Author Archives: Incloud Solutions

Worried About Cloud Security? Your Top 5 Questions Answered.

The huge benefits of moving your business to the cloud are often overshadowed by one big question. What about security? It’s a question In Cloud Solutions Sales Executive Greg Lynch comes across all the time as he speaks to business owners about their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) needs. That’s why we’ve asked him to talk us through the answers to his Top 5 Questions on cloud security.

1. How Secure is the Cloud?

This is one of the most common objections I am faced with daily and given that many of the people I talk to don’t have the luxury of a dedicated IT team, I completely understand the scepticism that surrounds investment into a cloud based product. Add to that all the bad press that “the cloud” has received with news stories about hacked celebrity photos etc. it is hardly surprising.

The first thing to remember, is that you are investing in a Private Cloud – this is not publicly shared like Apple photo storage; this means that the only parties with access are you the client and the supplier hosting your data – in our case SAP.

When your information is moved onto the cloud it is encrypted and sent securely to SAP where it is unlocked with a unique encryption key for storage. You and your authorised users can then access it at any time. But at no point is there any unscrambled data out there to be intercepted.

2. Where is my data stored – how secure are the premises?

When you move your data to the cloud, instead of living on a hard drive in the office, it is stored on servers in a secure warehouse – usually in Germany. SAP know how important security is to you and that is why they spend 500 million Euros a year on data security. The physical premises are protected by patrols and video cameras and there is power back up should anything go down. The data itself is monitored 24/7 by SAP Staff and any irregularities are instantaneously investigated.

As well as physical there is virtual security which includes penetration testing, 24/7 monitoring, security guards, encryption services, firewalls etc.

Take the virtual tour of a data centre run by SAP right here and see for yourself!

And this piece here explains how we protect against everything from fire and natural disasters to hackers.

3. What guarantees do I have on data protection?

Your data is one of your company’s biggest assets so you will be re-assured to know that our access to your data is severely restricted. SAP only has access in its most basic form as bundles of data packages – this allows them to create back-ups in case of loss.

Access to data with regards to service support requires permission from you the customer.

In addition you have the protection of some extremely tough European Laws to ensure that SAP keeps your data safe. All our client’s data is stored in Europe and therefore subject to EU law.

Specifically SAP has been awarded a certificate to show it is fully compliant with ISO 27001 the official gold standard for Information Security Management set by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which governs the security of information and network systems.

When you are comparing ERP systems do feel free to quiz the pre-sales team on all aspects of data security. For example some companies may store data in the USA where the law is different. There your data may be subject to the US Patriot act which allows the US government to confiscate any data from a suspected party, in order to assist in a federal investigation.

My advice is to make sure your data is hosted on European soil. The laws are in place to protect sensitive data, and those hosting have to comply.

4. What happens if my data is compromised?

This is what I like to call the crunch question – as a sales professional, it is my responsibility to inform the customer before they ask. And as a certified consultant, I should let you know that my competitors ought to be doing the same.

Agreements vary from supplier to supplier and from product to product, so it is essential that you spend time on this.

Think of your investment in the private cloud as an insurance policy; you are trusting a supplier to host your data, and as a consequence, they are liable to compensate you in the event of data loss. This ranges from disaster recovery through to monetary compensation – all off which will be detailed in your contractual agreement.

With SAP Business ByDesign, which is the main product offered by In Cloud Solutions at present you get;

24 X 7 customer support
Continuous system monitoring
State of the art hosting environment
Future solution releases
Application management services
Back-up & data recovery services
Regular Upgrades

Compared to an on premise system this level of care will be saving you a great deal of time and money should anything go wrong. A team of disaster recovery professionals don’t come cheap. By choosing cloud hosting you are putting valuable insurance in place.

5. What Can I Do To Ensure My Own Security?

Despite the guarantees we offer you there will always be some straightforward security measures you should take yourself. 60% of data breaches occur because of loose security internally.

So make sure you have a strong internal policy and high levels of compliance on things such as passwords, restricting access to sensitive information and terminating access to departing employees.

An ERP solution, be it cloud based or not, is a very good way to restrict access to key business processes and therefore delicate and sensitive information. It encloses key business functions whilst allowing ultimate transparency to super users (C-Level and management)

Here are some other things you can do;

• Select a Cloud ERP that is hosted in the EU

• Select a cloud ERP that is private (you are renting your own private space).

• Check the contractual obligations

• If you have a query raise a service request as well as calling your channel partner.

I hope we have been able to answer some of your key concerns around security in the cloud.

