Security compliance is key to build customer trust

Overview

Company name RedBear
Website www.redbear.co.uk
Employees 10-15
Location Greater Manchester
Industry Energy Tech

Red Bear is an innovative software development company, offering specialised billing and customer management solutions for energy suppliers. Based in Greater Manchester, Red Bear has been growing fast since its founding in 2016, and prides itself on product innovation, thanks to a deep understanding of the electricity and gas markets, and excellent customer service.

The Challenge

Last year, one customer asked about IT security. A certification had not been high on the priority list, but it was clear that it was going to become a more urgent task. Chris had met Adoptech through one of their investors, to discuss business continuity. He decided to ask them about ISO 27001.

“Achieving ISO 27001 certification would have been much further out of reach for us without Adoptech”, says Chris. “Their combination of automated document management, structured workflows, and guidance from an expert practitioner is unique, and has helped us manage our time and resources efficiently, keep on top of the huge number of requirements and things to do, and have confidence in our progress.”

The Solution

His customers were quite impressed, too. “Even just knowing we were in the process of getting certified for ISO 27001 made a difference, both with prospects and to strengthen the trust in existing relationships. It really positioned us as being one step ahead of the game”, adds Chris.

Interestingly, it also made Red Bear’s operations more efficient. The team had feared that the certification process may make them slower and less productive. But in fact, the extra focus and discipline has improved quality and resulted in faster release cycles.

“I’m very grateful to Lucy Bowden”, continues Chris. “The tools are excellent, but there’s nothing like a real human on the line, showing empathy and confirming our progress. The combination of technology platform and expert guidance is what made it easy for novices like us to succeed”.

The Impact

Today, Red Bear considers its security compliance to be a key part of its value proposition. “The ISO 27001 certification proves our customers that we’re a serious player. In a regulated industry, standards are high – but we exceed them. Thanks to Adoptech, we were able to attain the same level of compliance as more established players, with larger resources, which is something that would not have been available to us otherwise. It’s a brilliant service.”