in their article, “Customers who love your solutions buy more and become natural brand advocates [while] customers who have a poor experience with your brand will take their money to your competitors. It is critical to provide a seamless and unforgettable customer experience across the various channels your brand uses.”

That’s why TOPdesk has experts at every touch point along the journey.

“For example, at the beginning of the TOPdesk sales cycle, our account managers must be attentive and be able to answer any commercial questions the customer may have.”

“Then, when implementation of the tool begins, a consultant must be on hand to provide knowledge, assist learning, and give advice on processes.”

“Once the typical sales cycle and implementation is complete, the customer support shouldn’t end.”

“This is where the TOPdesk customer success manager comes in. The customer success manager will reach out on a regular basis, is always available for a call, and able to triage any questions or problems to the right person or team.”

“Additionally, the TOPdesk support team is able to work harmoniously alongside the customer success manager, offering quick and effective technical solutions to ensure that the customer experience isn’t tainted by issues with the tool.”

However, TOPdesk emphasizes that internal communication is also crucial in order for the customer journey to be truly seamless.

“This way, everybody will understand the customer’s needs and be able to take the right approach in their service delivery.”

 

IMPROVING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Customer service is continually evolving because customers themselves are constantly changing. Therefore, it’s essential for all businesses to be ready to make customer experience improvements, whether on the product or the level of service.

“TOPdesk values the feedback of our customers dearly, whether it’s service or tool-related. Via labs, we regularly consult our clients on new functionalities before they are released.”

“We also want to know how customers experience our support services and, therefore, ask for feedback after every incident.”

“Recently, the support team was rated out of 10 for: customer friendliness (9.6), knowledge level (9.4), and solution time (9.6).”

 

TOPDESK CX APPROACH

The first impression that a customer gets from a brand is crucial, regardless of which stage of the sales funnel they come in. At TOPdesk, customer experience starts at the first moment of interaction, not when they sign the papers and become a client.

“From the beginning of the sales funnel, we are focused on how each individual aspect of the TOPdesk tool can enhance the experience of an organization, its employees, and clients.”

“Our customer success managers are there to make sure that our customers are having the best possible TOPdesk experience, both with the software and the company.”

“We understand that people don’t want to have to rely on a service provider every time they come across a problem, which is why we strive to make our clients self-reliant: using the train-the-trainer approach.”

“But it doesn’t stop there –  we encourage TOPdesk users to empower their customers through an accessible self-service portal and comprehensive knowledge base.”

TOPdesk is always looking for new ways to improve, and they want their users to do the same.

“We carry out health checks and maturity assessments to provide customers with the knowledge of where they’re at, what projects to take on, and how they can grow.”

TOPdesk upholds three core pillars, which make up the company’s DNA and shape the way they deliver services: standard and simple, shared service management, and service chain integration.

“We believe these are fundamental to the experience and satisfaction of our clients, therefore we aim to excel at each pillar to provide superior customer experience.”

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8 Actionable Tips on Virtual Presentation to Rise above the Competition

You received a memo informing you that your organization has canceled all international and domestic road trips or flights due to the ongoing pandemic. Including that quarterly regional sales convention you have been prepping for months or that invitation to deliver a keynote at a B2B conference. So now what? How are you ever going to exhibit your impressive numbers and showcase your presenting skills?

 

Thankfully, in the ever-growing digital workplace, virtual presentations are on the rise. Consequently, with the right planning, decent internet connection, and video conferencing tools, you can deliver a high-quality, engaging presentation to the rest of the team in a virtual environment.

 

Virtual presentations, like in-person presentations, need to be meticulously designed. Small mistakes can make or break their success, particularly when you may not see your audience, which introduces another tier of challenges. Therefore, as a presenter, there are individual things that you should and should not do to deliver a seamless presentation.

 

The following are some general considerations and suggestions for running any virtual presentation and transporting live activities into a virtual setting. Note that the specific tools, features, and technological capabilities available will vary by platform.

Tip 1: Choosing a virtual platform

Social Media

Choosing the wrong platform can be the difference between having a poor presentation or a great one. As the host or organizer, you get to pick the virtual presentation platform for the event. Carefully consider the size of the audience, bandwidth limitations of other attendees, and available features.

