Tag: business continuity

Data protection challenges are undermining organisations’ abilities to execute digital transformation initiatives globally, according to the Data Protection Report 2021, which has found that 58% of backups fail, leaving data unprotected.

Following the rise of a second COVID-19 wave in many countries, vaccines are in high demand. While desperate to resume pre-pandemic operations, businesses in South Africa find themselves in a tricky position. Should they enforce vaccinating workers to ensure a safe work environment, as well as operational continuity? If so, they risk a legal battle with employees who have a constitutional right to refuse the vaccination in order to have their religious customs and beliefs respected.

By the time you read this, South Africa would have been in a state of lockdown for more than 300 days, and there is no end in sight; here or globally. We know that the economic consequences of this have been devastating for our country. Don’t be fooled by the GDP growth numbers for the third quarter of last year; 13,5% off the back of a 16,6% slump the previous quarter is not growth.

Transformation and innovation make 2020 a year to remember as pandemic catapults new digital service offerings to elevated heights. We have embraced 2020 with a strong focus on people and health and safety; innovative technology and finding solutions to keep customer service at an all-time high.

COVID-19 has created a universal imperative for governments and businesses to take immediate actions with significant financial ramifications. According to our latest study, market capitalisation for the biggest 2,000 companies worldwide has declined by 24 percent since the beginning of the outbreak, losing more than $12.4 trillion.

2020 has seen more people speaking of 'resilience' than ever before. While some organisations are well underway on their resilience journeys, others still ponder what resilience really means and how to start building it. Amidst global economic pressures, many organisations do not have the funds, resources and time available to develop and implement comprehensive programmes to enhance resilience.

According to a recent National Small Business Chamber (NSBC) poll, 86% of small businesses in South Africa said they had suffered negative effects as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. And as the economy gradually begins to open up again, every small business owner will be looking critically at their business and creating a business continuity plan.

In the modern world, data is regarded as the lifeblood of an organisation. Consequently, cyber threats have taught us that a reactive response to a data breach, regardless of the magnitude of the event, is no longer adequate. All data is important, therefore a more modern and innovative approach needs to be adopted to keeping it safe yet available.

To remain agile in an evolving market, organisations in all sectors are revising their budgets and business plans. According to Brian Kropp, chief of research for the Gartner HR practise, it’s critical for business leaders to understand that large-scale shifts are currently changing how people work and how business gets done.

Entrepreneurial businesses both small and medium have been particularly hit hard in these challenging times, and many are now facing an existential threat. However, there are ways to rethink their business models and adapt to a world which is unlikely to return to its old habits.