The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every industry across the world. No one expected this situation to happen, to begin with, so no one was prepared for what was coming. When governments around the world started imposing restrictions and safety regulations, various companies, especially small businesses, were the first to suffer significant losses. Let’s talk about how to adapt to the COVID-19 climate.
The majority of brick-and-mortar stores had to be closed down and a lot of people were laid off due to the lockdowns. That said, not only did businesses have to halt operations for a prolonged time period, but consumer purchasing power also decreased due to the sudden spike in unemployment rates.
The situation was dire for everyone, indeed. However, businesses had to adapt and they had to do it fast so that they could survive the pandemic. Fortunately, modern technology was there to aid them in doing so. With that in mind, here are a few ways how businesses are utilizing technology to adapt to the COVID-19 climate.
Video Conferencing
Almost every company prefers that their employees are all physically present in the office. That way, everyone can collaborate and work together like a well-oiled machine. Although the presence in the office is preferable, it’s not, in fact, necessary.
The global pandemic has proven that companies can manage just fine with the majority of their employees working from home. However, none of this would be possible without the help of modern technology.
Companies now use the latest video conferencing tools, instant messaging apps, and collaboration software to allow remote employees to interact as though they were all present in the office. This technology helps companies resume operations regardless of the global pandemic and government-imposed restrictions.
Due to the significant computing power and fast Internet speed, remote work is not only possible with the help of technology but also seamless. Even though they’re working from home, employees can still efficiently communicate with each other and with the company’s customers.
Preventing The Spread Of The Virus
It’s been more than a year since the pandemic has started, and things are slowly normalizing once again. A lot of companies are resuming operations, and their employees are coming back to work. However, the pandemic is far from over, and governments have provided rules and guidelines to companies to help prevent the spread of the disease.
These guidelines include wearing masks and gloves, social distancing, disinfection of offices, and so on. That’s all well and fine, but a lot of companies have decided to take an extra step in protecting their workforce. Of course, they’ve decided to utilize technology to do so.
A good example is the use of Bluetooth contact tracing technology. This allows companies to monitor employees while they’re at work. Should one employee exhibit the symptoms of the COVID-19, the company will know just how many employees were in direct contact with that worker. They can then proceed to send those contacts on sick leave so that they’ll spend at least two weeks in quarantine.
Seamless Transactions
Due to the global pandemic, consumer purchasing behavior has drastically changed. Modern consumers are now more concerned about their health and safety, which affects how they make purchases. As a matter of fact, the use of cash on a global scale has declined during the pandemic.
The reason behind this trend is not only due to the fact that a lot of stores are closed down but also because people are aware that the virus can survive on various surfaces and, therefore, spread more efficiently. One of those surfaces includes paper money. Businesses needed to quickly adapt to this change so they won’t lose customers in the process.
Technology allowed companies to find creative and innovative ways to overcome this obstacle. This is where QR codes come into play. Although this technology isn’t new, the pandemic proved to be an ideal time for this older tech to shine again. The codes allowed companies to provide customers with a whole new touch-free experience.
Connecting Through Social Media
The lockdowns ensured everyone was pretty much cut off for the rest of the world. Businesses and customers could only interact online. Social media proved to be more than an effective communication tool in these trying times.
The pandemic created a lot of confusion. Governments would lock down everything one day and loosen restrictions the next. People didn’t know what to do anymore. The best way to get information about a business is to contact them directly, and almost every business was readily available to communicate over social media.
Thanks to modern technology that enabled improved connectivity, companies were able to communicate with a large number of consumers at once. Social media proved to be ideal for this because you can inform your entire audience with a single social media post instead of having them all contact your customer service and support.
The COVID-19 outbreak is far from over, but companies have found a way to whither the storm. Without technology, this would be impossible to achieve, and both consumers and businesses would be left in the dark until the whole pandemic situation blows over.
