How Has Pandemic Transformed Business Operations And Team Management?

COVID-19 has been challenging businesses all over the world to take measures to adapt to an even faster pace of digital and communication transformation brought by the pandemic. The way people communicate, processes are run and technology is used is changing to some extent for every entity regardless of the industry.

Some companies have to invest in building out digital capabilities to continue generating sales and engaging with customers while others are looking into how to improve the communication tools for a quicker and easier interaction within the team. Everyone is experiencing some kind of business transformation these times. Let’s have a closer look at how business operations and team management have changed over the last 3 months of the pandemic.

As for people, the first thing that comes to mind is communication as well as the way it has changed and affected the company’s performance during coronavirus. For sure, there have been challenges when adapting to working remotely and building strong digital communication, especially in times of uncertainty. It required a lot of the companies to become digitally flexible and rethink the way their teams communicate and interact. Managers and team members had to get used to working with Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and other platforms to stay in touch with their colleagues, clients. and suppliers in order to carry out tasks efficiently. Consistent communication among the team was very important to build and maintain morale and engagement at the times of social distancing.

For automation purposes, companies had to increase their spendings on online collaboration tools such as video conferences and email solutions. Business owners have invested in next-generation customer support platforms, among them being chatbots and remote maintenance to address the new environment with the help of high tech and robotic solutions.

Nowadays every business knows that changes, whether in business or team management, technology or process-wise actually make a difference and can have a great impact on the organization. However, in normal conditions, it takes time for the company to implement new initiatives and, on the other hand for the clients to adapt to them. In times of crisis though businesses, as well as customers, learn fast enough to keep up to the pace of change around them. That’s why it’s high time companies ask themselves: What are the actions we’ve hesitated to pursue in the past, even though we know they would eventually be required?

With social-distancing putting traditional locations of consumer engagement on hold, brands have turned to online, not only to connect but also to create new opportunities for their audience. Here is how different traditionally offline points became active online.

• Gyms and fitness companies had to get creative with their physical locations closed, so they started live-streaming exercise classes and releasing at-home workout plans.
• The original rules of fashion have also been disrupted by COVID-19. The first digital Shanghai Fashion Week created an opportunity to bring the show to a broader consumer audience totaling to over 11 million views, thus becoming a new norm for the industry.
• To limit human contact companies like Walmart, Amazon, UPS, and Domino’s Pizza have been testing drones to cater for essentials, medicine, and food; it also allowed them to cut delivery costs.

Digital transformation can be a difficult transition for some businesses, but it is more than possible to take small but confident steps towards new initiatives with the right communication, tools, and leadership. The situation caused by the pandemic has forced short-term adaptation but should be viewed as a step towards digital transformation, offering more flexibility to customers and employees and potentially opening new revenue opportunities.

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