Business

One in five Australian businesses have paid or would pay a ransom for their data

New research from Thales has found that ransomware, malware and phishing continue to plague Australian organisations. Four in ten (38%) businesses been breached in the last year; 73% of ransomware attacks impacting internal and/or external operations. First seen in the late 1980s, with the PC Cyborg Virus, the frequency and damage caused by ransomware attacks has accelerated due to the rise of cryptocurrency as the preferred payment method. The 2022 Thales Data Threat Report, conducted by 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, with more than 2,700 IT decision-makers worldwide, reveals a fifth (22%) of Australian organisations admit they have paid or would pay a ransom for their data. Encouragingly, half of Australian respondents (51%) have a formal ransomware plan while 37% of businesses have increased their security budget in response to heightened concerns. Similarly, half of Australian organisations (48%) have been able to avoid a breach notification process because the stolen or leaked data was anonymised using encryption or tokenisation.   Data Visibility is a Challenge As more companies adopt multicloud strategies and hybrid work remains the norm, IT leaders continue to be challenged by the sprawl of data across their organisations. As a result, less than a quarter (23%) of Australian IT leaders have complete knowledge of where their data is being stored, and only 23% state they are able to classify all their data. Threats & Compliance Challenges Throughout 2021, security incidents remained high, with almost four in ten (38%) businesses experiencing a breach in the past 12 months. Additionally, 40% of IT leaders admit to having failed a compliance audit. Australian IT leaders rank ransomware (45%), malware (43%), and phishing/whaling (40%) as the leading source of increased security attacks. Managing these risks is an ongoing challenge, with half (50%) reporting an increase in the volume, severity […]

CX will deliver market success to Australian manufacturers

By Jason du Preez, SVP Asia Pacific, SugarCRM One of the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak has been the acceleration of Australian manufacturers’ digital transformation initiatives. The Federal Government recently committed $750 million towards turbocharging advanced manufacturing, recognising that Australia needs to have more on-shore capabilities. In addition, the Federal Government will invest $44 million in four new artificial intelligence (AI) and digital capability centres, with grants of up to $11 million available for groups that “apply AI in ways that either advance the national manufacturing priorities set out under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, or the Digital Economy Strategy’s digital growth priorities.” The pandemic has fundamentally changed how we work and live, and has driven accelerated adoption of digital channels such as eCommerce and social commerce, across multiple industries. Australian manufacturers have pivoted their businesses to ride out the challenging environment. Many have responded to rapid change by shortening their supply chain, placing emphasis on just-in-time deliveries, and creating value for their customers. While this started before the pandemic, the trend towards direct-to-consumer selling (D2C) has accelerated and is set to continue. The pandemic has put a universal pressure on the need to maximise convenience and speed. Regardless of where your company operates or manufactures its goods and services, manufacturers that remain frozen with a fragmented, outdated, and incomplete view of their customers will see their competitors accelerate away from them and create an insurmountable gap that can not be closed. Advantages of digital transformation Manufacturers that invest in digital transformation to significantly improve the accuracy and completeness of their customer data will improve customer retention and acquisition and increase revenue share. CRM systems enable manufacturers to intuitively store customer details, such as addresses, telephone numbers, key contacts, purchase history and more. This data can be particularly beneficial to sales […]

