Digital investment in analogue business

Increasing need for digital services in growing businesses

Stångby nursery is currently located in two places in Sweden that are more than 60 miles apart and the company has expanded over the past ten years - especially in the last five. As the company grows, it is therefore increasingly important that communication works, which also increases the need to digitize the business. Jörgen explains:

- We used to use a local server that we were outgrowing. It hung frequently and was too slow. The in-house server required regular backup and fire protection in case something happened. There were simply too many risks - if something happens to the server, all the digital data we have for our business disappears.

The work is highly seasonal and most intense in spring and fall. During these periods, nothing can stand still. Orders have to come in and order processing has to run smoothly. Jörgen, again:

- We both grow and buy plants and have suppliers from many different countries and other areas in Sweden. For everything to work, we must constantly keep track of our stock and ensure that our customers receive the right information. The communication must therefore always work from our system and out to them.

Broad expertise and close dialogue

Jörgen came to the conclusion that a change must take place to ensure operational reliability and quality towards customers and suppliers. In the dialogue with WeSafe IT, Jörgen and Stångby Plantskola got a better picture of what would be required to drive through these changes. He continues:

- We have a close dialog with WeSafe IT. They know our business well and have good insight into the challenges we faced in the past. They are professional, have knowledgeable staff who all have different specializations in their expertise, which gives us a wide range of skills.

Moving to the cloud led to more flexible ways of working

The first thing that was done was a transfer of all company documents to Sharepoint, which entailed a major review of files, where documentation that was no longer needed could be sorted out and removed. A positive "side effect" of the work of thoroughly reviewing the data that was stored was that the file structure could be rebuilt from scratch, which created order, while the move to the cloud itself provided flexibility and accessibility:

- For us, the advantage of cloud computing is flexibility - wherever you are and whatever device you use, you can access the information you need. The digital work now has a clear structure and it is easier to get an overview of the information being managed.

The business system previously located on the local server was also migrated to a server in Microsoft Azure. WeSafe IT manages the server and ensures backup.

Get help with the GDPR

Like many companies, Stångby Plantskola has worked to prepare for the new data protection regulation, GDPR, and saw an advantage in using its IT partner for GDPR-related services:

- We had a workshop together to help us develop an action plan. Based on this, our internal GDPR team has developed a basic structure of the WeSafe IT's GDPR hub. There we collect routines and documentation that we gradually continue to build up - it is a constant work in progress. We have also been very helped by the fact that everything is collected in Sharepoint and that it is searchable - something that has become increasingly important with the introduction of GDPR.

Reliability, structure and security

The move to Azure has provided increased reliability, which is a great security - especially during the times of the year when the business is most heavily loaded. With WeSafe IT's help, Jörgen believes that the digital work now has a clearer structure and that it is easier to get an overview of the information being handled:

- We value their broad expertise and the knowledge they can share with us is very valuable. This applies not only to the cloud services we use, but everything from GDPR to hardware where they are helpful both practically and with advice in the choices we face.

To Stångby Nursery's website