In workplaces around the world, the digital revolution is well underway.

In most workplaces, that is – as we explored in an earlier post, many organisations are still hesitant to embrace change. Instead, they’re opting to hold onto hard copies, jot down notes, and share information ‘the good old-fashioned way’ rather than work with digital files or foreign concepts like the cloud.

Given it’s easier than ever to go digital, what’s stopping so many from making the switch?

Outdated systems are struggling

Digital is increasingly seen as the smarter choice: the cost, efficiency, and productivity benefits can be astronomical. Yet even with the evidence mounting, it’s still difficult to convince some organisations to make the change.

Why? It’s complex. Some are stuck in their ways, while others have been left largely misinformed. If you’ve kept up with the headlines in recent years, it’s easy to see why. News of data breaches, cyber security risks, and costly technology is enough to keep anyone clinging to the familiar.

The issue with this approach is comparatively simple: analog and, in turn, paper was never designed to deal with the stresses of the modern era. Consider for a moment the sheer amount of information that passes through your workplace on any given day. The edits. The revisions. The last-minute changes and updates.

Modern organisations need to be agile, but analog is anything but.

These decades-old processes are starting to buckle under the pressure, in the same way desks creak under the weight of all of those documents. Whether you’re an accounting firm sending sensitive information, an enterprise trying to manage its board meetings, or a small business trying to get up-to-date marketing material to your sales team, familiarity comes at a cost.

Inaction can prove costly

Many organisations these days find themselves stuck in limbo.

On the one hand, it’s clear that the costs associated with analog are simply unsustainable. On the other? Digital solutions have historically proven difficult to implement, hard to use, and costly to maintain.

So organisations are stuck, at times even confused. Change is difficult. Ted Schadler, VP at Forrester said as much just last year when the team surveyed businesses and IT decision-makers across Europe and North America:

“That it’s taking so long is just an indication of just how hard it is for companies to change how they operate. But hard <> impossible, and we think companies could exert a little more willpower using technology to do a better job for customers.”

Walking this fine line can prove tricky, as half-measures often put businesses, organisations, and enterprises at greater risk. The spot where old meets new – where outdated processes are met with ineffective, stop-gap digital solutions – is often costly, and non-secure.

Thankfully, alleviating these issues is simple if you know how.

These 6 tips make it easy to transform the way you deal with documents, digitally

Transitioning away from a reliance on analog processes and shaky digital solutions can be a boon for business. It’s also never been easier! With the right solution, you can seamlessly transition to a system that allows you to embrace the security, productivity, and workflow of a cloud-based environment.

1. Audit processes, data, and documents

How are documents currently shared, stored, or kept secure within your organisation?

…or not, as the case may be?

Assessing internal policies and procedures around the creation, storage, and sharing of documents is a critical first step in determining both the size and scale of the task at hand, as well as how best to kick-start the transition to a wholly digital working environment.

2. Bring employees up to speed

Analog processes become well-entrenched over time, so you’ll need to account for lead time for training and bringing employees up to speed, as well as equipping them with compliant laptops, phones, and tablets.

With the right solution, the process can be completed with minimal training or downtime.

3. Get clients on-board

Depending on the sector, clients may or may not be hesitant to transition to a digital environment.

Clients within the legal or financial sector, for example, may hold reservations about compliance and security issues. You would see a similar trend around Boards and board management software. However it’s important to highlight that going digital actually alleviates these issues, providing much greater control, visibility, and security.

4. Start digitally signing documents

Fewer people carry a pen these days, yet many businesses & boards still require physical signatures for the likes of NDAs. While it may be a small step, cutting out the need to send, print, scan, and then return signed documents as part of a paper-driven process can save a lot of time. Board management platforms often include a e-signature feature.

5. Maximise the use of templates

Transitioning to a digital environment can take time, but the ability to create, edit, and re-use digital templates that can then be shared and customised on the fly saves time and countless photocopies.

