What a year it has been. The last 12 months have been a wild ride, with the world as we know it completely transformed. From social distancing and isolation, mass lockdowns in countries worldwide, to public mask-wearing, a lot has happened. As we near the finish line, though, and the final hurdle of 2020, it is important to reflect and understand how we changed to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Our lives have experienced turbulence this year like we’ve been thrown into a tumble dryer on max settings. Many of us have been forced into new surroundings and have adapted to a new working life by adapting work from home. But it’s not just the workforce that has changed; businesses have also been forced to adjust to this new world.
A digital revolution
Technology is our friend, and companies have endeavored to use its full capabilities to ensure a business stays booming. A new global survey of business executives found some staggering results. According to the McKinsey Global Survey, companies have sped up digitization by three to four years.
This digitization has spread to customers and supply chains alike to help deal with the overwhelming move to online shopping over the past year. Online shopping was always popular, of course, but with people more apprehensive about leaving their homes, they need to adapt to technology has never been more urgent.
Interestingly, this technological adaptation is not temporary. Many companies are welcoming this new tech-centric world with open arms.
Cost minimization
When you first think of Covid-19 and businesses, you can probably imagine a swathe of staggering losses. While this is undoubtedly true for traditional companies, those who have adapted to work from home have saved on costs.
Think about it. With no one in the office, companies have cut back on electricity, central heating, and other running costs. While these savings are insignificant in the face of losses some companies have witnessed, those who can adapt have found some spare change in their pockets for new ventures.
A new era of meetings
An example of how companies have used technology to maintain workflow, online meeting platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, have ensured that employees have stayed connected at home. This, in turn, has had massive effects on meetings.
Let’s be honest; many of us dread meetings. Waking up at the crack of dawn, ready to hear Janet from accounting discuss fiscal figures for 30 minutes, can be a drag. But Zoom meetings have allowed employees to stay productive and hold quality meetings from the comfort of their own homes. While you still have to hear Janet, the blow to your ears can be alleviated with those comfy PJs you got last Christmas.
Everyone has enjoyed moving to online meetings so much that many businesses are considering moving to meetings online permanently. Traditional meetings could very well be a thing of the past.
Productivity thriving at home
Many people were apprehensive about working from home. Some people already struggle with separating their home and work life, an aspect that has only worsened during Covid-19.
However, many people have taken to working from home like a duck to water, and it has had a massive impact on productivity.
A happy worker is a productive one, and businesses have noted how much more enthusiastic some workers are at home. In fact, the Japanese gaming company Square Enix has allowed most of its employees to permanently work from home, signifying a new age for employees and businesses.
Property viewings see a new lease of life
In the UK, Covid-19 forced the property market to practically close overnight as the country entered a national lockdown.
While this was only a very temporary measure, property companies and investment companies like RWinvest were forced to adapt to new social distancing guidelines.
To maintain house-moving levels, companies adopted new and cutting-edge VR technology to help people view investment opportunities from the comfort of their own homes.
This has been so successful that it will undoubtedly stay as a friendly and easy way to view properties.
Overall, despite the constant changes in people’s lives during 2020, many companies have adapted remarkably well to the new world we live in. The technology and new practices adopted by businesses have been so successful that they may be a mainstay for organizations in 2021 and beyond.