RS Components & CRC Industries Australia announce partnership

RS Components are thrilled to announce a brand new partnership with CRC Industries Australia – a renowned manufacturer of high quality aerosol and bulk lubricants. This cooperation is a natural partnership for RS Components, who will now be providing CRC products as a part of its overall offering to engineers and procurement managers in Australia & New Zealand. The brand supplies a wide range of industry grade lubricants, anti-rust products and adhesives for customers in the manufacturing, marine, automotive and electrical industries – amongst others. CRC is a leader in product quality, performance and regulatory compliance which is key when working with clients who operate in the particular fields RS service, and CRC’s product offering has these three attributes in spades. Melanie Mangos, Head of Industrial Sales Trans-Tasman for CRC Industries Australia, says “CRC Australia is proud to be partnering with RS Components and sees great synergies. We have begun developing excellent key stakeholder relationships and are in the process of working on exceeding end user expectations with the team.” CRC’s prestigious history and longevity as a company is only surpassed by the quality of the products and services it provides. In short, CRC’s innovative research and development team continually develops new and improved products to help our clients perform their job faster, easier and safer. “CRC has a great reputation and industry recognition,” says Scott Philbrook, Managing Director RS Components AU/NZ. “It makes perfect sense to provide CRC’s fantastic range of products to our diverse customer base in Australia. We are proud to be working alongside such leading brands and are excited to see what the future holds for both RS and for CRC.” RS is proud to stock over 100 new CRC products in Australia ready for fast delivery.

APPEA Board appoints new chief executive

Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) Chair Ian Davies has announced the appointment of Samantha McCulloch as APPEA Chief Executive. Ms McCulloch will join APPEA from the International Energy Agency, having led the IEA Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Unit since 2018. As an internationally recognised expert in CCUS, Ms McCulloch brings more than twenty years’ experience in energy policy and advocacy within government, the private sector and industry associations in Australia and internationally. Following the completion of a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) from the University of Wollongong, Ms McCulloch received a Master of Public Policy (with Merit) from the Australian National University. Mr Davies said the Board was pleased to welcome Ms McCulloch as APPEA Chief Executive. “For more than 60 years, APPEA has amplified the voice of our industry and collaborated with governments and communities to provide energy for a better Australia. “We are very pleased to welcome Ms McCulloch, as an experienced candidate with an informed view of the critical role our industry continues to play in meeting global energy and climate goals. “Now more than ever, energy has a critical role to play. Reliable, cleaner and affordable energy supply is fundamental to all Australians. It is fundamental to keep businesses running. It is fundamental to the economy. It is fundamental to livelihoods and our way of life. And our industry is critical to energy supply both now and into the future. “We look forward to the important work we will progress together, ensuring APPEA and our member companies are part of the conversation and the solution.”

If we want more Australian-made jobs, here’s what we need

Jesse Adams Stein, University of Technology, Sydney Labor has promised to make Australia “a country that makes things again”. It has emphasised locally-made transport, NBN infrastructure, apprenticeships and defence-related production. The Coalition has spruiked the federal government’s modern manufacturing strategy. It highlights technology investment and six priority areas (minerals, food, medical, clean energy, defence and space). But despite the seemingly endless announcements, Australian manufacturing remains a problem for the major parties. Whoever wins the federal election will need to do things very differently if they genuinely want to boost local production. Another way forward for manufacturing In the mid-1960s, Australian manufacturing employed around 25% of the working population; it’s now down around 6.4%. Manufacturing’s share of GDP is also in decline, now sitting at around 6%. Jobs continue to drift offshore. Leaving things to the “free market” clearly isn’t working for Australian manufacturing. But patriotic argument we must get back to the “good old days” where everything was supposedly made in Australia is also unrealistic. There is another way: a coordinated and targeted national industry policy that favours long-term planning over a short-term, scattergun approach. Tapping into the global green economy What Australia needs is coordinated national industry policy supporting niche, specialist manufacturing. This policy would drive an ecosystem of industries and sectors geared towards emissions reduction and skills development. It would help Australia take its place in the booming global “green” technology economy. For example, policy cleverly targeting gaps in national and international supply chains could support expansion of renewable energy technology manufacturing. This targeted approach requires manufacturing policy to be developed in step with policy on education, energy, mining, research and development, and emissions reduction. Done right, the international evidence shows tailored support for niche industries can be very successful. Germany, for example, has a coordinated policy emphasising technical skills, generous funding for research and development, and energy sector decarbonisation. This […]