6. Reduce the reliance on paper

Old habits die hard, so removing the ability to fall back on familiar habits by limiting access to analog-based processes is an easy way to encourage the use of digital documents, instead.

With a cloud-based solution, the transition is seamless

Software has become a mainstay in the business world. Mobile Apps are used for stock-take in stores, for example, while accountants rely on the likes of Xero and other software in order to make their lives easier. So…why not documents, too?

Lengthy set-up processes, costly pricing structures, and the need for a million and one different software packages for each individual task has, up until recently, made the switch an arduous process.

This is why Stellar has always been a massive proponent of cloud-based, all-in-one platforms that act as a central hub for each and every part of the process.

There’s no need for a range of standalone software packages, each with their own quirks and training requirements. Instead, you can rely on just the one, simple solution that’s accessible anywhere, any time, on any device.

Whether you need to deliver sensitive data to sales people out on the road, share and set the agenda for a board meeting through the board management platform functionalities, or collaborate with other staff, a cloud-based solution cuts the costs – and the downtime – of dealing with analog processes while making it easy to create, store, and share, securely!

Related Articles:

• Concerned about data breaches? You don’t have to be with these tips for keeping documents safe.
• Natural disasters put your data and documents at risk. Find out how you should be preparing for the inevitable.

The post Digital Transformation: 6 Tips for entering the digital era, today appeared first on StellarLibrary.

It’s amazing just how quickly ‘the new normal’ has become…well, normal.

Go back twelve months and ask any industry expert for their insights headed into the year, and it’s unlikely any of them could have predicted this. Sure, working remotely is nothing new. It’s been growing in popularity for years. Yet even we couldn’t have seen this kind of monumental, rapid change coming.

As we’ve discussed in recent months, the shift in how the world works has changed the way we all work. Organisations, enterprises, and board rooms have had to adapt to remote working on short notice. Digital solutions are now the norm. Cybersecurity risks are on the rise, as are data breaches as a result.

It’s a tough world out there at the moment…

…but it’s what’s happening within the four walls most of us find ourselves working within that may be putting your organisation, its data, and its documents most at risk.

The security risks are coming from inside the house

A rushed response has left massive security gaps in organisations across the globe.

As Charlie Osborne reported over at ZDNet in her article “Working from home causes surge in security breaches, staff ‘oblivious’ to best practices” published in late August, a recent report from Malwarebytes highlights just how much of a security issue working remotely has become:

“…since the start of the pandemic, remote workers have caused a security breach in 20% of organizations.”

That’s not all. Malwarebytes also found that 24% of organisations have had to pay unexpected costs to address cybersecurity breaches or malware infections, while 5% stated that their staff were “oblivious” to best security practices.

Cybersecurity may conjure images of dimly lit rooms, nefarious websites, and shady individuals hacking network mainframes with not one but two keyboards, but the reality is much simpler: one of today’s biggest threats to your organization’s cybersecurity is…you and your home working environment.

In the last few months alone, basic human errors and preventable mistakes have led to data breaches that have made international headlines. Australia’s iTNews recently reported that “Tens of thousands of scanned NSW driver’s licenses and completed tolling notice statutory declarations were left exposed on an open Amazon Web Services storage instance…“.

Elsewhere, The Guardian highlights a hack of Service NSW that “…led to the theft of more than 500,000 documents containing personal information relating to 186,000 people…” could have been prevented by simply enabling multi-factor authentication.

The question is, how do you avoid becoming the next headline?

Securing your remote working environments is as simple as…

The new normal is the new normal for a reason: it isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

As the dust begins to settle on a year we’d all likely rather forget, it’s vital that your organisation takes action to ensure it’s able to operate securely in this new environment now and into the future. Here’s how:

• Review your organisation’s data protection, security plan, and remote working policies to ensure they’re up-to-date and relevant for today’s environment.
• Secure home and / or remote WiFi networks with strong passwords and ensure the network isn’t being shared by other devices or users.
• Avoid sending sensitive information or data to private or personal email accounts, computers, or devices as they tend to be far less secure.
• Where possible, only use work-issued devices that have been prepared by your IT team.
• Ensure staff are up-to-speed with the latest security threats such as phishing scams or malware.
• Limit employees’ remote access to only the data they need to carry out their jobs, which is simply to do with management and distribution software such as Stellar.