As the visiting speaker at an external event, you probably have little to no influence in choosing the platform. However, once you are aware of the selected virtual platform, ensure that you familiarize yourself with the platform, particularly if you will be switching between slides and or screen sharing. As a host or co-host, ensure other facilitators and participants receive proper training.

Tip 2: Dynamic Presentation

During an in-person presentation, we habitually employ various vital tips and tricks to keep our audience engaged. These include using appropriate facial expressions, maintaining eye contact, and hand gestures. Similarly, in a virtual presentation, you have to maintain a dynamic presence. Otherwise, statistics have shown that a passive display is one of the quickest ways to lose audience engagement other than an overly lengthy presentation. According to a Barco ClickShare study, 72% of respondents agreed that using multimedia elements made presentations more engaging.

 

Future predictions indicate that Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology will be at the forefront of virtual presentations. Businesses have already begun leveraging augmented reality in presentations to engage their audience on an elevated level, sell their products and services more effectively, and more importantly, develop a memorable brand experience. However, for traditional slideshow presentations, endeavor to keep your slides minimal, clean & colorful; be creative and make use of multimedia (bold visuals, videos, and links) content to keep your presentation exciting and attention-seeking. The content they say is King in the virtual space.

Tip 3: Involve your audience

Another critical tip is the employment of several engagement tools to increase audience involvement, such as polls, quizzes, hands-raising, asking pertinent questions, with answers given auditorily or in the chat window.  Notwithstanding, do not use these tools for the sake of inclusion. So, if a poll is inserted, ensure that the questions match your content and relevant to the presented topic.

Tip 4: The Three S’s (Stand, Stay Still & Smile)

Standing during a virtual presentation is an often-overlooked factor, particularly during the recent pandemic that forced most businesses to shutter their physical offices and workers to work from home. You may not always possess the choice of choosing whether to sit or stand. However, if you can stand, do so, as you may be able to convey more authority, avoid many potential presentation difficulties, and make it easier for your listeners to focus on you and your ideas.

Olli_Muurainen

 

Standing also improves your breathing by ensuring that you can breathe more quickly from your diaphragm and that energy can flow smoothly through your body. Additionally, standing makes it less likely for you to lean on a table or surface, which can be regarded as unprofessional. Employ hand gestures even when you are invisible.

 

While standing, it is crucial to remain still and in front of the camera. Balance your weight equally on both legs to keep your lower body still and minimize or eliminate shifting. Should your presentation involve moving around, gesture a bit higher than usual to ensure your audience can see them. Taking care not to move outside the camera’s viewing angle, keep your gestures contained and deliberate; doing otherwise would come off as amateurish and unprofessional.

 

Smiling or, at a minimum, keeping one’s facial expression neutral yet pleasant makes for a more relatable presenter. Do a few practice runs while watching yourself present. You may notice that you frown too much and or look overly serious in concentration. So, when practicing your presentation, also work on relaxing your face and smiling at appropriate moments. Eventually, you get comfortable with the content, and in turn, feel more relaxed and come across naturally.

Tip 5: Environment

neutral & pleasant background

Humans are highly visually stimulated animals, and our brains instantaneously register color. Thus, when setting up your camera, avoid setting up in locations with a messy or distracting background, as this may inadvertently draw the attention of your viewers away from you onto objects or other happenings besides your presentation.

 

Studies have shown that our brain registers color before anything else. Given that color is a powerful communicator, it helps to know how to use it effectively during presentations. Consequently, ensure you are correctly and adequately lit from above, wear neutral-colored clothing, and avoid all-black attires. From the viewer’s perspective, black-colored clothing tends to ‘swallow’ the presenter. If you have to wear black or a dark color, consider design and texture or introduce other colors to generate interest. Summarily, when choosing an outfit, think about how it fits with your overall branding.

Tip 6: Voice Modulation

Voice modulation is one of the most formidable weapons you can possess in your virtual presenting arsenal while delivering a speech. Not only does it reflect confidence, but it also helps in compelling your audience about your opinions or ideas. Many great orators have attributed their successful command over people partly due to voice modulation.

