A Cybersecurity Primer – Part II: Data Security

By: Lotfi Al-Sarori 

In our previous article, we discussed the topic of system security as the first area in our coverage of the various aspects of cybersecurity. In this article, we continue the same topic to go over another essential area of IT security, data security. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Data Security

Data security encompasses securing it from being altered, whether purposefully or accidentally. Information security practices must protect data against theft, damage, or compromise. There are various angles to consider when discussing data security. Here, let us approach them from two perspectives: the CIA triad and data protection stages.

A Cybersecurity Primer – Fundamentals of System Security

By: Lotfi Al-Sarori

The significance of cybersecurity cannot be overemphasized. Information security has been a big concern ever since computers were invented. According to a recent Forbes article, Cybersecurity Ventures expects that there will be a new cybersecurity attack every two seconds. This amounts to more than 43 thousand attacks per day and almost 16 million attacks per year. Cybersecurity Ventures also estimate the cost of Ransomware to reach $265 Billion by 2031.

An effective cybersecurity approach ensures that authorized users have secure access to information. This is achieved by applying proven IT security principles and standards. Information security practices vary and come in numerous shapes and forms. They cover various areas from identity management and access control to data encryption, deploying network security devices such as firewalls, and more.

Key Business Concepts 101: Competitive Analysis Part II

By: Lotfi Al-Sarori

Continuing our discussion of competitive analysis, in this second part, we go into a more detailed analysis of competitors. In part I, we recommended selecting a diverse list of competitors to examine. After performing a SWOT analysis and gathering information about them such as their market share, customers, financials, and vendors, a more detailed analysis would provide further insight. It can help you in finding a better marketing positioning and creating your marketing plan.

 

Key Business Concepts 101: Competitive Analysis

By: Lotfi Al-Sarori

In the last article of Key Business Concepts 101, we started our discussion of performing competitive analysis, and focused on the very well-known Porter’s Five Forces. It is a key framework which can provide businesses with very valuable insight into their industry, market, and competition. In this article, we pick up the pace and go into more details regarding competitive analysis. 

Figure 1- Methods for Strategic Business Planning

Key Business Concepts 101: Porter’s Five Forces

By: Lotfi Al-Sarori

Continuing our topic on tools for strategic business planning from our previous article, today we further our discussion on the topic and discuss performing competitive analysis using Porter’s Five Forces framework.

To perform competitive analysis for your business, you would need to evaluate the market, and study the competition. A good start would be to explore market reports related to your industry. These are things like market size, key players, industry trends, etc., which can provide you with valuable insights. Understanding the different aspects of your industry and knowing your competitors is crucial to the success of your business. One particular model that is very useful in this area is by Michael E. Porter. It can provide you with a holistic view of where you stand relative to your competition and the industry in general.

Key Business Concepts 101: Strategic Planning Tools- PESTLE and SWOT

By: Lotfi Al-Sarori

In a previous article about Key Business Concepts 101, we covered the topics of business process and how to improve their quality. The article was an introduction into the world of business management and its concepts, and it was planned to be the first article in a series about business management and planning topics. Continuing our discussion on the topic, in this article, we take a look at strategic business management aspects and the common techniques used in strategic planning.

Establishing and running a business requires careful planning. Strategic planning is the first step in strategic business management. It requires thorough analysis and proper preparations to make sure that the work to be done is based on careful study and a justified approach.

7 Key Benefits of Document Management Systems

By: Ola Azzouqa 

Documents are an essential component of work in any company. Managing business information from various sources can be a demanding task that requires a lot of effort and takes too much time.

We have previously discussed the 8 Features Every Document Management System Must Have. And in this article, we will go over 7 key benefits of having such a system.

There are numerous challenges associated with dealing with documents. Employees usually spend a lot of time searching for documents as well as archiving them and managing their releases and versions.

Top 4 Benefits and 5 Key Features of Implementing a Robust Workflow Software for Business Process Management

By: Lana Bawaneh

Workflows are considered a vital element in any successful business. The smoother and more organized they are, the more capable the business will be to achieve its strategic goals efficiently and effectively. But what exactly are workflows and what makes their role so essential?

To answer these questions, let us begin by defining what workflows are.

According to Investopedia, the term “Workflow” describes the steps in a business work process through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion; and how these steps can be executed and automated according to a set of procedural rules.

Key Business Concepts 101: Quality and Process Improvement

By: Lotfi Al-Sarori

“Better safe than sorry”, a saying by Samuel Lover that we hear, usually as a friendly advice, when we are about to pursue an endeavor that requires cautiousness to minimize risks. This entails, for example, being well-prepared when starting a new business, project, or just a family trip. Planning the details of every step you take and making sure everything is done properly is essential to avoid risks, time wastage, and unnecessary expenses, and to get the results you seek. Similarly, organizations create business and operational plans to implement and follow throughout the year to achieve the objectives they seek in an efficient and productive manner.

How microfinance is making communities prosper

By: Lana Bawa’neh

A lot of people, or even small organizations, might face complications in obtaining small loans and other basic financial services. Microfinance is a key strategy that can support people in such situations. It enables them to become financially independent by fulfilling their financial needs and allowing them to achieve their goals in times of economic difficulty. This is where the need for microfinance institutions comes into play to help those people or organizations grow and flourish.

Microfinance institutions make it easier for people and small enterprises to access loans, insurance, and investments and get the money they need to improve their businesses.