The post Working Remotely: How To Secure The Work-From-Home Environment appeared first on StellarLibrary.

As COVID-19 case numbers continue to surge in countries across the globe, recent reports suggest the business world is seeing a similarly sharp rise in the number of data breaches, hacks, and cyber attacks.

A recent study conducted by Atlasvpn found that large-scale data breaches increased by a massive 273% between January and March this year when compared with the same period last year. Over 8.4 billion documents were leaked over the course of just three months.

The problem is, that number is still rising.

Confusion leads to cybersecurity chaos

Looking back, it’s easy to see why.

Cybercriminals have capitalized on the ensuing chaos caused by the emergence of COVID-19, and the resulting – and sudden – shift to the largely uncharted territory of mass remote working initiatives.

More people than ever before are working remotely. In many cases they’re also operating in an unsecured home environment, over a public network, using personal devices and consumer grade software solutions that may not boast the security required to keep data safe.

Where security experts see the countless flaws in this setup, cyber criminals see opportunities.

It just so happens many New Zealand organisations just…don’t see a problem.

Complacency is a (data) killer

Confusion may have sparked this cybersecurity fire, but it’s complacency that’s fueling it.

Only 22% of Kiwis are worried about a security breach while working remotely. That’s according to new research just released by Unisys. Statistics like these are great news opportunistic cyber attackers, hackers, and unscrupulous third parties.

It’s complacency that has resulted in such a staggering increase in cyber attacks in the wake of COVID-19. VMware reports Ransomware attacks are up 90%. Destructive attacks, up 102%. Island Hopping? Up 33%.

Boards. Businesses. Nonprofits. Even the Healthcare industry isn’t immune. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reported a 50% increase in data breaches between February and May. Meanwhile the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports a five-fold increase in cyber attacks.

Related Articles:

• Equip your team to face the challenges of a fast-changing world. Find out how.
• Keep your sales and marketing teams on the same page. It’s easy with these tips.

Cyber attacks are nothing new. Neither is working remotely. We should know! As a collaborative platform provider from one of the remotest corners of the globe we’ve been helping organisations connect, collaborate, and distribute across the world for years.

What is new is the sheer volume of people from CEOs and CIOs through to secretaries and staff who now find themselves working remotely on short notice. Including many who up until recently may have still laughed off the idea of ever going digital. Such is the appeal of paper, it seems!

The result is cybersecurity chaos. Security shortcuts. Off-the-shelf software solutions. Unsecure network connections. In the past a personal data breach may have been limited to someone losing access to their Facebook account or files in a corrupted folder.

It’s a scarier proposition when you consider they’re now using these devices to access confidential data, information, and documents. It’s putting your organisation’s data and its long-term survivability at risk.

Secure your organisation’s future, simply

If you’re yet to take stock of remote working setups, now’s the time to do so.

Data breaches can prove costly. Shannon Williams from bizEDGE writes that:

“Using a conservative downtime cost of US$10,000 a day, it is estimated that ransomware attacks have cost New Zealand organisations US$25.9m this year.”

Staying secure in this uncertain era involves new policies, procedures, and secure digital solutions. Now is the perfect time to take a deep breath and take stock of your organisation’s setup to ensure you’re taking a methodical approach that puts security first.

Review procedures around personal devices, keep staff up-to-date on the latest security threats, and consider switching to a secure platform that allows teams to create, collaborate, and share documents while administrators retain control and visibility to ensure peace of mind in these uncertain times.

The post Data Breaches Soar 273% In The Wake Of COVID-19. Here’s How To Stay Secure appeared first on StellarLibrary.

