For businesses, this means preparing for level 3, as well as having contingency plans in place to go back to level 4 or level 5, if need be, says John Woollam, CEO at Euphoria Telecom.
“Level 3, with greater freedoms, is likely to prove as complicated as government strives to ensure people social distance, wear masks, and disinfect hands, items and spaces,” Woollam comments.
Here are five key questions to ask yourself to ensure you are prepared:
Some areas and items will need to be disinfected after each use, which can be many multiple times a day. The business has to supply masks and ensure they are laundered.
Key question: How many staff can I keep working remotely in order to protect my people, suppliers and customers and manage virus-related costs?
For many businesses, the cost of maintaining a sanitised office space and a schedule to ensure only one-third of their staff are onsite at any given time will likely prove to be more costly than its worth.
Key question: How can I optimise remote operations to save costs and enhance productivity?
Many ecommerce companies pivoted to deliver essential goods instead, rather than shut down for the duration. You need to look at what you can do to work optimally in these circumstances.
Key question: What can I do to fill needs that are not being met?
Key question: What are the risks and benefits of moving operations remote for the long-term?
Equip your people with connectivity, laptops and the software tools they need to work and you’re protected from whatever market shifts may come in the future.
Key question: How equipped am I to deal with changes in lockdown levels and possible long-duration lockdowns and other disruptions in future?
It’s become a cliché to call things the new normal, but realistically, we don’t know what that is yet. We don’t know how long the pandemic will continue to disrupt business operations. And we don’t know how our customers and employees needs and requirements are going to change - although we can already start to see shifts, like the increased willingness of customers to buy online and deal indirectly.
Businesses need to be as flexible as possible if they hope to weather the ongoing disruption and that, in 2020, means equipping themselves with the mindset and the technology to operate, however, whenever, and wherever is needed and possible.