Corona virus creates unprecedented challenges for businesses worldwide, from keeping staff, customers and partners safe, to continuing to service clients, protecting the business and preparing to emerge from the crisis stronger and ready for the challenges to come.
Businesses will get through this with team working, discipline, adaptability, and empathy and care for everyone affected. We are all in it together.
United VARs members are adopting this approach globally to fulfil our duty of care to all our stakeholders and maintain excellent service to our clients, helping them to adapt to the new reality and prepare for the future.
Read more.
(1) Keeping teams and customers safe - remote working and business continuity
The first priority is to keep everyone safe. Every aspect of business continuity response must adhere to WHO and national government guidance and regulations.
Maximising use of communication and collaboration technology enables business to maintain service to its customers while meeting social distancing requirements.
Virtual help desks, increased use of video conferencing and secure remote systems access all help with this.
Face to face contact is kept to an absolute minimum, and where the customer or situation requires it, strict rules on hygiene and distancing are observed.
The situation is changing rapidly in every country, so keeping staff and customers updated is a critical part of the communications strategy, especially in a global business.
United VARs partners around the world are embracing this approach, combining smart use of technology with relentless focus on safety to maintain the service our customers expect.
To find out more about what individual United VARs partners are doing:
Check out Corona-Facing Packages by United VARs members
(2) Human Capital Management (HCM) and Short Time Working
Businesses are changing working patterns and practices to adapt to the situation, and HCM/HR processes and systems must support this.
Time recording for home workers, changes in remuneration for short time working and managing the distribution of essential personal protective equipment to staff; these are just a few examples of the range of changed and new processes which HCM needs to accommodate.
It is a stressful and uncertain time for colleagues. This stress can be minimised by making sure that HCM processes and systems are working effectively and that required changes are made and communicated swiftly and clearly.
The Hackett Group’s Harry Osle, Anthony DiRomualdo, and Michelle Boulineau deal with this area in more depth in "An HR Checklist For Dealing With The Corona Virus" . United VARs members are working with clients to deliver the HCM capabilities they require.
2BM has developed a COVID-19 package to manage reimbursement in SAP HCM and SuccessFactors. Read more here
(3) Cash-flow, Liquidity and Reporting Policy
Businesses are dealing with a massive falloff in revenue.
Keeping the business alive, dealing with the cash-flow issues and maintaining liquidity are the next critical priorities after keeping people safe.
In many cases, reporting policy has to change radically to accommodate the unprecedented circumstances, from forecasting to month-end reporting to publication of accounts .
National regulatory authorities have brought in moratoriums and other measures to manage business reporting.
Business processes and systems need to be able to respond to all these changes.
CTAC is just one of the United VARs members taking steps to adapt to these factors as they impact its business. All United VARs members stand ready to help their clients rise to this challenge.
There are some great insights on this from The Hackett Group's Nilly Essaides at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-hackett-group_cfo-recession-finance-activity-6648582434608697345-LDmT and https://lnkd.in/ehVK8yd
(4) New Ways of Working and Operating
It is likely this pandemic will be the catalyst for new ways of working and operating which will endure long after it has passed. In the short to medium-term, business continuity measures implemented for this initial outbreak may be called upon again if, as many models predict, we have to respond to periodic flare-ups after the main outbreak is controlled.
The experience of the pandemic means businesses are better positioned to embrace the broader benefits of home working and virtual meetings in terms of cost, environmental impact and flexibility for our staff.
Remote working highlights opportunities to rationalise business systems. For example, replacing multiple systems with a single, integrated, secure, access anywhere enterprise solution is a major facilitator for remote working.
All these elements can contribute to businesses emerging from the pandemic much stronger and better prepared for the turbulent economic times which lay ahead.
United VARs members are working to help businesses on this journey which you can see here:
Check out Corona-Facing Packages
(5) We keep working
United VARs members continue to demonstrate their commitment to care for their staff and customers through this crisis, to keep operating, and to provide the best possible support for their clients in weathering this storm and being ready for the challenges ahead.
Working together with our people, partners and customers we are #StrongerthanOne and #StrongerthanCorona
stronger than one