Since January 2020, the world has been facing the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has reached every community, every state, and every country leading to the current health crisis. The world is trying to gather itself and trying to understand what happens next. The fact is that due to disruption caused by COVID-19 we have already experienced digital transformation in the last 1 month than we have seen in the last 20 years. Due to this pandemic workers, companies are facing great loss and suffering from quarantines and closures, other areas of economies are innovating and/or growing. These areas include pharmaceutical, telecom, internet, and health care.
To fully understand what is happening, we must realize that these changes will be driven by new mindsets and behaviors that our society is now starting to adopt. We are already seeing glimpses such as video conferencing, ordering food over the internet is more efficient now than we ever experienced before. What we are experiencing during a crisis will change our mindsets or behaviors to avoid this pain in the future. The changes will happen in stages and these stages are our present-day situation, which is the breakdown of infrastructure and societal functions.
The second stage is which we are approaching is stabilization which is the most critical function such as supply chains, basic services, and money flow. The third stage is long-lasting which will begin in 2021. New policies and new solutions will be made to have a desire world.
Data, AI, and technology will have a key role
As we are seeing changes in mindset and behavior this shows that we are about to see a new world. One thing that we have already witnessed a tremendous widening of the digital divide. Any firm or organization that is part of the digital world is actually more critical than ever before.
Data, core technology, AI will not go anywhere in fact they will grow further than ever before. Whether you are professional, student, or investor, it will be critical to understanding what’s next and where the opportunities will be in the world post-2020.
The new telecom and IT infrastructure
Our ability to work without the internet is not good because in today’s world you can’t do anything. We were never before limited on communicating digitally, ordering online, working from home, relying on internet-enabled entertainment. Due to this pandemic telecom, internet providers will have much more importance now. At the same time, their core services will need to adapt and innovate for reliability, performance, and customer services.
Cyber-security and physical security
Systems that are created for safety and security whether it is a digital world or physical world and a new digital world has never been this critical before. Nowadays in this crisis, everything is going online like video conferencing, and online classes for students. These are done by using apps like Zoom and Zoom video conferencing has increased its call volume from 10 million per day to 200 million per day in the 4 months from December 2019 to March 2020.
Automation everywhere
This particularly includes healthcare platforms and algorithms to track social contact, inform people before they get sick, and let healthcare and governments know when infections are starting to spread. Automation is basically done through robotic, drone-based, and remote control applications and it will go faster than ever before.
Supply chain
Supply chains are never seen this much as they are seen in this pandemic. This pandemic has shown us that they are still vulnerable to shortages, hoardings, worker safety issues, and global politics. Supply is basically technology-based and more innovation should be done to this field too.
No-touch technologies
This means as we are seeing this disease is spreading through contact with any substance so, technologies should be made advanced so that people pick up less illness by touching fewer items. Examples may include payments without signing, doors without handles, etc. those days are gone when people used to share a pen with the bank teller, people will be more aware of their health and hygiene in the future than they were in past.
Why businesses are accelerating their digital transformation efforts now?
Enhancing employee collaboration during the COVID-19 outbreak
Remote work will always be supported by businesses and leaders even after the crisis has been over. This situation where employees are physically separated has completely changed the way our employees collaborate and work together.
By watching the current situation in this crisis companies are accepting the technology which would help them in getting their work done by the employees. As companies are launching initiatives to enhance cross-functional collaboration during the outbreak, employees are no longer expected to work cut off from one another.
This is obvious that remote teams need to well connected with each other so it improves their communication and to better align strategies. This is why we are now witnessing the implementation of new technologies and many digital transformation projects.
Ensuring the right flow of information
In times of the crisis such as the Coronavirus pandemic, your internal communication should be clear, transparent, and easy to understand. It is very important at this time that you reach the right employee at the right time with the right message. At this time leaders, employers, and internal communicators must improve their communication efforts.
However, some companies have a complex internal communication ecosystem, and it often makes employees feel overwhelmed with too much or irrelevant information, confused, and oftentimes, this results in important information being ignored by employees. At this time of crisis, every organization should improve communication because any business can’t afford to have an employee which misses out any information or any other leads on the project. That’s why you need to improve their internal communication and it is the most important digital transformation project for most of them.
Maintaining employee productivity during the crisis
Most of the companies have made arrangements to accommodate remote working before the corona outbreak because they know the loss of employees. Their priority was to protect their employees at all costs.
Nowadays all are working from home so, the businesses are trying to figure out some different ways in which they can have their productivity on top to maintain employees’ productivity. They are in search of marketing, sales, development, internal communications, human resources, and other tech solutions to ensure continuous business performance even during these unexpected circumstances.
Enabling leaders for success
During these times, it is crucial that business leaders and managers demonstrate good leadership skills in order to increase business resilience and prepare for rebound and future growth. However, many leaders are facing a problem that they had never experienced before as this crisis is new for most people. But in order to reduce this challenge digital transformation and technology departments are working closely with leaders to help them streamline and continue effective workplace management.
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