If there was ever any lingering doubt…

…this year has highlighted that the idea of a ‘typical’ workplace is well and truly a thing of the past. 42% of the United State’s labour force is now working from home. 49% of UK employees say they’ve worked remotely in the last 7 days. While 89% of Kiwis suggest they’d like to keep it that way.

This sudden, monumental shift in the way things are done hasn’t been without its challenges. It now rests with CEOs, CIOs, and management teams to lead the way in facilitating change if organisations have any hope of continuing to operate in this new, digitally-reliant environment.

The trouble is, it’s often easier said than done.

Are your staff keeping pace with a changing world?

The way we do things is always changing.

Yet the pace at which things have changed in recent months took many by surprise.

While change may be perpetual, few organisations were equipped to embrace it. Why? Some have dragged their heels. Others have been resistant to change. This comes despite the fact that digital transformation has continued to rank high on the list of management priorities in leading surveys for years.

Whatever the reason, legacy systems, outdated technology, and old workplace practices now stand in the way of change. Managing an increasingly disconnected, global workforce in an increasingly digital, connected world without the right tools is an impossible challenge.

Holistic workforce management is only possible when everyone is moving in the same direction, which is difficult when you lack visibility, control, and effective communication across your teams.

Organisations now risk stagnation and a disengaged workforce that will inevitably snowball into decreased productivity, high staff turnover, and a loss in business turnover at a time when most are already staring down the potential for an economic downturn.

Transformational change doesn’t need to be costly

Effective workforce transformation sits at the heart of what’s required for organisations and businesses of all shapes and sizes – from corporations and enterprises to SMEs and nonprofits – to find long-term success and survivability in this new era.

Equipping your teams with the training and tools they require to do their jobs effectively encourages engagement, boosts morale, and shows them a future for growth while your organisation benefits from the productivity, operational efficiencies, and cost savings of a connected, engaged workforce.

There are a few key components that make this kind of change possible:

• The leading barrier to the adoption of new technology is fear and uncertainty, so facilitate change with sufficient training and resources for all of your staff.
• Staff members can’t face the challenges of tomorrow with the tools of yesterday, so ensure they’re equipped with the right technology and software solutions including laptops, mobiles, or tablets.
• A digitally connected workforce isn’t automatically a well-informed one, so keep your teams on the same page by facilitating effective communication.
• A shift in operating environments and an uptick in remote working has seen an increase in potential cybersecurity threats which could halt transformation in its tracks, so keep your staff informed.
• Consider the potential for increased flexibility in working requirements if team members are keen to continue to work remotely or from home whether full or part-time.
• Facilitate effective workforce transformation with the visibility and clarity you require to do so with a cost-effective management platform that provides instant access to all communications, actions, and outcomes no matter where staff are working.

The post Workforce Transformation: Equipping Your Team For The New Era appeared first on StellarLibrary.

As if things weren’t already difficult enough, cyberattacks are on the rise.

In today’s strange new world, the home office has become the new work office. With a recent Gallup poll showing 62% of Americans working from home during the crisis – a number that doubled since mid-March – the change has been rapid, and not without its challenges.

Board members, staff, and employees the world over are now connecting to corporate and enterprise infrastructure via home devices, on home networks, in a home environment. The fallout has left organisations scrambling to secure these new remote working setups while ensuring business continuity.

Where security teams see vulnerabilities, cyber criminals see opportunities.

46% of businesses have suffered a cybersecurity incident during COVID-19

A recent study by IT security firm Barracuda Networks found 46% of respondents had experienced at least one security incident since the COVID-19 lockdown began, while 49% anticipated a data breach or similar cybersecurity incident within the next month.

Cybercriminals are keenly aware that cracks are emerging from the pressure, and they’re taking advantage of them. Take something as simple as a phishing email, for example. Stressed staff are far less likely to double check the ‘From:’ field on an email before opening it, inspect a link before clicking on it, or question an email attachment before opening it.

Identifying and rectifying these issues doesn’t just fall to staff. In many cases, security issues have been exacerbated by the shift to convenient, band-aid fixes that bypass policies and procedures put in place to keep data, documents, and sensitive information safe.

