Email communication challenges at Alchelyst
Organizations frequently face the challenge of preventing confidential information from being emailed to unintended recipients. Empowering teams to avoid sending sensitive data to wrong individuals is essential to maintaining security and compliance.
Founded in 2023, Alchelyst services the diverse and complex demands of the alternative funds industry by prioritizing client-focused solutions and automation. With a team of 50 professionals spread across Ireland, Luxembourg, India, and the United States, Alchelyst excels in providing exceptional value to clients and their investors within the alternative asset management sector. It serves major investment funds spanning private equity, private debt, real estate, and other alternative asset categories.
One of the main challenges Alchelyst faced in daily email communication was the risk of staff sending messages to the wrong recipients or attaching incorrect documents. Such mistakes would often go unnoticed until after the emails were sent. These errors increased operational inefficiencies and data security risks for the business and led to wasted time as staff tried to recall or correct emails that had already been sent. With the high volume of email traffic the team managed each day chances of human error were always present, and Alchelyst needed a reliable solution to reduce this risk.
"As a startup delivering highly sensitive financial services, we knew from the outset that safeguarding outbound email communication was critical to maintaining client confidentiality. In previous roles at different organizations, many of us had seen how simple mistakes — like sending an email to the wrong recipient — could lead to serious breaches. At Alchelyst, we were determined to avoid those pitfalls," said Charles Gillanders, Chief Information Officer of Alchelyst.
The need to safeguard confidential information and reduce errors
To address these concerns, Alchelyst needed a reliable solution that could pause outbound emails, allowing users a final opportunity to review recipients and attachments before the message was sent. Security and error reduction were top concerns for Alchelyst, so they turned to Microsoft partner Standss (South Pacific) PTE Ltd, which specializes in developing and marketing Microsoft Outlook productivity tools. With over 20 years of experience, the company has built a reputation for creating solutions trusted by thousands of users worldwide. Its flagship product, SendGuard for Outlook, an add-in designed for Microsoft 365, helps organizations minimize email-related risks and improve productivity with built-in safeguards and custom confirmation steps.
SendGuard for Outlook: A comprehensive solution
SendGuard for Outlook provided Alchelyst with a tailored solution to address its specific needs. A unique feature of SendGuard is the delay send option. After clicking Send, users have a brief window of time to reconsider, make changes, or recall information that may have been omitted. This functionality has proven invaluable in preventing common mistakes that occur during the fast pace of daily communications at Alchelyst. It has drastically reduced errors caused by auto-complete mistakes or overlooked attachments. Additionally, the system flags situations where emails were being sent to more than one external domain, ensuring users exercise caution in high-risk scenarios. The ability to catch errors before emails leave the outbox distinguishes SendGuard from generic email safeguards.
“We built SendGuard on Microsoft’s trusted ecosystem to stop email errors before they happen. Alchelyst’s success shows the value of proactive protection,” said Sanjay Singh, CEO/CTO of Standss.
Benefits of SendGuard for Outlook
Since implementing SendGuard for Outlook, Alchelyst has experienced a significant reduction in email mistakes. Outbound email errors were reduced by 100 percent, mitigating the risk of sending sensitive information to the wrong recipients or with incorrect attachments. Alerts for emails addressed to multiple external domains added oversight, while the delay send functionality provided a safety window for edits and corrections, saving substantial time. The delay send feature has been particularly beneficial, as many users often recall important details or corrections immediately after sending an email. With the added delay, staff can edit emails before they leave the outbox, preventing potential errors on multiple occasions. These features not only improved staff confidence when sending critical communications but also enhanced internal workflows and strengthened data governance.
“SendGuard has been instrumental in helping our teams proactively identify and correct potential mistakes before they become issues, giving us greater confidence in every message we send,” Gillanders said.
By combining proactive prompts, real-time verification, and controlled email delivery, SendGuard for Outlook enabled Alchelyst to maintain high standards of accuracy and security without hindering daily operations. The solution resulted in a measurable reduction in errors, improved compliance, and increased efficiency, demonstrating its effectiveness in preventing mistakes and optimizing staff productivity when managing sensitive information.