The impact of China’s COVID lockdowns on Australian agriculture

Current strict lockdowns in many major cities in China – as the country tries to eradicate the spread of COVID – are not only affecting its local citizens, but also having flow-on impacts on trading partners, including Australia, according to agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank. Speaking in a recently-recorded podcast, What’s the Impact of China’s Lockdown Wave?, RaboResearch general manager for Australia and New Zealand Stefan Vogel said, in particular, there are four specific impacts of the lockdowns that are set to have increasing ramifications for Australian agribusiness – disruptions to freight logistics, Chinese corn plantings, dairy demand and hog pricing. Freight logistics “The already-stressed global container logistics situation is becoming more complicated due to massive delays around the Shanghai port,” Mr Vogel said. “The dry container index, which tracks average prices paid for the transport of dry bulk materials across more than 20 international routes, increased five-fold through 2021 as a result of COVID lockdowns in different parts of the world. “While the index has since declined and is down 16 per cent since early March and 25 per cent down from the September 2021 highs, it looks likely that the ongoing COVID lockdowns in China will add to continued container logistics issues and keep container freight well above historic levels for 2022 and also likely to remain elevated well into 2023.” Corn plantings Mr Vogel said disruptions to corn plantings in China – the world’s second-largest corn producer and also the world’s primary corn importer – were also raising more concerns in an already extremely-tight global grains markets. “Chinese corn planting faces delays in two key provinces as some farmers are stuck in major cities and are unable to access their fields due to the COVID lockdowns,” he said “We understand the lockdowns have created delays in planting this important feed […]

Henkel Australia powers adhesive sites with 100% renewable energy

Henkel Australia has begun using electricity generated fully from renewable energy sources at its adhesive plants in Seven Hills, New South Wales, and Kilsyth, Victoria. The adhesive plants serve a wide range of industries, such as flexible packaging, engineered wood, food and beverage, steel, paper, mining, and maintenance, repair and overhaul. Thanks to more than 2,000 solar panels on their rooftops and renewable energy contracts, the sites are expected to realise more than 50 percent savings in carbon emissions in 2022, compared to last year. “Globally, Henkel is accelerating its climate actions. In line with this, we have successfully switched to using 100 percent renewable electricity to power our adhesive plants in Australia. In tandem, we are exploring more ways to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise our operations as we progress towards becoming a climate positive company,” said Daniel Rudolph, President of Henkel Australia and New Zealand. To optimise energy consumption and drive energy savings, new boilers, air compressors and scrubbers that come with variable speed drive (VSD) smart controllers are being used. Passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors are also being installed. Henkel is pursuing ambitious goals to make its production processes climate positive by 2030. By 2025, the company aims to reduce the carbon footprint at its sites worldwide by 65 percent compared to the base year 2010. Furthermore, the electricity used is to be generated 100 percent from renewable sources by 2030.

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APPMA Awards of Excellence finalists announced!

Finalists in the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) Awards of Excellence have been announced. APPMA Chairman Mark Dingley said, “We had a strong response to the awards, expanded to eight categories and reshaped this year around four main points: recognition, celebration, inclusivity and education. The number of submissions shows the value the industry places on this award program.” Awards and finalists are: Australian Machinery Manufacturing Award – SME: recognising Australian-based manufacturing, innovation and success of a product launched into the domestic and/or export market in the past three years. Finalists are: Automation Systems & Controls – Scan Tunnel INOX Australia – Turn-key Food Processing Systems Trimatt Systems – Trimatt Systems – CardLine 7000 Sponsor: SMC Australian Machinery Manufacturing Award – Corporate: recognising Australian-based manufacturing, innovation and success of a product launched into the domestic and/or export market in the past three years. Finalists are: Fibre King – ‘Little Packer’ Casepacker Foodmach Pty Ltd – Foodmach LMES (Line Manufacturing Execution System) Robotic Automation – Robotic Automation MOTOPAL Palletising Gripper Sponsor: SMC Import & Distribution Machinery Award – SME: recognising innovation and success in equipment launched in Australia in the past three years. Finalists are: Packsize – The M1: Global Modular Architecture and Advanced Functionality Pacmatix Pty Ltd – GSP 50s Flow Wrapper Import & Distribution Machinery Award – Corporate: recognising innovation and success in equipment launched in Australia in the past three years. Finalists are: Foodmach Pty Ltd – Mengibar MassFlow Filler-Capper Omni Group – VentX Unico Ventilated Pallet Wrapping Machine Rhima Australia – Rhima RPC washer and automation Packaging Design Innovation Award: recognising design innovation and success as a result of a new idea or modification introduced into a packaging design. Finalists are: GS1 Australia – 2DBarcodes on packaging by GS1: Welcome to the new dimension Heat & Control – Ishida Inspira Series Snack Food Bagmaker Select […]

