Business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic

Our global economy is turning around, reforming industries with unprecedented challenges and uncertainties, but also opening up new opportunities.

Organizations are accelerating their digital transformation processes as their teams try to adapt to these changes as fast as they can.

Many countries around the world have established new rules and legislation that affect human behaviour and are requiring individuals and companies to define new ways of working. Some companies have already started on the path of transforming their operating models and others are still in the process of defining where to start. COVID-19 is pushing us to define and deploy these new models, faster than originally thought.
Best practices in leveraging technology and data to make better business decisions can accelerate the right path to transformation. This must be accompanied by changes in processes and culture.

There is no digital transformation without a cognitive transformation.

We need to reform not only our habits, behaviour and the way we interact with each other, but also the way we think about our business and the way we innovate beyond industries and regions.
From now on, organizations must be flexible enough to prepare for quarantined employees, office and facility closures, decreased travel for face-to-face meetings, abrupt changes in the behavior of their customers and all stakeholders.

A rapid response project, which focuses on enabling core processes in three critical areas:

Turning your business into a fully remote operation will require senior management to have a clear understanding of your equipment's daily needs.
First, make sure your employees have access to the tools they need to do their jobs (a solid Internet connection, a second monitor, etc.). Connecting to equipment regularly by video conference will be essential to maintain the necessary routine and delivery schedule.

Compliance issues can be segmented according to priority. It is essential to maintain commitment to the cyber security and privacy policy.
Finally, make sure that your employees can carry out their tasks by means of a user-friendly and customer-centric approach. While it is important to establish a sense of calm firmness, employees must understand the need for the entire company to innovate and find new ways to satisfy current customers and to find new ones.

If your company hasn't already done so, identify and map your core processes to assess their reallocation and adaptation. If possible, spread the risk by relocating critical work to different locations. Core processes must be adapted to the crisis situation to ensure continuity and minimum impact.
To monitor the transition, create a multi-disciplinary team crisis management plan that includes a senior manager from each of the following areas: Infrastructure, Communications, Legal, External Experts (e.g. epidemiologist), Operations, People/HR and build a contingency plan, with different scenarios, action plan, owners and responsibilities.
At Systemscorp we hold biweekly inter-departmental meetings to address the context with new initiatives, projects, creativity and innovation.
Managers should be at the forefront with a planned cascade of possible actions. Finally, remember that when these changes occur, based on the decisions of your crisis management team, keep in mind that employees must be informed promptly and guided through these changes accordingly.

A targeted, high-impact communication strategy within the company is key to effective transition and adoption of safe behaviors, also to strengthen relationships for geographically dispersed or remote workers.
Establish a centralized set of channels for all employees to use if they have problems, questions or concerns, including email, direct messaging, an extranet, daily, weekly or bi-weekly open question and answer sessions, etc.
Validate the disposition of your ongoing communication channels so that the change reaches all interested parties.

This global crisis forces leaders to think outside the box to save their business and protect not only the monthly income but also the health of their employees and their families.
Leaders must take proactive measures by providing their teams with the right infrastructure and tools to work from home, flex their operations and processes as quickly as possible without risking their cyber security and compliance standards, and establish business continuity plans that are geographically and culturally appropriate to local regulations and avoid many different scenarios.

COVID-19 is a global challenge that we all share at the same time and it invites us to forget our differences and work together towards a common goal.

It is time to accelerate the digital and cognitive transformation, to be more creative and agile, to be friendly, to find and create new opportunities with a collaborative mindset.