Here are some useful articles about how to take steps to protect yourself and inform yourself about current issues around security.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at In Cloud Solutions if you would like to find out more about ERP systems in general or Business ByDesign from SAP.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240150551/Business-underestimates-internal-IT-security-threat-study-shows

http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Proposed-EU-Data-Protection-Regulation-what-should-companies-be-thinking-about

http://www.microscope.co.uk/news/2240155703/SMEs-recognising-need-to-encrypt-sensitive-data

Are Your Customers Getting the Best?

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It’s well known that great customer experience builds loyalty, increases referrals and ultimately raises profits. But have you built that customer service ethos into your organisation’s DNA so you deliver consistently every time?

These days it’s not enough to offer your customer good service at the point of sale – the buying journey has become more complex than that. Since the world went digital potential customers can interact with you in many new ways and you need to ensure they are having a good experience at every point in their journey – that could be browsing the internet, chatting on Facebook, or over the phone.

You’re no longer dealing with a straight line where the customer comes in at A and leaves at Z having bought your product (hopefully) – you are now having relationships in multiple locations with multiple groups of people all over the web and across time – the more people you attract the more complex it becomes. Keeping track of them is vital if you’re to turn interest into sales and make ongoing relationships into the future.

Introducing Customer Relationship Management – CRM, is a great idea. Make sure the people using the technology are invested in the idea first, then get everyone on board with a straight forward and intuitive CRM system such as Business By Design from SAP.

5 ways CRM will keep track of your growing customer base – it gives you;

A comprehensive view of each customer including a record of all your precious interactions
Up to date status on any orders already in the pipeline
View invoices pending
A record of all previous transactions
Preferences and useful information including what they are saying on social media about your product.

This way whoever picks up the phone will have a 360 degree view of the customer allowing them to offer a bespoke service. There is no need to disappoint – since shared information across departments allows you to see stock levels and gives you the information you need to offer alternatives or to up sell. Issues are resolved and queries answered more swiftly – improving the customer experience and making customers more likely to refer you to their friends and associates. Happy customers create more leads.

You can use your CRM to gather information and analyse customer data, which in turn will have a positive impact on your business. Here are just 5 of the ways.

Helps you to identify what you are doing right
Shows up areas where you could do better
Helps you to identify needs
Helps you to create new products
Clear reports makes it simpler to create new strategy for the future

We offer a cloud based ERP package – Business By Design which has a fully integrated CRM system. Since it is in the cloud there is no need for hardware on your premises – everything is accessible via the internet.

5 benefits of the cloud

Collaborate with your colleagues
Add new users when you need to
Automatic software updates
Work from anywhere
Faster implementation

Why In Cloud Solutions?

We have years of experience in the field and an in depth knowledge of business software solutions. With experts in supply chain, financials and HR waiting to get to know your business we can get going really swiftly.

We pride ourselves on our integrity and our commitment to you. When we promise, we deliver. So do give me – Caroline, a call 01628 876723 – I can talk you through the options and give you a free no obligation demo. Or visit our website to find out more about the product. www.incloudsolutions.co.uk

Our guide to best in breed ERP – Business by Design

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Terms like ERP get bandied about all the time – but what is it and what does it do? If you are an established business then you probably already know about the various ERP systems out there but a surprising number don’t and are still struggling to run their business with basic accounting programmes and spreadsheets that don’t talk to each other.

I have news. There is no need!

An integrated suite of programmes that run your entire business from end to end is surprisingly affordable and easy to implement – and these are the systems we refer to when we talk about ERP.

At In Cloud Solutions we work with one particular product – Business by Design – a totally integrated system which runs everything from sales and service through to supply chain and project management and into the back office for HR and finance.

Business by Design is a product backed by SAP – the largest enterprise software company in the world which introduced the whole concept of ERP back in the 70s. In those days you had to be a big company with lots of spending power and space for on premise hardware to benefit but that has all been changed by the cloud.

Thanks to the cloud, Business By Design is sold as what we now refer to as “software as a service” because it is something you subscribe to rather than buy outright and is ideally suited to growing companies.

Here are 6 of the benefits of Business by Design

Can be implemented rapidly by our experts in the field.
Scalable – start small grow big without having to stop and change your ERP.
One monthly fee.
SAP manages the IT – YOU manage the business.
Managing servers, networks, security and regular upgrades- that is all us.
Treat it as an expense not capital outlay so you can use your capital for growing your business.

