SIM Caribbean

SIM Caribbean, a division of Shift2 (former SIM Group), has been serving clients across the Caribbean since 2009, specialising in providing innovative digital solutions to the public sector. With a diverse client base of various governmental bodies, SIM previously provided on its own meeting management platform. However, after deciding to shift focus towards web and portal solutions, the company sought an external partner to enhance its digital meeting management offering.

SIM Caribbean needed a solution that was reliable, intuitive and scalable to accommodate the unique requirements of its clients. And it found just that in iBabs. 

Meeting procedures before iBabs

SIM Caribbean’s clients, primarily governmental bodies, needed a meeting management and archiving solution that was secure, easy to use and didn’t require significant time or technical expertise to implement. Wesley Eleonora, Managing Director at SIM Caribbean, explains:

“Most of my clients are focused on their core activities, with meetings serving to support various business processes. They prefer not to spend excessive time managing complex application functionality and instead value straightforward, user-friendly solutions that seamlessly integrate into their daily workflows.”

The existing systems were inadequate and not user-friendly, requiring significant time and effort to ensure meetings are complete and all meeting documents are included. He also noted the necessity in the Caribbean market for diverse audiences, stating:

“In our assessment, we took into account other systems our governance clients already have in place. Aside of requirements on reliability and user-friendliness, the proposed meeting management system had to integrate seamlessly with Company Webcast as well as most used document management system(s) in the region.”

The shift

SIM Caribbean already had a trusted partnership with Company Webcast since inception back in 2009 for streaming parliamentary (public) sessions. With iBabs fully integrated with Company Webcast, it was a natural choice for SIM Caribbean to look to iBabs.

As such, in 2020, SIM Caribbean partnered with iBabs to offer a simple, scalable, and reliable meeting management solution to its clients, which include parliaments, councils and boards across the Caribbean. iBabs stood out for its intuitive interface, which allowed government decision-makers to focus on governance without struggling with complicated software. As Wesley recalls: 

"We advised our clients in this region to migrate to the best option on the market, backed by a solid global track record. Partnering with iBabs made perfect sense to me.”

What set iBabs apart in particular was its ease of use, as Wesley stated:

“I remember in the first demo presentations I received of the platform; it seemed really simple to use. And this certainly was very important…”

Their core clientele, he explained, consists of decision-makers in the government, and not tech specialists. So, ease of use was a crucial factor. iBabs’ intuitive interface allowed SIM Caribbean’s clients to focus on their governance responsibilities without being bogged down by complicated technology. They found iBabs to be a user-friendly platform, easy to incorporate into existing workflows without disruption. 

The solution

SIM Caribbean and iBabs officially became partners in 2020, and the impact of this collaboration made its mark instantly. Notable achievements of the implementation include:

Public Entity of Bonaire
Picture a small island with a big challenge: they needed a centralised system that could streamline various types of meetings. iBabs’ solution was implemented at all levels and departments of the Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire (OLB), the island’s public entity. Integrated to their document/case management system, iBabs was able to optimize internal work processes and phased for each organisational unit. Subsequently, their Island Council also migrated to iBabs, integrated with Company Webcast in their newly renovated meeting area, Passangrahan. SIM coordinated the renewal of their main website, and the iBabs/Company Webcast migration. Bonaire’s success became a showcase of what can be achieved when integrated technology adapts to fit the needs of a government and its community. 

Ongoing partnership 

The collaboration between iBabs and SIM Caribbean continues to thrive, thanks to a mutual understanding of the specific challenges faced by governmental bodies – many of which mirror those in the Netherlands. iBabs and SIM Caribbean have consistently provided joint support that recognises the needs of clients in the Caribbean, a region going through an exciting digital transformation. 

Wesley expressed that these implementations also emphasise the robustness and reliability of our global support, stating:

“What I like is that even though clients here know I’m the official partner and local point of contact on behalf of iBabs, it’s nice that within the partner’s team, there is also a colleague who acts as a back-up point of contact, like a sidekick, ensuring that clients always have a personalised support in case I’m not available. So, that’s great, and our customers really appreciate that we can guarantee continuity.”

Wesley remarked how satisfied clients are with this partnership, stating: 

“The system sells itself... existing clients are excited to tell how easy it is with iBabs to potential new clients, how it adds value, contributes to their paperless – and good governance goals. This signifies its success.”

The extensive experience and flexibility of iBabs have enabled SIM Caribbean to broaden its reach beyond governmental clients, making the system an appealing solution for semi-governmental and private organisations in the region as well.

The road ahead

With iBabs, SIM Caribbean has found a reliable, user-friendly and scalable solution that meets the needs of governmental bodies and beyond. This partnership highlights how a cutting-edge meeting management and collaboration platform, paired with localised expertise and dedicated support, can effectively drive successful digital transformation even in the most complex and demanding environments.

As a result of this successful partnership, SIM Caribbean is extending its iBabs offering to additional islands, including St. Maarten and Sint Eustatius, where implementations are currently in progress. With well over 500 iBabs-users in the region, SIM Caribbean continues to explore opportunities in Latin America, leveraging the multilingual capabilities and scalability of iBabs to meet the needs of a much broader audience.