As businesses are preparing to reopen, they are realizing it is not as simple as turning the demobilization model around and following the footsteps in reverse order. In order to return to better than business as usual, you will need to change how you operate. If you don’t change, the new normal will be painful and may eventually fail. You can avoid the pain and failure by leveraging innovative technology. Here’s how to take advantage of innovation to survive and thrive.
First, a few baseline points:
To meet any degree of operational resilience, one must first recognize that the business is woven together like a fabric. All the threads fit tightly together to accomplish one cohesive purpose. We need to consider all the threads that enable the organization to fulfill its’ purpose.
When we think in silos, we act in silos. To achieve success in managing any disruptive event, it is imperative that we think collectively and act collaboratively.
The collaboration starts long before the event happens and certainly before it is time to restore the operation. Being prepared starts with being informed. How does your business work? How might it break? How can we protect it, prepare and respond?
To answer these questions, you need data. Data that on the surface appears to be disparate from many of the various threads. In reality, incomplete, inaccurate, and disconnected data results in chaos and confusion. Both in reacting/responding to the event and restoring business operations.
Business leaders need to redefine the concept and approach to resiliency.
This new viewpoint is the springboard to intelligence that enables informed business decisions to better manage the disruptive event and on a daily operational level.
Innovative technology will allow your organization to:
It is through innovative technology that business leaders will have the facts to help them address the myriad of questions and issues to be addressed in order to prepare and conduct a return to business operations. More importantly, technology can present a broad enough, single view to help them return to a better business.
In terms of reopening from the pandemic. Leaders should consider a 3-part approach:
Can we return? In other words: Are we eligible to reopen?
The questions that need to be addressed include:
The proper technology will enable you to document the requirements. Collect your ability (in real-time) to comply with the requirements at each location and through each business service. Monitor your eligibility based on the compliance status and clearly see any gaps and assign the issues to the appropriate leader for resolution. Clearly recognize the business impacts of certain areas not in compliance.
Should we return? In other words: Are we capable of reopening?
The questions that need to be addressed include:
The proper technology will enable business leaders to collect information (real-time) from all employees about their ability to return. Confirm your supply chain and service chain partners are able to meet your requirements to fulfil your ecosystem. Report current state of environmental and safety remediation required, necessary and the status of each item from each of your locations. Identify and monitor the risk and impacts to business services and manage resource capabilities.
How do we return? In other words: Are we fully ready to reopen?
The question that need to be addressed include:
The proper technology will enable business leaders to push standard actions to plans from a centralized library, orchestrate the sequence of tasks across the enterprise, and easily collect information from internal and external stakeholders into a single system for appropriate decisions. This includes everyone’s readiness to return to supporting the business at an acceptable level and finally confirm the organization’s readiness to reopen through real-time reports and dashboards.
There is no doubt these are trying times for everyone. I encourage you to take a step back and recognize the following:
This is a moment of truth for firms – for their resilience, purpose, values and commitments – but also agility and creativity. We don’t know for sure what will happen in the future. But when it does come, we need to be ready for it in advance. There will be lasting shifts, new needs, and different priorities. Organizations that consider and address impacts across the short, mid, and long-term will turn a crisis into an opportunity. Companies need to be prepared, agile and decisive. Leveraging the right innovative technologies will enable firms to emerge a better business going forward.
Learn more about COVID-19 restoration and download the Post-COVID-19: Planning for a New Normal and After-Action Report Guidelines on the Resilience Toolkit.