Most of our customers share the same goals –

Improving profitability
Building a foundation for future growth

Business By Design can help achieve this by being;

Transparent – analytics allow you to see how you are doing – you can compare projections with the reality. Full document flow moves you seamlessly through your processes from lead to invoice. Then you can drill down and get all sorts of information from that data.

Efficient – SAP has integrated best practices gleaned as a result of 100s of thousands of implementations.

Integrated business task management means you can keep every staff member on message and on task.

Flexibility means you can go with the bits of the system you need today and add more functionality later.

Adaptability means you can configure the system how you want it – customize your views on things like sales orders -configure your own home page.

Accessible – Can be accessed via mobile anywhere for the sales teams on the road.

All this helps you to make better business decisions for improved efficiency and increased profit. And because it is built on in memory analytics you can get the information you want within seconds.

You can share tasks and collaborate with others and with all that information at your finger tips you can provide great customer service.

just a few of the reasons to get on board with our best in breed ERP – Business By Design – Call Caroline Atkinson or one of the team for a chat about how we can help your business. 01628 876723 e-mail [email protected]

FICO and Supply Chain Consultants required

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FICO and Supply Chain/Manufacturing/Production Consultants needed for our dynamic and fast growing SAP Cloud consultancy. You will be expected to implement systems and provide development and ongoing support at various client sites throughout the UK. Wide end-user experience in a professional environment is essential as is a good understanding of business processes. Must be highly motivated, a team player, possess excellent communication and client facing skills and be prepared to travel to client sites. Previous consulting experience is ideal. Favourable salary dependent on experience, car allowance and comprehensive incentive schemes. If you want to join a fun, dedicated team with a ‘the world’s your oyster’ outlook, then don’t waste this opportunity - get in touch with us today.

How to tell when you’ve outgrown your IT

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When you launch your business you know everything about it and it is easy to keep tabs on your processes. A basic accounting package is enough to meet your needs and you could get along for several years without needing to change. But as you grow you add complexity – more customers, suppliers, products and employees. All this is great news, but does your software still suit your needs? Now could be the time to look for a replacement.

5 signs that you’ve outgrown your current IT system

Are you expanding your customer base? Are you struggling to keep tabs on who and where they are and what and when they are buying?
Are you expanding your product range? If so does your system allow you to view transactions with multiple suppliers across multiple processes?
Have you recently expanded to include trade with another country? Does your system deal with more than one currency and understand the compliance regulations for European and International trade?
Are you dreading your end of the month accounting procedures – do you know where to lay your hands on the information you need?
Can your software pull together comprehensive monthly reports so that you can see exactly how healthy your business is?

If you answered yes to any of the above you need to think about an upgrade.

As your business grows and becomes more complex you need something robust to cope with the demands you will be placing on it. Being able to view what is going on through a single interface becomes increasingly important. You can’t keep that information in your head and you need reports you can share. Taking control and not allowing your business to run away from you is vital. Many owners end up drowning in the day to day and fail to make plans or strategise for the future.

Now is the time to shop around for a new system. We recommend that you start by making a list of what your needs are now and what you want your business to do, well into the future.

5 things to ask when choosing a new system

What are your current business processes?
Are you planning on expanding abroad – do you need to add several currencies and multiple accounting standards?
Will you be adding more businesses and running them from the same system – will you need inter-company transactions?
Are you planning to operate from more than one site?
Do you need help to plan your supply chain?

Moving to a new platform is an exciting time as it allows you to really step up to the next level with your business. Choosing an Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP – system will let you see how your enterprise operates as a whole – not just the accounts – giving you a 360 degree view and allowing you to take advantage of best practices. When you see how much stock you are holding for example you can reduce levels and increase your efficiency.

We recommend Business By Design a cloud based ERP system for growing small to medium sized businesses backed by SAP – the global IT experts. SAP is well known for tailoring its products to industry needs and this product really fits a growing business without costing a fortune. Everything is based in the cloud – which means no hardware on your premises. Multiple users can log on to the system wherever they are in the world and get the same constantly updated view – a huge advantage in managing your business.

5 Good reasons to choose Business By Design

CRM throughout the core product as standard.
Full multi-currency and multi-language support.
Allows end user to add unlimited user defined fields, tables and logic very simply.
Priced per user with no charge for multiple companies.
Allows the company to grow in size and complexity adding modules when necessary.

Why In Cloud Solutions?

Caroline Atkinson – In Cloud Solutions

Are you using the power under the hood of your IT system?

