The coronavirus pandemic has taught us all a lesson on the importance of technology and being prepared for the unexpected. Creating a digital readiness infrastructure within a company to allow businesses and employees to operate as normally as possible is nothing new. Previously, this has taken the form of a disaster recovery plan and keeping applications, data and infrastructure secure and accessible for a fairly quick return to business as usual. But as we all know, this has not been business as usual. In order to survive the next unknown disruption, companies will need to build a technology infrastructure to support a digital environment with up-to-date hardware and applications for their employees, collaboration tools for their suppliers and factories and a way to maintain communication and support for customers and consumers.
Working Remotely
While some companies have employees or contractors who regularly work remotely, most companies are not prepared for 100% of the workforce to be able to do so. Aside from ensuring employees have solid internet connections and adequate hardware (computer, tablet, smart phones, etc.), companies need to provide video conference tools and secure access to work applications and files, collaborative tools to interact with colleagues and the ability to manage tasks and workflow.
For employees who are used to the social interaction a good work environment engenders, working from home can be a shock. For employees who share their home (and internet access) with other adults and/or children, trying to carve out a physical space and undivided time to accomplish their daily work can be a challenge at best. A certain amount of flexibility must be granted to allow employees to get their work done in a timely manner, and it may not fall within a standard 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. window. Then again, not all work can be done remotely, which creates disparity in the work environment and a major disruption to business as usual. Plus, what can be done when technology fails? Computers crash, internet access can be spotty, and whom do you call for technical support?
Vendor Portals & Supply Chain
It would be an understatement to say the pandemic has created disruptions to the global supply chain. Many suppliers and factories are completely shut down with no concrete plans to re-open. Manufacturers with limited to no visibility of the status of their products are handcuffed to old ways of working. Substantial dependencies on paper-based records or manual spreadsheets have made keeping track of existing supply chains vulnerable to any pandemic.
While the use of vendor portals to manage data, product development, samples and finished goods still won’t get goods out the door, onto a container and into a warehouse, it will provide (hopefully) accurate data which can be leveraged for payments and/or securing financing. Cloud computing, blockchain and the lovely Internet of Things (IoT) are building a better supply chain and enabling companies to share data real-time.
Digital Payments
More than a few companies still print out checks on a regular basis. There’s nothing wrong with printing checks, and I, for one, am always happy to receive a check in the mail. However, in order to print checks, you need to have a printer capable of printing checks and possibly a person, stamp or imprint machine to sign the checks and mail them. That’s not so easy when you’re working remotely.
Digital or contactless payments are the way forward for many companies. Digital payments don’t get lost in the mail. Many brick-and-mortar retailers are only accepting contactless payment via cards or e-wallets. Yet, according to the World Bank, over 1.7 billion people do not have access to bank accounts, internet access or the ability to convert a digital payment to cash. There’s a long way to go with digital payments, but companies should be prepared to send and receive payments digitally in the very near future.
3D Technology
Advancements in 3D applications have grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years. Digital patterns and digital fabric swatches can be transformed into digital samples, which can be viewed by the appropriate teams and shared within the company for product development. If sample rooms are shut down, digital samples can do much of the heavy lifting and actually save the company a lot of money in the short and long run. Many companies are utilizing their video conferencing applications to present 100% digital line reviews and fashion shows. Not every company has a need for 3D printing, but it was heartening to see many companies turn their 3D printers into production lines for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 crisis.
Websites
Utilizing a consumer-facing website to keep people informed is always important, especially during these uncertain times. Make sure to keep your websites up to date with the most current information. If you’re still shipping product, but there’s a delay in delivery times, let your consumers know. They’re much more likely to be understanding if they’re kept in the loop.
Keeping your suppliers, vendors, factories, employees, landlords and banks up to date on all relevant information is the goal, so when business is back to “normal,” hopefully you’ve minimized the negative impact to your business. Utilizing the right tools and having a digital readiness infrastructure will help you achieve it.
Jill Mazur is an independent business process and technology consultant based in Los Angeles, California. She can be reached at
jillmazur@yahoo.com.
