Faced with margin pressures and increasing competition, fresh food wholesalers are turning to Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to drive efficiency, scale operations and improve service. For non-technical business leaders, understanding the importance of data and platform security when selecting a SaaS provider is crucial. When you are evaluating SaaS tools (whether for order management, picking, delivery, invoicing or payment), questions about data security for food wholesale should be part of your decision-making process.
Make sure the software suppliers that you are talking to have the technology, policies and processes in place to protect you and your business. You should see it as a red flag if their responses on platform security seem vague or short on specifics.
Understanding the Stakes
For most businesses, data isn’t just essential to keep the wheels turning; it’s a strategic asset. Customer information, pricing and intellectual property are all valuable if they fall into the wrong hands.
Cybercriminals have generally targeted other sectors in their highest profile attacks, so far at least.
But even accidental leaks of sensitive data online can put your reputation at risk, erode customer trust, and have legal consequences.
Data Security Features to Look For
When evaluating a SaaS provider, these are just some of the critical security features you should consider:
Data Encryption
Encryption acts as a fundamental barrier, making it difficult for unauthorised users to access your data even if they breach other defences. Data should be encrypted both in transit and at rest.
Encryption in transit ensures that data sent from one location to another (for example, between your computer and a cloud server) cannot be read or tampered with if it is intercepted.
Encryption at rest focuses on securing data when it is stored on a disk or server (i.e. when it is not actively moving from place to place). It reduces the risk of data breaches from stolen hard drives or unauthorised server access.
Data Centre Security for Food Wholesale
The physical security of data centres where your data is hosted is just as important as online security measures. Fresho hosting is provided by AWS. The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure and Platform Services has named AWS a Leader for 12 years in a row. So if the platform provider you are thinking of using is not hosted on AWS, Gartner has assessed it as lacking in either product vision or ability to execute.
AWS designed the data centres used by Fresho to meet the most stringent security requirements in the world. They are monitored 24/7 to help ensure data confidentiality, integrity and availability.
And when you need to get deliveries out the door to your customers, it helps to know that AWS delivers the highest network availability of any cloud provider in the world.
User Access Controls
SaaS platforms should offer configurable user access controls, which allow you to set permissions based on roles within your business. That ensures employees only have access to the information necessary for their jobs.
Don’t want your pickers to be able to change pricing, or your drivers to see delivery values? Easily done, but only if your platform offers user access controls.
Certifications and Security Audits Underpin Data Security for Food Wholesale
Ask potential software providers whether they or their data centre operators undergo regular security audits and hold certifications such as ISO 2700 1 or SOC 2. These certifications are evidence of a provider’s commitment to security and to continuous improvement in that area, where the stakes are always changing.
Selecting a SaaS provider with a strong focus on data security for food wholesale is not just about protecting data. It’s about safeguarding your business integrity and reputation. By prioritising data and platform security, you can ensure your own and your customers’ data remains secure in a volatile digital world.
The good news is that careful selection of the right SaaS platform will give you access to best practice standards in this area.
