Technology: how Seteco moved 150 employees to home office in 12 hours

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Seteco Consultoria Contábil faced a critical challenge: it needed to relocate 150 employees to remote work in just 12 hours, whilst maintaining the security and integrity of its clients' data. In an accounting firm, every precaution with file and document management is critical, as any inaccurate data can cause enormous losses for clients. The main challenges were: ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of client data—much of it sensitive; preventing data breaches and cyber-attacks; maintaining the high levels of productivity and performance of teams; ensuring that employees had secure access to the systems and applications necessary to work efficiently from home.

Seteco's Information Technology (IT) department implemented a comprehensive and integrated solution: 1) Contracted a private cloud network (VPN) that maintains monitored and encrypted access, ensuring employees log in with a password on their machines to access programmes and content. 2) Migrated telephone extensions directly to each employee's home. 3) Contracted a full ten-gigabit internet link distributed amongst all employees, and provided 4G modems with mobile data for those who needed them (by comparison, in the office internet links are via fibre optic, 100% dedicated with reduced SLA). 4) Virtualised internal applications imperceptibly to users, migrating programmes already in internal private cloud to an external private cloud. 5) Allocated 20 processor cores with 64 gigabytes of RAM on a virtual server to handle the three terabytes of programmes that exist at Seteco. 6) Migrated applications for tax and accounting calculation bases, payroll processing (hiring, termination, holiday), and other important systems. 7) Maintained digital accounting documents and files on the company's servers with secure access via VPN, without the need for applications such as Google Drive or Dropbox. 8) Provided employees with manuals containing procedures and protocols and opened dedicated technical support for clarifying questions and solving problems. 9) Migrated client meetings to virtual format using market applications, with recording and documentation of meetings.

Seteco successfully relocated 150 employees to remote work in just 12 hours, maintaining complete security and integrity of client data. There were no losses to clients or interruption of services. Processes operated without being subject to breaches or leaks of important accounting data from many companies. Employees maintained high levels of productivity and performance. The solution enabled the company to continue operating normally during the pandemic, with employees working safely from home. Client meetings became virtual, recorded and documented. Employees even managed to hold virtual happy hours and celebrate birthdays online. The accounting firm's digital DNA enabled the IT department to connect the entire team securely with immediate solutions, demonstrating the importance of integration between accounting and technology.