The Pharmacy Association is the trade organization of all pharmacies in Norway. The importance of a player who takes IT security seriously was the decisive factor when they chose the ERP system, Visma Net.
{{cta-1}}
“I know from the past that Visma has experienced several hacker attacks on its systems, and I feel safer as a customer when they choose to share that information rather than put a lid on it.
According to IT and HR Manager, Steffan Antonsen, it shows that Visma Software has a better control over potential attacks than many other players. When asked how important the IT security aspect was when choosing a cloud solution, he answers quickly.
“The focus on IT security was not really that big, but in my role as IT manager, I always put emphasis on selecting reputable players who I am confident will take care of the security aspect in the best possible way. On my part, it was never up to consideration to go for a cheaper ERP solution from a less reputable player that doesn't have the same backdoors when it comes to IT security.
{{customer}}
The choice of Visma Net has allowed the Association of Pharmacists to entrust part of the responsibility for IT security to Visma Software as a cloud provider. At the same time, there are still some responsibilities that lie in the hands of the Pharmacy Association, for example regarding routines and smart online use. The biggest challenges related to IT security are people, and keeping employees at such a level that no one clicks on links they shouldn't click on.
“I have maintained internally that no questions are too stupid and that they can contact me at any time of the day if they have any doubts. I've also given our employees pointers on what they should look for, both in urls, display names on emails, and language usage in general. Typical Google Translate emails should be steered clear of, he says.
However, the IT manager is not too concerned about IT security with the widespread use of home office.
— Our employees can only access internal systems via VPN client, and we use Google Authenticator as an extra two-factor authentication out to our cloud-based systems. We also have a good segregation of access levels in the different Visma services we use,” he explains.
“By facilitating a better work-life balance and allowing people to manage their workday more independently, you are left with far more satisfied employees.
The pharmacy association did not conduct a classic risk analysis before choosing a new ERP system, but they relied well on The “ERP in Norway” report from HerbertNathan & CO. The report provides an independent analysis of ERP systems on the Norwegian market, where you can find answers to what is supported in the different systems.
When it comes to IT security in Visma Net, it is at the top of the world, both in terms of confidentiality, integrity and accessibility.
{{product}}
The process of transitioning from the old manual system, which was installed on servers at their operating provider, to a more automated cloud solution has in many ways been painless.
“We are very satisfied, although it is still a bit unclear in terms of what reports we need to issue. We signed an agreement with OneStop Reporting quite early on, as one of my premises was that we need extracts from Fenistra's database up to Visma Financial,” he says.
It is the IT provider Abacus i Son that has delivered and implemented Visma Net to the Apotekforeningen.
Abacus has done an excellent job. The project began in 2018, but we are still not completely finished. We are now working normally in the system, but there are some automation processes that are still ongoing. Something has also been delayed due to the pandemic,” concludes Steffan Antonsen of the Pharmacy Association.
Watch webinar: Financial management with Visma Net
{{partner}}
Apotekforeningen is the trade organization for pharmacies in Norway, and their owners. The association was founded in 1881, and has 55 employees.
The association mainly works with professional development in pharmacy, pharmacists' framework conditions, industrial policy, technology and e-health and communication about the industry. The Pharmacy Association also looks after a number of practical functions for pharmacies.
Visma Net is an automated system suitable for growing medium-sized businesses. The system is delivered as a standard product, with modules and integrations tailored to your needs in finance, logistics, project management, and HR and payroll.
Total supplier in IT, finance, logistics, HR/payroll and project management. Thank you very much to Abacus IT, one of our many delivery partners. They have delivered and implemented Visma Net for the Apotekerforeningen.
Do you have any questions or do you want a demo of the solution?