8 Features Every Document Management System Must Have

By: Ola Azzouqa

Companies typically generate a lot of documents every day, and they depend on a variety of documents and records. If your organization relies heavily on creating and managing documents like most businesses do, you may find it hard to keep them organized.

That’s where a document management system, DMS, comes into play. A DMS that allows you to easily capture, store, and retrieve documents can offer several advantages for your organization.

How can software enhance the safety of your company security?

By: Cesilia Faustina

Ensuring company security is crucial for the success of any organization. It is why this is not a matter to take lightly. Many businesses have spent a lot of money to ensure their safety, physically and virtually. This trend has somewhat changed now though, with the rise of self-employment and of course, COVID-19. According to Market Research Reports, the industry concentration has declined over years thanks to the rise of self-employed individuals, however, a security trend that seems to be rising is investment in cyber security. This makes sense seeing how today many jobs solely depend on their computers, and with the work-from-home trend and self-employment, this dependency can only increase.

5 Additional Features Your Inventory Management System Should Have

By: Ola Azzouqa 

Inventory Management is an essential step in the supply-chain network. Using an inventory management system, one can keep track of inventory and stock quantities in and out of the warehouse. The objective of managing inventory is to have a clear picture of the quantities that need to be addressed and be aware of inventory locations at any given time.

While keeping track of stock manually can be troublesome and difficult, properly controlled inventory automatically sets the supply-chain management in place.

This is where Inventory Management system comes to the rescue! Having a reliable inventory management system is vital to ensure you don’t spend your time figuring out how much stock you have and avoid stock-outs. Moreover, an efficient Inventory Management system helps inventory businesses carry out crucial tasks such as tracking shipments, monitoring products levels, scanning barcodes, and more.

A content management system is your starting point for a powerful website!

By: Lana Bawa'neh

In this digital world we live in, looking for information became much easier with the existence of the Internet. People can now search for any kind of information and find them instantly. Not only that, they can also search for businesses, products, and services they are planning to purchase.

Having a website for business is not a luxury, but a necessity. Websites act as digital showrooms for products and services companies are offering. Therefore, investing in a website can lead to many benefits. According to Forbes, the below are top reasons why it’s important for businesses to have a website:

How to create the ideal virtual management process in the WFH era

By: Cesilia Faustina

As a manager, the working from home (WFH) protocol may be a bit of a challenge, especially if managing through the online sphere is not something you are used to. Fair enough, managing a team in person is hard enough, let alone remotely. Thus, the great dependency for online video calls these days (to the point where it gets annoying). Many teams forget that there is more to the work-from-home management than simply having video calls. Creating a healthy and comfortable work environment is crucial in making sure employees are doing the best to their abilities. And creating that environment is definitely possible, even remotely. Here are some tips to try and achieve it.

5 systems to make your remote work productive and secure

By: Lana Bawa'neh

The COVID-19 global pandemic has changed business operations around the world. Many organizations switched to remote work in order to continue their operations. At the start, it was hard to have such a sudden change from an in-person working routine to remote working. Many organizations faced, and some of them are still facing problems adapting to this new situation.

Organizations are embracing digital transformation to overcome the obstacles in this new situation, and to ensure the continuity of their business operations. Digital technology has a great impact on accelerating work, where most challenges of working remotely can now be partially or even fully solved with the use of digital technology.

What can a maintenance system do for manufacturing?

By: Ola Azzouqa

Owning a factory, any kind of equipment, or a fleet of vehicles requires maintaining the equipment, machines, or vehicles that are being used. As the cost of maintaining a piece of equipment is usually lower than fixing it, maintaining machinery is one of the most essential things a large manufacturing company can do for itself and its bank account.

Machines and equipment are the backbones of any manufacturing company, with production potentially slowing down or completely stopping every time a machine breaks down. Even one day without the right tools can make it very difficult for businesses to meet their production goals. This is why maintenance is key for business.

The difference between horizontal and vertical business systems

 By: Lotfi AlSarori

Technology is revolutionizing our way of life. As organizations and businesses are depending more and more on digital solutions, plenty of software are rising to help with businesses of all sectors and divisions. This is why it's important to know some business systems out there to help determine which ones are ideal for your organization.

Here is a comparison of horizontal business systems and vertical business systems. 

Where manufacturers are headed in light of uncertainty

By: Cesilia Faustina

Coronavirus has caused great disruption towards global manufacturing and supply chain. Since the start of it all, it has continued to challenge the path our economy is headed towards and witnessing permanent change for our global economy.

This is not a new thing, however; our world has undergone major changes in light of a crisis for years. The Great Depression redefined the way our economy worked and has since affected people impacted until today. World War II also created a major shift in the way manufacturing and the economy worked; many people went unemployed and were forced to shift to different industries, while manufacturing became a powerhouse industry to provide for the war.

How to choose a Document Management System that suits your business

By: Lana Bawnaeh 

Let’s look back at how organizations used to keep everything related to their businesses documented and archived before having a Document Management System.

Back in the days, documents were generated using printers which consumed a lot of time and effort, not to mention the number of papers wasted in the process. Keeping all of these documents and papers physically stored in storage areas used to cost companies large sums of money. Depending on the nature of documents, some of them are considered very critical. Furthermore, there was usually a storage plan implemented to keep them off-site rather than in-house.