 

Use your voice to convey that passion and energy. When your audience cannot see you, your voice is all you have to keep your audience engaged. Therefore, your voice needs to be dynamic and engaging, or you will lose people’s attention. Practice by reading a script using exaggerated emotion, volume, and intonation. If you have a wireless headset on hand, get up and move around the room as you speak; doing this simple task may help you generate the right amount of energy in your voice.

 

Practice speaking at a measured pace, not too slow and not too fast. Occasionally, pause for 2 – 3 seconds when you have made a vital or transition point. Because your audience is reliant on your speech, a stillness will not only catch their attention but also return them to you.

Tip 7: Bring in a guest speaker or co-presenter.

Introducing co-host

When possible, particularly on lengthy presentations, consider bringing in a guest speaker or co-presenter to mix things up a bit. The changes in voice and style from having two presenters can keep the presentation interesting, and the audience engaged.

Still, it would be best if you choreographed the collaboration – as only one of you should be speaking at a time. Resist the temptation to interrupt each other or talk over each other. Depending on your content material and the audience, excessive inside jokes with your co-presenter might not be a good idea, as it can make the audience feel excluded.

Tip 8: Keep it short.

Lastly, presenting in person is already in itself a challenging experience. As discussed above, when we take presentations virtual, those challenges increase exponentially. During in-person presentations, we employ hand gestures, intentional body movements, track the audience’s engagement levels, use deliberate eye contact to connect with a drifting individual or sections of the audience, and redirect their attention back to us.

 

Virtual audiences can turn you off with a mouse click or a tap on their mobile device. Thankfully, this does not mean that all hope is completely lost. It is better to create or cover less BUT engaging content in the virtual world while keeping your presentation’s overall length to 10 – 15 minutes.

“It is not your customer’s job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t have the chance to forget you.”

– Patricia Fripp (Executive Speech Coach and Sales Presentation Skills Trainer)

Final Thoughts

Paying close attention and integrating these tips will undoubtedly assist in creating an engaging virtual presentation. Virtual presentations are here to stay. They are convenient, cost-effective, and gradually becoming the preferred choice for many organizations.

 

However, it will take some time and effort to radiate a strong virtual presence for the less experienced. Highly ranked and engaging presenters have had much-structured practice and development feedback under their belt to become masters of the art. Some have undergone coaching from skilled orators and presenters. All these merged made them the excellent presenters they are.

 

As time goes on, your virtual presentation skills will get better. Your knowledge and mastery of the software and various other complementary tools will improve. You become more efficient, taking less and less time to produce engaging content.

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Supply Chain Visibility: Building Resilience Beyond COVID-19

Supply chains have always been vulnerable to disruptions, from natural disasters to geopolitical issues. But supply chains of the modern era have never faced the level of upheaval as the one brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Events like coronavirus are rare,” commented Samuel Mathew, Global Head of Documentary Trade at Standard Chartered, “but the impact of them are so much greater because the world is so interconnected.”

In these past months, the outbreak exposed the vulnerabilities of the decades-old globalization strategy of interdependent and multiple-tier sourcing, driving organizations to take a long hard look at their supply chain strategy for business continuity and growth.

 

RETHINKING SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY

 

An often cited example of supply chain disruption is the shortages faced by automotive factories due to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.

The impact of the natural disasters was not only felt by local manufacturers. International assembly facilities and automotive brands were also forced to stop or slow production due to parts shortages by lower-tier suppliers located in the affected area.

The multi-tiering supply network combined with lack of data and information created a domino effect that spanned across the world. And 9 years later, organizations are facing the same issues brought by a new threat, COVID-19, prompting business leaders to emphasize further on end-to-end supply chain visibility.

 

  • Big Data and Analytics

 

Management Events’ recent Executive Trend Survey found that 64% of supply chain executives named data science and analytics as their top investment priority for 2021.

The finding corroborates with Oxford Economics’ research study, where 86% of executives believe that supply chain visibility and flexibility can be increased by the use of big data, which some organizations have been investing heavily in.

For example, Georgia-Pacific, a manufacturer of tissue, packaging, paper and other products, is working on a data consolidation project to merge all their data while using a data analytics logistics service to estimate delivery times.

