What Our ‘New Normal’ Will Look Like As Businesses Reopen

Changes will help strengthen companies by enabling them to approach their operations with more agility

The impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have dramatically transformed all walks of life, and forced countless businesses to pivot from routine operations to new processes and workflows to maintain business continuity. 

Working from home has become the new standard, with many organizations leveraging new tools and technologies to keep their businesses afloat and enable remote operations for their workforce. Many are eager to return to a sense of normalcy, while also bracing for whatever lies ahead. 
 

As many countries and states across the U.S. reopen, there is much uncertainty about what our “new normal” will look like, both for employers and employees. Several drastic changes are currently unfolding that will shape how future workplace operations and culture develops. 

Remote Work is Here to Stay

Under current public health mandates, companies simply cannot operate as they once did, nor will they be able to for the foreseeable future until a trusted vaccine is readily available. Physical distance must be maintained between individuals, and remote work will become the new normal over the next 12 to 18 months. 

Therefore, cloud-based workplace collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom are experiencing surges in usage, which will likely continue. Microsoft reported in April that Teams has reached 75 million daily active users, while Zoom reportedly increased to 300 million daily meeting participants.

Similarly, companies can utilize tools such as metrics dashboards to monitor productivity and the efficiency of their company’s operations. Employers can leverage data from these dashboards for insight and visibility into the ROI that’s being achieved. 

Employers will need to allow flexibility for workers, as employees may not be able to work eight continuous hours as they would in an office setting, but can work eight or more hours within a 24-hour day. Working from home may enable employees to work more hours and lead to increased productivity. It’s important that employers are cognizant of this and encourage employees to maintain balance and avoid running the risk of burnout. 

A Shift in Operational Structure

To combat having to endure future pandemics or any interruption to business, companies will need to invest in a few critical areas to mitigate the impact to their company.

Businesses will need to leverage tools, technology and training to ensure that communication, collaboration and engagement are regularly maintained among those in the workforce. The ways companies manage and engage the workforce will change, as a greater frequency of communication and engagement will be required. This can also help with monitoring the efficiency of workforce operations. 

In addition, organizations must explore ways to enhance IT remote management to manage devices that contain company data. The IT department must be able to manage access from the cloud, push policies, and install and remove software. Finally, businesses must leverage digital learning platforms to take the place of traditional in-person training and onboarding, enabling employees to learn and train on demand. 

Office Space Will Transform

Because organizations will increasingly rely on a dispersed workforce, changes will be in store for the traditional office space. There are a range of possibilities for how companies will transform their offices. Companies may prioritize space that’s designed for team-level collaboration over space for individual work. They may shift away from traditional desks and move toward employing flex space and conference rooms to support physical collaboration that also allows social distancing when necessary. 

Or companies may incorporate changes that create more safeguards between employees. A return to cubicle walls and additional barriers could be in store to maintain social distancing within an office, which could require more space, not less. 

Home offices will also transform, as employees will rely on these more frequently. A greater emphasis will be placed on ensuring that employees have the appropriate infrastructure to work from home and are equipped with the appropriate tools. This could entail computer hardware, such as dual monitors and a desktop keyboard, as well as workplace collaboration software like Microsoft Teams, Slack or Zoom. Workforces will not only become better equipped for remote work, but also better prepared in the event of a future pandemic or interruption of business. 

The Digital Economy Will Rise

In an economic market where distance is maintained and contact is minimized, the reliance on digital commerce and virtual health will increase, and the role of e-tailers will continue to rise. Look no further than Amazon, which met an increased sales demand during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The digital economy is positioned to withstand social distancing measures, so long as consumers continue to spend. Online shopping and the exchange of currency is contact-free and affords consumers the ability to secure groceries and other necessities while adhering to public health guidelines. The challenge for e-tailers is successfully encouraging consumers to continue spending, as well as being able to employ enough packaging and delivery employees while following public health guidelines. 

Reliance on automation, which eliminates the need for manual methods, will also increase. This has been a recurring trend over the last three recessions in the last 30 years, per a report from the University of British Columbia. Similarly, people seeking medical care can turn to telemedicine and interact via video conference with their doctors to receive virtual care. Forrester Research reports telehealth interactions are expected to surpass 1 billion by the year’s end. 

Businesses Will Re-Evaluate Market Needs

As companies try to endure potential market slowdowns, organizations will evaluate how efficiently they’re operating with increased scrutiny. Their ability to demonstrate resiliency and recover from market difficulties will be critical to keeping their business afloat. 

A common trait of companies that can weather uncertain conditions is fiscal preparedness and shrewd judgement for cutting operational costs. Unnecessary expenses must be identified and budgetary saving must be enacted where it’s appropriate to allow growth to occur wherever possible. 

Many companies will likely need to re-evaluate new market needs and how their business can shift to accommodate these changing needs. We’ve begun to see this in the restaurant industry, with restaurants pivoting to curbside and delivery services, as well as brewers and distilleries making hand sanitizer. How companies manage to implement resilient methods into their operations will dictate their ability to achieve success during, and after, the pandemic. 

Much uncertainty remains with how our new normal will exactly take shape, but a positive outcome could be that these changes will help strengthen companies by enabling them to approach their operations with more agility. Now is the time for companies to critically evaluate how they’re operating, identify what’s working best for their business, and address any gaps that surface. Organizations can take steps to ensure they’re better equipped and more prepared to endure future pandemics and market uncertainty, allowing them to not only maintain continuity, but also find success. 

Mark Kirstein is the Vice President of Products at BitTitan, leading product development and product management teams for the company’s SaaS solutions. Prior to BitTitan, Mark served as the senior director of product management for the Mobile Enterprise Software division of Motorola Solutions, continuing in that capacity following its acquisition by Zebra Technologies in 2014. Mark has over two decades of experience overseeing product strategy, development, and go-to-market initiatives.  Visit www.bittitan.com  Connect Mark Kirstein