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Cloud is no longer the new kid on the block – Cloud has gone mainstream. According to a survey of business and IT executives conducted by Oxford Economics, companies are moving more and more business functions into the cloud, with 95% now using cloud technology in some form.

But are those who have installed cloud based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) using the power under the hood? Are they taking the opportunity to create radical change and what’s more – are you?

According to the Oxford Economics survey, 39% of businesses say the cloud HAS spurred them to develop new business processes. So instead of allowing cloud to let them do what they have always done but just a little bit faster, they have seized the opportunity to transform their business by entering new markets – developing new products and services and using the technology to collaborate with partners and suppliers. But the figures suggest that the majority are still missing out.

The 1^st generation of cloud technology made IT more flexible – but information was still kept in individual silos. Now you can connect all your data and that of your partners seamlessly and efficiently and many companies are using these systems to automate processes and interactions – eliminating waste and freeing up considerable amounts of time and money to expand, re-invest and crucially look to the future and strategize.

And there is more to come over the next 3 years in the shape of unified cloud platforms which will simplify everything from application development to the launch of new products and services.

This is how IT has transformed its role, become pivotal, profitable and strategic. 69% or respondents to the Oxford Economics survey credited cloud with re-shaping IT into a strategic business partner while 63% credited it with transforming IT into a profit centre.

More results from the survey show that switched on businesses are using the cloud to;

Power new ideas
Engage with customers and partners
Increase their agility
Improve business outcomes

So the cloud is actually powering new ideas and creating new opportunities making now the time to re-appraise how we do things from the board room to the stock room. Can we afford not to?

If you are interested in hearing more about cloud based Enterprise Resource Planning systems and cloud technology you can visit us at www.incloudsolutions.co.uk

The Innovation Revolution

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If you look at the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list of SMEs from 2001 you may find something rather shocking – 53% of the stars of the last 10 year are no longer here. It’s tough but true – half of the winning companies you admire today are going to fall by the wayside in another decade – unless they embrace the innovation revolution.

Technology is driving things forward at such a pace that long-established business models are becoming obsolete before breakfast. The winners are going to be the ones who learn how to stay ahead and adapt.

This can seem daunting to many SMEs, already feeling beleaguered by a period of recession or slow growth. There’s a feeling that the very large companies have been using economies of scale and globalization as a shield to hide behind – but the truth is there is no hiding place.

Agility and flexibility are going to be the keys to growth for everyone and by acting more nimbly, innovatively and entrepreneurially than their larger competitors SMEs can score a win. They need to create a corporate culture that allows everyone to be heard and they need to use technology to play the larger companies at their own game.

There is a view that big corporations are gaining ground by using technology which is out of the grasp of most SMEs. But that is simply not the case – key developments like cloud computing and advanced analytics are accessible by all.

Mobility, big data and social media are the future for small businesses and will help to unlock change and transform the business landscape for SMEs.

There is no need to tie up capital by investing in new hardware since so many solutions are now hosted in the cloud making it affordable for everyone. This kind of cloud-based ERP software gives businesses much greater control over their processes and shines a light on their data – making it visible in a way that was simply not possible in the days of spread sheets and filing systems.

By looking to technology to solve their problems smaller enterprises are actually injecting a dose of rocket fuel, which could make the difference between staying on the Fast Track 100 and falling into oblivion.

This blog first appeared on the Ingenious Britain website.

How small companies are taking on the big guys

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Have you noticed how mass produced fizzy beer and dubious ham rolls have been replaced in many bars and cafes by real choice and some amazing local food and drink? Small dedicated companies who are enthusiastic about their craft are popping up everywhere.

But how can they make it in a tough competitive world which is still heavily dominated by the majors? The big guys still benefit from economies of scale that allow them to charge lower prices and they can afford big sophisticated IT like Enterprise Resource Planning systems that allow them to keep tight control of stock and track supply and demand in real time. How can the new breed of small, niche companies get close to this kind of technological advantage?

Small craft beer firm, The Golden Road Brewing Company have plugged into exactly this kind of system and they’ve done it by sourcing a solution designed specifically for smaller enterprises. The costs are a fraction of what the giants are paying because these systems are based in the cloud. That means a monthly subscription not a big capital outlay.

Now they can access information anytime, anywhere, and on any device and they get much better inventory management and more accurate forecasts. They are also set up for growth – so if they get the call from a major supermarket or wholesaler showing an interest in their brand, they have the flexibility to scale up and meet demand.

There are several suppliers out there in the market, so if this sounds like it could benefit you, test a few systems before you decide which one to go with.