Milind Balaji, Senior Supply Chain Manager at Georgia-Pacific, disclosed that the biggest problem is knowing where the products are, and that real-time insights could help with decision-making on rerouting or storing the shipments differently in the case of unexpected events.

 

“Supply chains are increasingly becoming data-driven, and businesses that lack visibility into core supply chain functions fall behind when it comes to making informed business decisions.”

– Why End to End Supply Chain Visibility Matters in the New Normal

Quantzig

 

Data analytics also play a key part in mapping and monitoring global suppliers, allowing firms to keep track of the locations and abilities of tier suppliers and preventing single-sourcing.

General Motors has spent years mapping their supply chains, investing in analytic tools that geocode their suppliers and analyze risks associated with their multi-tier supply chain and impending crises.

This analytics approach enables General Motors to determine, within hours, the impact of a disruption to their supply chain for the days and weeks to come, giving them “lead time to execute avoidance and mitigation strategies.”

mapping the supply chain

McKinsey Global Institute seconded the strategy of mapping suppliers in their recent global supply chain report, mentioning that, “Creating a comprehensive view of the supply chain through detailed subtier mapping is a critical step to identifying hidden relationships that invite vulnerability.”

According to Fred Baumann, the Group Vice President of Global Industry Strategy at Blue Yonder, “[Big data and analytics within the supply chain] give the ability to navigate disruptions months in advance, rather than responding once they have happened. By identifying patterns in what can initially seem unrelated factors, businesses are in a better position to make immediate and effective decisions than ever before.”

 

  • Internet of Things (IoT)

 

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a game-changer in improving the visibility of every aspect of the supply chain, from shipment tracking to inventory management.

Although the primary use of IoT is still mainly on asset supervision, the emergence of the coronavirus has led business leaders to see the crucial role of IoT in real-time tracking and emergency planning.

 

  • Delivery optimization – While tracking of goods helps companies to determine the arrival and location of the products, the data collected by IoT sensors also enables businesses to identify delays and weak links in their supply chain and optimize their transportation routes for faster delivery.

 

  • Alternative routes – Additionally, IoT allows companies to make fast and data-driven route changes in case of unexpected circumstances, allowing flexible contingency planning and preventing lengthy delays.

 

  • Product monitoring – When faced with logistics disruptions, companies of old had no way to monitor the state of their products. But with IoT devices providing real-time data, companies are able to constantly monitor the conditions of their goods, especially perishable items, in their warehouses and transportation storages.

 

A prime example of IoT supply chain usage is DHL, which implemented IoT to predict market demand for cost saving and to track their trucks for increased visibility. Back in 2018, DHL launched DHL SmarTrucking in India, which leverages IoT technology for route optimization, predictive analyses, consignment tracking, and container temperature monitoring.

 

“Using a range of IoT sensor-equipped machinery throughout the supply chain means that potential problems or stumbling blocks can be flagged in real-time. Previously this would cause severe disruptive downtime. Instead, we’re seeing a systemic change in supply chain transparency and functionality.”

– Shio Muriyama, supply chain expert,

 The New Age Of IoT And The Supply Chain

 

Although global IoT spending has dropped due to the pandemic, IDC predicts that the technology will “achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% over the 2020-2024 forecast period.”

The transportation industry is also expected to achieve double-digit CAGR in IoT spending over the period while the warehouse management market is anticipated to spend more than $19 billion on IoT by 2025.

 

  • Machine Learning

 

Based on the 2020 MHI Annual Industry Report, only 12% of supply chain executives currently employ AI in their organizations, with 60% expecting to implement the technology in the next five years.

Among the AI subsets, machine learning is often mentioned as a high-benefit technology for efficient supply chain management (SCM), and is also a top focus area for CIOs.

 

“Machine learning techniques, including a combination of deep analytics, IoT, and real-time monitoring, can be used to improve supply chain visibility substantially, thus helping businesses transform customer experience and achieve faster delivery commitments.”

– Maruti Techlabs

 

Amazon, for instance, has been using machine learning for automated warehousing and drone delivery while giving its supply chain direct control over areas such as packaging, order processing, support and logistics.

Another giant with a massive product portfolio, Microsoft, employs machine learning techniques to develop a fully integrated supply chain system that captures and analyzes real-time data, and assists in risk mitigation and quick query resolutions.