SYSPRO Cloud ERP gains traction amidst ongoing supply chain disruptions Following from an extensive early adopter program, SYSPRO, a global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software provider, has launched its Cloud ERP deployment option to Australian manufacturers and distributors. Designed to make things possible in key industries, SYSPRO Cloud ERP provides businesses with the agility to meet evolving market demands amidst ongoing supply chain disruptions. SYSPRO Cloud ERP offers manufacturers multiple benefits including the ability to collaborate in real-time, the capacity to adopt best industry practice, the proficiency to customise requirements and reduce IT Infrastructure, resilience and management costs, as well as the ability to future-proof operations. Research shows that the vulnerabilities caused by supply chain disruptions have increased focus on resiliency, transparency and visibility. According to the recent SYSPRO global research survey titled ‘Realigning the links of the disconnected supply chain’, 70 percent of manufacturing and distribution businesses experienced supply chain disruptions over the last few years. Added to those pressures,60 percent of businesses were unable to engage and collaborate with customers and suppliers in real-time. While collaboration and supply chain disruptions have been the biggest areas of impact, only 45 percent of businesses have the systems in place to address these disruptions and effectively collaborate with external suppliers and customers. “Manufacturers have come to realise that in order to overcome supply chain disruptions, their business operations need to consider a different approach to ensure supply-chain resiliency. We are now witnessing a time where manufacturers and distributors are considering the value in the journey towards digital transformation with cloud at the centre of that strategy. With the pandemic, their cautious hesitancy to adopt cloud systems has been largely allayed as they acknowledge that the cloud allows for collaboration, communication and business continuity. “With SYSPRO Cloud ERP, manufacturers and distributors still get the […]

OFS and The 5th Ingredient partner for US and Australian craft beer expansion

Australian manufacturing performance software company, OFS, and US ‘grain-to-glass’ brewery data management company, The 5th Ingredient, have signed a first-of-its-kind craft brewing partnership to help the companies expand in each other’s home markets to help the craft beer industry become more data driven. OFS’s software, which uses sensors to draw real-time data from the packing line to identify and reduce inefficiencies and waste, has become the de facto standard for filling and packing-line efficiency monitoring in Australia. It is already used by around half of Australia’s craft breweries including Stomping Ground and Tribe Breweries. The 5th Ingredient, founded in the craft beer capital of San Diego, has had similar success in the US with its proprietary Beer30 brewery software, which assesses data from the moment raw ingredients are purchased to when the can, bottle or keg is sold. The 5th Ingredient has already deployed its software in more than 10 per cent of the Australian industry, while OFS, having recently launched in the US, has already signed its first three US breweries including Pelican Brewing Company, a leading Oregon-based craft brewery. The brewing software specialists now aim to expand their footprint across both countries’ entire industries, at a rate of 100 breweries a year. The software integration between Beer30 and OFS provides unmatched visibility into yield, covering losses from every step of the brewing and packing process in real time. For example, OFS could capture a series of downtimes on the filler correlating to a CO2 quality issue captured by Beer30, which has affected a portion of the product. If the overall problem is related to raw ingredients, it could also identify the relevant batch and which products were affected, preventing a larger-than-needed product recall. Importantly, both OFS and Beer30 are viable solutions for brewers of all sizes where efficiency […]

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