Ostara – The origin of the name
Ostara has its roots in change. Changes in process, changes in behaviour and changes in quality and cost.
Ostara is the pagan word for the feast of Easter and synonymous with rebirth and becoming something better, something beautiful.
A butterfly does just that and we were taken to thinking of the saying
“The flapping of a butterfly’s wings can lead to a hurricane weeks later…”.
This has its origins in chaos theory where essentially it is suggested that small inputs can have large impacts/repercussions.
We believe that this is what Ostara can do for its clients. With seemingly small changes to process and behaviour we can bring about great change and meaningful change.
The Butterfly Effect is a concept that small causes can have large effects. Initially used with weather prediction the term became a metaphor used in and out of science.
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state.
The name, coined by Edward Lorenz for the effect which had been known long before, is derived from the metaphorical example of the details of a hurricane (exact time of formation, exact path taken) being influenced by minor perturbations such as the flapping of the wings of a distant butterfly several weeks earlier. Lorenz discovered the effect when he observed that runs of his weather model with initial condition data that was rounded in a seemingly inconsequential manner would fail to reproduce the results of runs with the unrounded initial condition data.
A very small change in initial conditions had created a significantly different outcome.
Wikipedia
Nexus – The name says it all
The primary meaning of “nexus” is “a connection or series of connections linking two or more things” or “a central link or connection.” This perfectly describes our system, which acts as the central hub for all facilities-related information and processes, and all communication between parties involved in the maintenance process.
Additionally, “Nexus” implies a seamless interconnectivity between different modules and data points, allowing them to work together rather than in isolated silos. The Ostara System is the focal point for all facilities operations. It’s where all client users and resources go to get an overview of their current maintenance activity, create jobs, run reports, and make strategic decisions based on consolidated data.
By acting as a nexus, the system brings clarity to complex facility operations. It helps control disparate functions by providing a unified platform, reducing fragmentation and improving oversight.
Finally, as facilities management becomes more complex, a “nexus” suggests a system that can adapt and expand, connecting new technologies or data streams as they emerge, thereby growing with the organisation’s needs. Ostara’s CAFM system has always been based on this concept of flexibility, and can scale and adapt to client needs.
In essence, “Nexus” communicates the idea of a unified, central, and intelligent platform that brings all critical elements of facilities management together, enabling better control, efficiency, and decision-making.