You may still be operating, but at what cost to your sensitive information and data?

Work from home’s most pressing security threats

You don’t need to be yet another cybersecurity statistic.

Knowledge is power, so here are some of the most pressing threats you need to know about:

• Sophisticated phishing email scams related to COVID-19 providing fake business updates from the CDC and World Health Organisation (WHO), offers of free vaccinations, as well as donation scams.
• Fake Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet invite emails containing links that instead download malware to the user’s device, which is then able to access sensitive data and documents.
• Attackers targeting inherent security flaws in personal devices and networks used in a home working environment including mobiles, tablets, and laptops which may already be affected by malware or viruses.
• Staff using personal email addresses, messenger apps, and personal cloud storage accounts like Dropbox or Google Drive because it’s ‘easier’ and ‘quicker’.

Regain clarity and control across your remote-working environment

This new normal is known as the ‘new normal’ for a reason: it isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

Recent increases in cybersecurity incidents are a clear sign that organisations like yours desperately require a long-term solution that will allow you to secure your new remote working setup while ensuring business continuity.

Achieving this clarity, control, and security is as easy if you:

• Educate staff on the warning signs of potential threats including phishing scams and malware.
• Only use trusted WiFi networks, and enable two-factor authentication on applicable accounts.
• Ask that staff use unique passwords for any new digital work accounts so they’re not shared with personal accounts that may be more susceptible to a breach such as social media.
• Limit the use of personal devices where possible, and instead supply staff with dedicated work devices that have been properly secured.
• Ensure software and firmware updates are installed to avoid known security flaws, and that anti-virus software, firewalls, and virtual private networks (VPNs) are set up as and where required.
• Transition to a comprehensive, secure business platform such as Stellar. Stellar’s unique advanced encryption technology combats modern day security risks, so staff are able to securely access important documents, data, and information no matter where they are or the device they’re using.

The post Cybersecurity & Remote Working: Tackling 2020’s Emerging Security Risks appeared first on StellarLibrary.

Few working relationships are as closely tied as sales and marketing.

Whether back at the office, on the shop floor, or giving a presentation to a prospective client two cities over, sales and marketing teams rely on one another to achieve success. They’re agile. They’re reactive. They’re also able to make adjustments on the fly with access to the latest facts, figures, and data…

…or, so they should. Achieving effective communication between your teams and clarity across materials is difficult on any given day. Throw in a global pandemic, a shift in operations, and the pressure of survivability relying on meeting sales goals, and it’s little wonder staying on the same page is tough.

Clarity? It isn’t always guaranteed

In a perfect world, your marketing and sales teams would operate in perfect harmony.

If you’ve been around as long as we have, you’ll know reality is rarely so kind. Most modern organisations, enterprises, nonprofits, and even boards are a mess of moving pieces. The more pieces in play, the more likely they are to come tumbling down at the slightest hiccup. The flow-on effect can be devastating.

The relationship between sales and marketing is cyclical. It’s an important yet fragile relationship. Marketing teams invest time and money developing the message, but it isn’t created in a vacuum.

Sales teams and their first-hand experience inform these decisions. How effective is the material when delivered to potential clients? What about their reactions to pricing, or packages?

Sales teams are just as reliant on marketing, requiring instant access to the most up-to-date material, pricing, and presentations in order to do their jobs effectively. It’s a difficult thing to do when emails are left sitting unread in inboxes, important updates go missing, or outdated material persists on devices lacking vital updates that should have been pushed out company-wide.

Long-term survivability relies on effective sales and marketing

Making and closing sales is a tough gig. It involves putting your best foot forward. If your teams can’t tell their left from right or, in this case, their latest version from an outdated draft, then you’re setting them up for failure. It’s as simple as that.

As we’ve explored in the past, breakdowns in visibility and communication aren’t uncommon. They can happen anywhere, at any time. Yet it’s often during times of crisis that these issues are thrown into stark relief, affecting visibility and robbing your organisation of control when it needs it the most.

