A business-as-usual plan starts with the stakeholders

By Ashley Ellington for Softline Enterprise
Johannesburg, 12 Jan 2009

Ashley Ellington, MD, Softline Enterprise, says as a company grows, it becomes more and more important to have a comprehensive strategy in place that will allow it to continue as normally as possible should disaster strike. And, regardless of the organisation, its leadership has a duty to stakeholders to plan for its survival.

“The more your business relies on its IT systems, the more you need to consider how unexpected disruptions might affect your business. These disruptions could come in many forms, from fire and floods to theft or malicious attacks on your systems, such as hacking. Business continuity planning improves your business's ability to react to such disruptions. It describes how you will restart your operations in order to meet your business-critical requirements.”

In today's fast-paced business environment, there is little tolerance for any downtime or business disruption. Therefore, businesses of all types and sizes are bolstering essential corporate lifelines with comprehensive business continuity strategies that ensure the usual access to mission-critical data, even in unusual times.

Ellington says most managers are quick to agree that availability of service is as important to customers and other stakeholders as is quality of service. Customers are no longer willing to wait out a disaster which has hit the business. They just move on to the next business, unless there is demonstrated evidence of business continuity planning. “It is no longer enough to simply survive a fall - the business has to recover with minimum disruption and loss. This can come only if business continuity planning comes naturally to the organisation and its people, being a part of the everyday work and risk management.”

A project manager has to be constantly aware of what risks his project faces and how to mitigate the risks. Risk management in projects essentially assesses the threats and vulnerabilities to the critical elements - people, information and infrastructure. It also involves identifying and implementing preventive actions and controls to mitigate the risk. However, in the event of a disruption, being prepared with business continuity plans is what will make the difference between competent leadership and chaos during crisis, Ellington concludes.

Softline Enterprise

Softline Enterprise is a leading supplier of business management solutions, delivering performance and Web capability that is essential for success in today's competitive business environment. Addressing finance, construction, distribution, manufacturing, services, retail requirements, CRM and e-business, the product offering also supports and consolidates activity across expanding business needs. Available on a wide range of operating systems and compatible with a host of industry leading databases, it gives mid-range and larger organisations the reliability and scalability required to keep ahead of competitors.

Softline Enterprise products are supported through a network of accredited partners which bring together the individual product and service components to deliver a complete and tailored solution.

Softline Enterprise products include:

Sage 1000 - A new, single business management software application designed to span operations across mid-sized businesses, integrating front office CRM and back office ERP systems. By sharing information between functional areas, businesses can enjoy greater efficiency, experience fewer errors from re-keying of data, and increase service levels by making it easier to give accurate, timely information from across the business to customers.

Sage Line 500 - Offering all the advantages of a traditional ERP solution, Sage Line 500 provides tight financial control with full visibility of costs and powerful reporting tools. In addition, it includes an evaluation of market trends to assist customers to make informed strategic decisions. The product also manages cash flow through close budget control and efficient purchase requisitioning and supports international business with multi-language, multi-currency, multi-company features. It includes vertical solutions such as manufacturing, construction and retail.

Sage SalesLogix - An affordable, fully scaleable and powerful CRM solution that is easily customised for medium-sized and divisions of large corporate businesses. Sage SalesLogix is designed to integrate seamlessly with other business software and back office applications, providing businesses with a holistic view of each customer.

Sage X3 Enterprise - Sage X3 Enterprise covers all of the planning, operational and administrative functional areas required by mid-sized business, all integrated into a single enterprise solution. All functional areas are managed via one common database - updated on a real-time-basis - ensuring data integrity and accuracy while enabling all departments to share information efficiently.

Softline

Softline is a leading provider of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions to small, medium-sized and large companies. Founded in 1988 by Ivan Epstein, Alan Osrin and Steven Cohen, Softline was established during the formative years of the software industry and listed on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa in February 1997. Softline expanded to establish a strong position within its area of focus in South Africa and Australia. Focused on the development of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions, Softline has a 20-year track record as a market leader. The group has a broad range of products offering users a variety of software solutions to run their businesses efficiently. Softline's leading brands include Softline Accpac, Softline Enterprise, Softline Pastel (Accounting and Payroll) and Softline VIP. The combination of the group's product offerings provide Softline customers with comprehensive, well-branded accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions. In November 2003, Softline was acquired by the Sage Group plc, a FTSE 100 company. The software group includes market-leading businesses throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia, supplying business software to the small, medium-sized and large business community. Softline has a solid track record of profitability and cash generation. The group delivers quality accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions that improve the efficiencies of businesses around the world.

The Sage Group

The Sage Group is a leading global supplier of business management software solutions and related products and services, principally for small to medium-sized enterprises. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989. Sage has 5.8 million customers and more than 14 500 employees worldwide. We operate in over 26 countries covering the UK, Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, India and China. For further information please visit http://www.sage.com.

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