We have just passed the one-year anniversary of when the world completely changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. There are many things that we have learned about resiliency, people and technology over the past 12 months.
The importance of cloud technology became acutely apparent as companies had to shut their doors and send employees home to work. We were also faced with one of the most disruptive events that businesses have seen and the impact it had on their operations and customer behavior.
We have hope on the horizon in the near future. It looks like we will be getting some semblance of normalcy back but the version of “normal” we enter post-pandemic is going to look a bit different than the one that we left behind.
The number of people working remotely on a permanent basis is expected to double in 2021.
Let us look back at some of the lessons that we have learned during the pandemic and how you can apply those to your business to be better prepared for the future.
Companies That Pay Attention to Business Continuity Do Better During Crisis
Approximately 70% of businesses do not have a documented disaster recovery strategy. This leaves them with a larger risk of going under should a crisis occur because they don’t have a plan in place to pivot and recover quickly.
Business continuity is much more than just a corporate buzzword. It is about putting vital systems in place that keep your company operating in the face of a work-stopping event like a natural disaster, major outage or pandemic.
If you want your business to suffer less cost and downtime when the next disaster strikes, it is vital to put business continuity at the top of your company priority list.
Landline Phone Systems Are Outdated
Many organizations have been holding on to landline-based phone systems for decades because it is what they are used to. However, just like landlines have been disappearing from homes because there are better options, it is also time to rethink analog business communications.
VoIP has come a long way since it was first introduced. It now has crystal-clear call quality and all the bells and whistles of an enterprise-class phone system. The biggest benefit is that it can keep your phone lines up and running no matter what may happen at your physical business location.
An internet-based phone system is also available anywhere. This means that remote employees can have their own lines and extensions to make and receive calls just like with legacy systems.
Companies Need to Pay Attention to Employee Experience
Remote teams have been shown to be more productive due to fewer interruptions, fewer late days and less personal days taken off. However, there are still challenges for employees that begin working from home.
Here are some of those most mentioned in a post-COVID survey of remote workers:
- Difficulty unplugging after work (22%)
- Loneliness (19%)
- Difficulty collaborating/communicating (17%)
- Distractions at home (10%)
- Staying motivated (8%)
To keep employees engaged, motivated and still feeling connected to their colleagues, it is important for companies to pay attention to the employee experience and find tools that can help improve communication for remote teams.
Technology Infrastructure Is Now Cloud Infrastructure
Throughout this century, companies have gone through putting together a technology infrastructure as digital solutions have quickly infiltrated just about everything people do at home and at work.
The pandemic has shown us that it is time for companies to equate technology in general with the cloud and build cloud infrastructure to keep their business resilient and adaptable to whatever challenges or opportunities may come.
This means migrating to cloud tools and deciding on a cloud foundation of public, private or cloud hybrid. Companies can’t just piece together a patchwork of different cloud apps if they want to continue to grow and optimize. They need a cloud strategy.
We Can Get Much More Creative With Technology
There were a lot of firsts during the pandemic when it came to new ways to connect and serve customers through lock-down restrictions. We also saw just about every event and meeting transition to live video. We saw everything from large conferences like Adobe Max to everyday city council meetings and court appearances.
Companies came up with innovative contactless solutions to make customers feel secure by utilizing technology.
Through the pandemic, we have learned that we may not have been fully pushing the boundaries of what technology can do for customer experience and business optimization.
It took having to do things differently to get more creative with IT. This is a lesson to us to inject innovation and creativity regularly if you want to grow your business and gain a competitive edge.
Let Us Plan Your Cloud Roadmap for Resiliency!
Sound Computers can help your Connecticut business put together a business continuity strategy and craft a cloud roadmap to keep your operations resilient.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call 860-577-8060 or reach us online.