How are you meant to operate with confidence if you can’t be sure whether sales teams have access to the latest messaging and material? Or that your marketing team is making informed decisions without the latest facts or figures?

Now more than ever, effective management of your teams is vital to long-term survival.

Managing your teams, made easy

We’ve learned a lot over the years in managing our own teams here at Stellar. Our greatest successes have always come about when we’ve been able to combine the right people with the right technology in order to ensure they have the clarity, control, and visibility to do their jobs effectively.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

• Increase visibility and communication through regular catch-ups, scheduled meetings, and follow-ups. If something isn’t clear? Ask!
• Clearly label updated revisions so that it’s easy to see at a glance which version is the most current.
• Regularly “clear house” to ensure outdated documents, information, and marketing material is removed from repositories to avoid any potential for confusion.
• Avoid splitting communications across multiple, haphazard distribution channels like Dropbox, email, and physical paper copies. The more channels you use, the more likely it is that something will be missed or forgotten.
• Consolidate your information, instructions, and resources into one easy-to-manage business platform to ensure instant, secure access to everything your teams need no matter where they are or what device they’re using.

The post Keeping Sales & Marketing Teams On The Same Page appeared first on StellarLibrary.

Stellar has been proudly flying the New Zealand flag in the wake of recent global events, as it supports organisations in their efforts to operate normally in an abnormal world. The company has been able to provide this certainty via its secure business platforms which enable boards, managers, and other businesses to quickly and easily transition to a remote working environment. Communications and information are available at the touch of a button via Stellar anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Since its inception in 2011, Stellar has always been a Kiwi company. Every design. Every button. Every line of code. It’s born, bred, and kept right here in New Zealand. That’s why today’s announcement really is about more than just a logo. It’s a sign of Stellar’s continued commitment to supporting New Zealand businesses and in turn their ability to support New Zealanders now and into the future.

About Stellar

Stellar is a secure, intuitive cloud-based information management and distribution platform. Simply and securely access important documents, files, material, and more with complete control over user access and privileges. Gain complete control and visibility across all mission-critical material with instant access anytime, anywhere, on any device with Stellar. It’s ideal for boards, management teams, and more.

To learn more about Stellar please visit: https://stellarlibrary.com/why-stellar/ 

The post Stellar Announces ‘New Zealand Made’ Certification As It Continues To Help Kiwi Businesses Operate In The New Era appeared first on StellarLibrary.

Staff around the world suddenly find themselves scattered to all corners.

Boards, enterprises, and other organisations have continued to push on at a rapid pace over the last few weeks, forced to embrace – and adapt to – a new, remote working environment in light of recent events.

As your organisation begins to catch its breath, you may be surprised to find just how many of the small things you start to miss. The chatter? Discussions around the water cooler (or coffee machine)? The sights and sounds of familiar, friendly faces?

Small changes like these speak to a larger issue that’s emerging from this crisis: how do you maintain communication and nurture staff culture – securely – all while ensuring vital information isn’t left sitting unseen in email inboxes?

It’s a question that will require an answer in the coming days and weeks.

Breakdowns in communication may prove catastrophic

Clear communication has never been more crucial than it is now, in this moment.

Whether you’re managing tens, hundreds, or even thousands of staff, you need to be able to retain clarity across mission critical tasks. If not? Vital documents, information, and tasks will remain un-actioned and your organisation will stagnate when it needs to be moving forward.

It’s not as if you’re left wanting for options. In fact, there are almost too many digital solutions available to the prospective CEO, Board Member or, more likely, member of the tech team left to find the fastest, most effective way to keep everyone in touch.

The trouble is, choosing the right digital solution that will see you through is, if you’ll pardon the old adage, akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Not only does it need to help you keep in touch, it also needs to keep vital information safe.

If your solution isn’t secure, you’re simply solving one problem by creating another.

Now is not the time to let security slip

Speed is of the essence as the world changes, and fast.

But in your haste to embrace a new normal, it’s important to keep security in mind.

