December 2022 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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24 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS December 2022 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Our objective is not to sell unnecessary IT on the ‘bleeding edge’, or to prop up outdated technology with dusty old manuals, but rather enable companies to work from what we call the ‘inside edge’ of what is relevant tech today.” Creating an enviable workplace with the right IT Stratus Blue CEO MIKE BELL talks about how the team is working intuitively with clients, rather than providing businesses with endless IT fixes so they can focus on their vision and retaining top talent. Stratus Blue is an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) and for the past six years we have been equipping companies in the Bay of Plenty and beyond with the support, security, and technology infrastructure they need to remove the overwhelm and future-proof their IT. Our objective is not to sell unnecessary IT on the ‘bleeding edge’, or to prop up outdated technology with dusty old manuals, but rather enable companies to work from what we call the ‘inside edge’ of what is relevant tech today. This is especially true since Covid-19 changed the way businesses operate indefinitely. One thing Covid has taught us all, is how interdependent we all are, and I believe we are all still catching up with how much the last three years has radically changed the way we do life and work. Rethinking what the workplace looks like in a post-Covid world has become vital for businesses to attract and retain top talent, and that has had a huge impact on businesses’ IT infrastructure. This is most evident in the way employees are wanting to work. Even though things are open again and people can come back to the office, organisations are experiencing team members and new hires wanting to retain the flexibility of working from home that the pandemic introduced. For the IT industry, this has required businesses like Stratus Blue to change emphasis and really focus on our response to three key areas: remote work competency, communication capability and security. Organisations need remote solutions where Company IP is protected, and where staff can work securely from anywhere yet stay connected. Businesses cannot afford to maintain the same attitudes towards IT security that they had three years ago. We are seeing a huge jump in security breaches to businesses of all sizes in New Zealand, with forecasts predicting that this is going to become an ever-increasing issue year One thing Covid has taught us all, is how interdependent we all are, and I believe we are all still catching up with how much the last three years has radically changed the way we do life and work.” ABOUT MIKE Six years ago, I moved from London to Pāpāmoa with my family and haven’t looked back, falling in love with all the Bay of Plenty has to offer regarding work, play and raising a family. In 2019, I joined the Stratus Blue team as General Manager, and in 2022, stepped into serving the Stratus Blue team and customers as CEO. Whether working in local Government or large tech companies in the UK, I have always enjoyed managing many variables and aiming them towards a better future. As a leader, I’m not driven by prestige or status, but by potential being realised in the people I serve and what we are trying to create together. I believe relevancy to culture is not optional, it’s a must, and due to the times we have been facing, work culture has significantly changed, and we must be agile and act accordingly. after year. Security measures like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tended to be adopted by the more vigilant and risk-averse organisations but are now industry standard essentials. Our team have been working hard to remove the ‘guesswork’ for our customers and provide quality and clarity to make this shift in IT strategy as simple as possible, enabling our clients to offer the culture and security that top talent are searching for. In 2023, we will launch an end-user package we call “Essentials”. This package will include everything you need for everyday work and communication, industry-standard security mitigation and remote support from our team of experts. With a predictable per-user monthly price – it’s everything you need and nothing you don’t. For our team, we are embracing the shift that Covid-19 brought to our lives, and our ongoing focus is creating a culture where people grow and want to stay. We strongly invest in our people by providing each team member with individual coaching and mentoring from our Culture Coach in their innate talents using Gallup’s tool, CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder), and help them set goals for work and life. We also provide team workshops to better understand each other’s unique work styles and give the team opportunities to increase their skills and knowledge in IT. The challenges businesses are facing are real and complex. However, the ingenuity and ‘can do’ attitude I have experienced in the Bay of Plenty have led me to think the best years are ahead of us, and I’m excited to be part of a team of forward thinkers wanting to take it head-on. Making Quality IT, Simple www.stratusblue.co.nz 0800 2 ASSIST
December 2022 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 25 KIWIFRUIT “Rising to the challenge” DAN MATHIESON, Zespri CEO Zespri and the New Zealand kiwifruit industry have faced a particularly challenging 2022 season. The ongoing impact of Covid-19 across the global supply chain, the shortage of people, rising costs and poorer fruit quality have presented significant headwinds for our industry. Some of these are expected to remain in front of us for the 2023 season, where we anticipate having smaller than expected crop volumes following the significant frost event across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty and relatively poor budbreak. While this is a challenging environment for growers and our industry, what continues to give us confidence is the fact that more and more people around the world continue to see value in and want more of the great quality and healthy kiwifruit our growers produce. After a very tough couple of seasons, our industry is doubling down its focus on finding solutions to our immediate and longer term challenges, and looking to come out stronger as we go into 2023 and the years ahead. We have some of the most innovative and passionate growers in the world – many of whom are based here in the Bay, strong partnerships throughout our global supply chain, a globally-recognised brand which consumers trust, and a group of resilient people committed to providing customers and consumers with the world’s best kiwifruit. It’s these attributes that will continue to allow us to address the challenges we’re facing, and bring value back to our growers and our communities in 2023 and in the years ahead. As much as we’re focused on looking to address our short-term headwinds, we’re also making sure that we’re considering how we best achieve our long-term growth potential. We know that consumers today are not just making purchasing decisions based on a product, but on how it is produced and the impact it has on the environment. There is an increasing expectation from stakeholders that businesses have to look at climate change with the same focus as they look at financial forecasts, and a very clear expectation from customers and consumers that more sustainable practice should be built into how a company grows and obtains value for its products. Our work in this space continues, and we’ve already made steady progress towards the goals and long-term sustainability commitments we’ve set. We’ve set out our Climate Change Strategy, identified our key Climate Change Risks and Opportunities, invested in innovation to explore new cultivars that may thrive in a warmer climate and continued our research to better understand how we can best mitigate the impact of climate change. And this week, we’ve released a Climate Change Adaptation Plan – Adapting to Thrive in a Changing Climate – which outlines how our Our industry faces a bright future if we continue to make positive decisions and grow in a way which is good for our communities and the environment.” industry intends to adapt to a changing climate both here in New Zealand and in our offshore growing locations so that we can transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. We’re an industry that is already experiencing and responding to climate change, with growers adjusting their growing practices and post-harvest facilities adjusting the packing of fruit, in light of warmer temperatures. Our plan considers the impact of climate change not just from a physical perspective, but also the changes we’re likely to see at a regulatory level, along with the heightened expectation from our customers and consumers that we are adapting our approach. It includes more than 40 actions Zespri and the wider industry will build on over time to future-proof the growing and breeding of kiwifruit, maintain fruit quality and manage supply, and protect the industry’s financial future. This includes supporting growers to adopt climate resilient practices like efficient water use, investing in climate-resilient cultivars with the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre, developing a future-focused climate research programme which assesses the effects of climate change on productivity and profitability, and lessening our exposure to carbon costs by reducing emissions. We know there’s a lot of work to do, but by co-ordinating our efforts as an industry we’ll be more effective, putting us in the best position to continue to deliver sustainable returns to our growers and industry as the climate continues to change. Our industry faces a bright future if we continue to make positive decisions and grow in a way which is good for our communities and the environment. With kiwifruit representing less than 1 percent of the global fruit bowl, and demand growing quickly as the world focuses on health and wellbeing and plant-based diets, it’s critical we continue to look ahead to strengthen our industry’s future and be ready for the opportunities and challenges in front of us. We’re committed to doing that by growing in a sustainable and purposeful way that adds value for growers and our communities right here in the Bay. HELPING PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE WORLD THRIVE rough e g dne of kiwifruit
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December 2022 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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