Artificial intelligence

During the pandemic, customers and businesses alike were faced with uncertainties on order shipments. But companies that modeled their operations with AI handled the disruption better than their counterparts.

“When you’re dealing with a situation like this, where information is changing constantly, machine learning models are very useful,” Bill Waid, the General Manager of Decision Management with FICO, explained in an interview on AI and supply chain. “It can very quickly crunch those numbers and make very informed estimates of what the forecast patterns are looking like.”

In fact, management consulting company, West Monroe, believes that machine learning tools “may eventually make better decisions than even the best supply chain managers.”

 

  • Control Tower Technology

 

Another rising AI solution for end-to-end supply chain visibility is the control tower – a centralized hub that Gartner describes as comprising data, processes, people, organization and technology for transparency and smart decision-making.

According to IBM, the concept has been around for more than a decade, but is getting increased attention from business leaders looking to effectively manage complex and siloed supply chain systems.

 

“In these volatile times, supply chain visibility and control have never been more important. Control tower concepts and data analytics capabilities must be upgraded to meet new demand patterns, support growth opportunities, and manage greater external risks.”

– Alexander Gunde, President of Global Technology Sector at DHL,

Post-Coronavirus Supply Chain Recovery

 

While control towers help to achieve greater efficiency and agility, there are many control tower options with distinctive capabilities and key differentiators, such as uncovering hidden costs, order optimization, and logistics management.

Hence, businesses seeking to implement control tower solutions need to have a clear purpose and defined function for the technology, whether it’s supply-chain visibility, scenario planning or alerting.

Supply chain management information resource, SupplyChainBrain, stated that, “Too often organizations aren’t clear on the scope of the control tower solution, the key functions that are included, and the span of control for the particular solution. That’s why control towers often fall short of expectations and benefits realization.”

The IBM Sterling Inventory Control Tower, for example, focuses on inventory management and provides a single almost real-time view of an organization’s inventory, including product availability, shortages, supply-demand imbalances, and supplier orders. The solution enables inventory visibility across the supply chain while identifying external impacts for faster response and better customer experience.

 

visibility into the supply chain

 

As control towers vary in definition and capability, supply chain leaders need to ascertain the right time for them to invest in the technology.

Christian Titze, the Research Vice President at Gartner, advises that, “A control tower only makes sense when the supply chain organization already has a certain degree of cross-functional integration in place — internally and with business partners. Otherwise, the tower won’t be able to observe enough signals to support accurate decision-making.”

 

ACHIEVING SUPPLY CHAIN GOALS

 

The development of data, IoT, machine learning and control tower in supply chain management substantially enhances an organization’s visibility into each stage of their product journey, enabling them to make adjustments to routes and inventories when necessary.

However, advanced technologies can only do so much. To achieve an effective and responsive supply chain, companies need to start with the problem statement.

“Ask yourself,” Anne Johnston Weaver, Global Supply Chain Intelligence Platform Leader at EY, said in an article on real-time supply chain visibility, “What problems are you trying to solve, and how does solving this problem help achieve your business goals?”

At the moment, there’s a significant gap between the need for visibility and the actual visibility of supply chains. But companies that take the effort to address and gain transparency will not just see cost savings, risk reductions and overall efficiency in their supply chain management – they will also be in an advantageous position to thrive in the markets of today and tomorrow.

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Dany De Budt: Smarter & Simplified Digital Transformation

The virus outbreak has pushed many companies to hasten the digitalization of their processes, especially with their back-office functions.

Facing challenges such as manual processes, paper-reliant procedures and limited operations visibility, C-suites are quickly realizing that their systems are in dire need of a digital overhaul.

Dany De Budt, Country Manager of the Benelux for Basware, shares how digitalization solutions help companies maintain continuous cash flow and business continuity even through the worst of times.

A SNIPPET OF BASWARE

A provider of cloud-based purchase-to-pay and e-invoicing software, Basware has helped to simplify invoicing and streamline procurement processes for clients in over 50 countries.

Offering services such as e-Procurement, AP automation and analytics, Basware’s solutions have been widely recognized by Gartner, IDC, Forrester Research and more.