Many of today’s common third-party communication channels are popular for a reason: they’re quick to set up and easy to use. Yet it’s still vitally important that you don’t trade ease of use for your organisation’s security.

In the days and weeks following this worldwide shift, major experts and outlets have started to raise concerns around the increasing number of security flaws present in many popular third-party solutions.

To retain clarity, communication, and security, you need a comprehensive solution.

Simple habits, strong results

This change in environment requires a shift in thinking.

Retaining visibility across your organisation while maintaining effective communication is easy with the right combination of secure software and sensible, simple changes to your habits.

In order to communicate effectively and stay connected, consider some of the following tips:

1. Encourage ongoing communication with a simple, secure tool that’s accessible by members of your team anytime, anywhere, irrespective of the device they’re using.
2. Establish a regular schedule for meetings, catch-up calls, and check-ins with members of staff.
3. Key calls, events, or mission-critical tasks can easily slip when you’re operating in a more relaxed home environment, so set timely reminders to ensure everyone is up-to-date.
4. Provide additional channels for relaxed, general conversation in order to promote staff culture and keep members in touch.
5. Avoid relying on social media or insecure third-party apps and instead encourage the use of secure, comprehensive solutions that allow for remote communication and collaboration.

Increasing communication, clarity, and accountability is simple with Stellar

Stellar makes it easy to maintain business as usual in an unusual world.

Our securely encrypted business platforms deliver instant access anytime, anywhere, on any device. Plus, they’re easy to learn and simple to use. We offer an efficient, functional, and cost-effective solution to communications, distribution, and engagement.

If you would like to see how Stellar can support you, please contact us today to learn more.

The post Increasing Visibility & Communication In Times Of Crisis appeared first on StellarLibrary.

In the space of a few weeks, the world feels as though it’s shifted on its axis.

The business world has followed suit, leaving boards, management, and staff shocked and reeling at the pace of change. In light of recent events, there’s been a paradigm shift in the way the world does business.

Understandably, this change is presenting challenges. The world now demands distance, space, and the ability to work remotely in order to keep people safe. Organisations are being implored to do their part to flatten the curve.

But what if you’re not set up to deal with a situation like this?

The truth is, few are.

The analog age is well and truly over

This change is impacting businesses large and small, but it’s having a disproportionate effect on those who’ve resisted moving to a digital environment in the past. Without a Cloud-based solution to fall back on, many businesses are teetering on the edge.

If you’ve operated in a largely analog environment up till now, the hurdles likely feel insurmountable. How do you keep your distance, keep staff safe, and keep your business running? How do you prepare documents? Collaborate on proposals? Review contracts?

The how and when of what comes next is a pressing question – and it’s one we’ll be helping you answer here on the Blog in the coming days, weeks, and months – but for now survival hinges on sorting what’s needed from what’s nice to have.

At this moment in time, you need a solution that will see you through, otherwise…

The window of opportunity is closing, fast

The worldwide shakeup is impacting businesses on a level we haven’t seen since the great depression. Those that are unable to make the transition to a digital environment within a timely manner are going to struggle to stay open.

We know that organisations are determined to keep moving, so any substantial downtime can be debilitating. The question for years has been ‘Analog, or digital?’. Nowadays, it’s a matter of ‘Do you want to stay in business, or not?’.

The answer is as simple as the solution.

Change is scary, but it can be simple

Digital is no longer a maybe, it’s a must.

Here at Stellar, we’ve been able to lean on the systems we’ve been developing for years in light of recent events, which has enabled us to stay on board, adjust, engage, and continue with business as usual as best we can in this unusual world.

It’s something we can’t not share with the businesses we know are affected. Sometimes the perfect tool for the job is invented long before it’s needed, and while we can’t say we saw this coming – few did – we can say it’s been the key to keeping our business moving.

With the right platform, you’ll be able to seize this moment to move board members, executives, and staff over to a digital, cloud-based working environment. It’s easy to set up and easier to use, so everyone can collaborate while maintaining a degree of separation, control, and momentum.

