5 Tips for Crisis-Proof Digital Infrastructures

Some companies got through the Corona crisis more easily than others because of their digital infrastructures. This article shows which concepts make IT architectures more crisis-proof for the future.

The measures taken to contain the Corona virus have led to the disruption of many supply chains and work processes worldwide. Companies have therefore shifted familiar processes into the digital space: Home offices instead of corporate offices, video conferencing instead of face-to-face meetings, e-commerce instead of store visits around the corner. The Corona crisis showed that some companies were better equipped for this state of emergency than others. If you want to make your IT architecture more crisis-proof in the future, here's what you can learn from the Corona crisis.

1. More flexibility thanks to private or public cloud

Even in "normal times", cloud-based IT architectures create a variety of opportunities for collaboration because they allow employees to access data and applications via the Internet from anywhere at any time, for example to perform classic ERP or office tasks. This increased flexibility pays off in exceptional situations because work processes - at least in their digital dimension - can be more easily adapted to crisis-related changes in circumstances.

2. Secure access with clear authorization concepts 

A crisis increases the vulnerability of people and companies. Hacker and fraud activities on the web have therefore increased significantly. Those who now had to improvise to allow employees to access IT systems from the home office increased the risk of attacks from outside. Cloud-based systems come with sophisticated security concepts per se, which use role-based authorization concepts to differentiate who is allowed to access which data and applications.

3. Digitalized workflows support teams 

In a crisis, teams of employees may not be able to work together as they are used to - because some are not on site or are absent. If you don't have end-to-end process support, but have to bridge system transitions between purchasing, production, warehousing, logistics or sales manually with Excel sheets in some places, you can easily end up in chaos. It is therefore advisable to digitize your own value creation processes and workflows in such a way that they carry employees and teams well through the crisis.

4. Professional data management for special promotions

Companies that want to use new sales channels in times of crisis often find that information about their own products is spread across different systems. This makes it extremely time-consuming to try out new sales channels. A central data hub provides a remedy: using multi-level data mapping, it automatically converts product information into the desired target formats so that crisis-related sales campaigns can be implemented at short notice.

5. Digital sales channels complement classic channels

Retailers and manufacturing companies can benefit in times of crisis if they position themselves broadly even in good times and include parallel sales channels in their business concept. Web stores and online marketplaces are a good way to maintain customer relationships, implement click-and-collect concepts, and carry out other marketing campaigns in times of crisis.

The Actindo Digital Operations Platform offers a wide range of IT solutions, ERP functions and services for digitization and e-commerce in medium-sized businesses. It can be used to crisis-proof existing IT landscapes and expand them for efficient unified commerce.

Whitepaper "Crisis Robust: Digitizing the SME Sector in Time of Corona"

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