We know things are changing by the day, so the window of opportunity to ensure your business is prepared for what’s to come is closing fast. Digital is your key to operating with certainty today, while being responsive enough to adapt to the uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring.

Either way, we’re here for you.

Find out more

Adapting to these challenging times is simple with Stellar.

Our securely encrypted business platforms deliver instant access anytime, anywhere, on any device. Plus, they’re easy to learn and simple to use. We offer an efficient, functional, and cost-effective solution to communications, distribution, and engagement.

If you would like to see how Stellar can support you, please contact us today to learn more.

The post Digital Is Key To Your Organisation’s Survival In A Changing World appeared first on StellarLibrary.

Like many of you, we here at Stellar have been closely monitoring news of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In the wake of the virus and its rapid spread across the globe, we’re conscious that these are sensitive times for many. We also acknowledge that a caring response is required in the face of such an event, with the way people and organisations usually operate being turned on its head in a matter of weeks.

Being able to adapt and respond in kind is key to business continuity in these challenging times. So with the work environment changing by the day, how prepared are you to run your business remotely?

IT departments are under pressure

Following the Coronavirus outbreak, governments and leading health officials are encouraging social distancing, self-isolation, and working from home as the most effective methods for limiting the spread of the virus.

The message is clear: don’t come into work.

Industry leaders are already being applauded for taking this advice to heart, encouraging staff to work from home. It’s the safest way to continue operating while ensuring staff are kept safe. Many also no longer have a choice. Travel restrictions introduced across most major countries have left many high-ranking team members stranded for an indeterminate amount of time.

So, what happens now?

Many organisations, boards, and small-to-medium sized businesses now find themselves under pressure to rapidly transition to a digital working environment. Secure, remote collaboration is what is required at the moment. The issue is, most lack the infrastructure to simply flick a switch on such short notice, especially if they’ve resisted the digital transition in recent years.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s no way to facilitate business moving forward without embracing a digital response to this physical crisis. The issue then becomes, what is the quickest, easiest, most effective way to solve this problem?

Too much choice, too much downtime

Uncertainty weighs heavy over much of the business world at the moment. How long will this last? What will the long-lasting impacts be? Looking at the short-term, the question has to be: how do we keep businesses running in order to ensure staff can keep a roof over their heads and food on the table?

It’s events like this that truly test the strength of an organisation’s digital infrastructure. Many workplaces rely on digital services for some day-to-day tasks, but transitioning to a wholly remote workplace across organisations with hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of members?

It’s a tough ask.

Especially in such a short time-frame.

Minimising downtime is key, as is ensuring people – as well as documents, files, and devices – are safe and secure. However, with the amount of options available and the disparity between equipment, old mobile devices, outdated laptops, and incompatible software versions, it’s an additional headache that no one needs at a moment like this.

What businesses do need is a solution that’s simple, straightforward, and can be set up in seconds.

Adapt quickly, work remotely, and stay safe

It’s often said that most meetings could just be emails.

With the right digital tool-set, it turns out that’s actually true.

With the level of uncertainty in the world at the moment, it’s clear that ignoring digital solutions is no longer an option. For businesses to continue for the foreseeable future, they need to embrace technology that allows for secure, remote collaboration.

It’s really that simple.

At least, it can be with the right solution.

At Stellar, we’ve been able to stay connected, active and engaged, with the ability to maintain isolation and visibility any time, anywhere, on any device thanks to our secure, cloud-based business collaboration platform.

We’ve been developing our product for a number of years now, so that boards and businesses can stay connected, secure, and collaborate quickly and easily. We’re proud to be able to offer a platform that provides quick uptake, a fast learning curve, and robust functionality that ensures you’re able to achieve continuity and keep things moving in these uncertain times.

We’re here to help.

Find out more

Adapting to these challenging times is simple with Stellar. Our secure, collaborative platform is intuitive, secure, and offers instant access anytime, anywhere, on any device. If you would like to see how Stellar can support you, please contact us today to learn more.

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