Chances are, your organization has been operating remotely in at least some capacity over the past few months.
If that’s the case, you’re not alone.
According to data collected from NewsCred back in April, 87% of companies surveyed currently have their entire team working from home, and an additional 11% of organizations say at least 90% of their employees are working remotely.
To be sure, transitioning to remote operations isn’t exactly easy—especially during a global crisis.
Still, many companies have faced the challenges of transitioning to remote work head on—and are reaping the benefits of doing so.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some key ways companies’ priorities have shifted during the global shutdown, and how these steps have played out within their organizations.
A Healthy Focus on Technology
Technology is the backbone of remote operations.
Without it, there’s no chance your company will be able to survive and thrive during the shutdown and beyond.
Those that have made it a priority to adopt new and emerging technologies typically find themselves way ahead of their competition. This is especially true when looking at the use of remote functionality tools during the pandemic.
As the above NewsCred study explains, organizations that had already adopted project management and similar tools are facing far fewer challenges than their less-prepared counterparts.
Specifically, prepared teams are less likely to report issues relating to:
- Staffing
- Visibility (of staff, projects, tasks, etc.)
- Vendor and customer relationship management
Oddly enough, only 32% of companies report adequate adoption of technology, even after the shutdown began. Another report by CMO and Adobe found that one in five organizations face “serious shortfalls” when it comes to the use of technology.
Which makes sense. With so much upheaval and uncertainty throughout the current crisis, adding new technology into the mix adds even more challenges to the pile. From onboarding and implementation to the added cost to your business (and much more), there’s a lot to manage when adding to your tech stack.
We’re likely to see successful companies double-down on the use of technology as remote work continues to be a necessity. And with in many industries, those who adopt emerging technologies will continue to thrive well into the future.
Standard Operating Procedures Become Crucial
Operating remotely is of course a whole different animal than operating in a traditional office setting.
While adding new technology to your tech stack can help with the transition, it won’t automatically solve the challenges you’ll face when making the switch.
To actually get use out of this new technology and begin moving forward as a remotely-operating organization, you’ll need to revisit your standard operating procedures, or SOP.
As Sean Graber explains in Harvard Business Review:
“Many companies focus too much on technology and not enough on process. This is akin to trying to fix a sports team’s performance by buying better equipment. These adjustments alone might result in minor improvements, but real change requires a return to fundamentals.”
To be sure, this is a key challenge facing the majority of retail businesses around the world.
Reason being:
Only 15% of all businesses actually have comprehensively documented standard operating procedures in place. The rest may have some processes ironed out, but are also often caught “playing it by ear”.
With that in mind, we’re likely to see some survival of the fittest play out in the months and years to come. Those who revisit and optimize their processes for remote operations will be prepared to face almost any challenge that comes their way. Those that don’t have a plan in place… well… we probably won’t hear too much about them any time soon.
Beyond developing SOP for operating remotely, companies will also start taking more strategic approaches to developing and improving these procedures over time.
Specifically, we’ll be seeing:
- Teams take a collaborative, bottom-up approach to developing SOP
- Clear documentation and omnichannel distribution of SOP documents
- Continuous testing, analysis, and improvement of processes
Falling back on “the way we’ve always done things” has never been the best course of action for your business to take. And the fact is, the global shutdown has made it impossible for most companies to continue as they always have.
As you figure out what works—and what doesn’t—when operating remotely, it’s important to amend your documented processes accordingly. By making this a routine part of your operations, your organization will always become more productive as time goes on.
A Focus on Data Centralization and Knowledge Management
Effective knowledge management has always been vital to a company’s ability to function properly.
Conversely, the lack of proper knowledge management processes spells certain doom for unprepared organizations. According to a study by Panopto, the average employee wastes over five hours each week on redundant processes involving organizational knowledge—which equates to a potential loss of over $47 million in productivity for enterprise businesses.
Unfortunately, six in ten businesses surveyed by Panopto face problems related to knowledge management that often lead to these negative outcomes.
However, 85% of respondents understand that “preserving and sharing unique knowledge in the workplace is critical to increasing productivity”.
So, while management processes aren’t yet up to snuff for many companies, most are likely to start focusing heavily on making improvements in this area.
This, of course, is especially important when it comes to remote operations. Because of the challenges inherent to remote communication and collaboration, it’s even more crucial to ensure your organizational knowledge is always accurate, up-to-date, and accessible.
This shift toward proper knowledge management will require organizations to accomplish two key tasks.
First, companies will need to begin using a centralized knowledge base to house all data and information that flows through the organization. This is one of the key pieces of technology you should be investing in if you haven’t already.
We’ll also see teams become more intentional and strategic in how they capture incoming data and information, translate it into usable knowledge, and document it within their knowledge base.
Doron Gower, chief solution architect at KMS Lighthouse, digs a bit deeper:
“Public and private organizations have also needed to produce accurate content for their employees and customers alike with multiple updates daily or even hourly in some cases so having the flexibility and technology to support and empower the team to manage this…is also critical.”
The shift toward remote operations has led to many changes and much uncertainty for most organizations. A systematic and strategic approach to knowledge management is needed to keep your team grounded, on the same page, and headed in the right direction.
Digital Communications and Engagements
It’s not exactly surprising that digital communications—both customer-facing and internal—are a huge part of operating remotely.
Still, it’s worth reiterating that communicating digitally has become the only option for most companies throughout the global pandemic. As NewsCred found, 88% of companies have significantly decreased their investments in live events and conferences, with 34% going so far as to halt their direct mail initiatives as well.
Instead, brands have made digital customer engagement a top priority:
- 78% are investing more in developing virtual events for their audience
- 72% are focusing on creating more digital content
- 67% are looking to use webinars for digital engagement
Many organizations are also ramping up their social media, blog, and multimedia content production.
Beyond just creating more content, brands are looking to develop innovative ways to engage with and provide value to their customers. SaaStock, for example, revamped its annual in-person event for the digital realm, complete with interactive workshops and roundtable discussions, matchmaking sessions, and lead-generation opportunities.
Internally, we’re seeing a huge increase in organizations’ use of digital communications tools in various capacities. Slack, for example, is seeing massive growth in simultaneously-connected user numbers, while Zoom has seen a spike in premium membership since the shutdown began.
As a recent report from MarketingWeek shows, this increased focus on digital communications has led to major improvements for many organizations. In fact, 40% of B2C companies say cross-team communications have actually improved throughout the pandemic, with 35% saying their teams have become more cohesive than ever.
As we said earlier, the right tools, coupled with a strategic approach to using them, will only lead to good things for your organization.
Communication may look different during the shutdown. But the right approach can keep your team connected and together, no matter how isolated individual employees may be.
Teams are Becoming More Fluid, Employees More Flexible
The COVID-19 shutdown has caused many B2C companies to revisit the structure of their organization entirely.
According to MarketingWeek, 57% of B2C marketers say they’ve “taken action to ensure their teams can work cross-functionally” while working remotely. Forty-six percent say they’ve actually created cross-functional teams to weather the storm created by the shutdown.
Unsurprisingly, what we aren’t seeing is increased recruiting during the crisis. In fact, MarketingWeek found that 88% of companies have put all hiring processes on the backburner for the time being.
Instead, companies have started using their current talent in more creative ways. MarketingWeek reports that 46% of brands have created cross-functional teams specifically to help the company deal with the shutdown, while nearly 90% of teams have revisited employee policies to allow for more fluidity and flexibility for team members.
As you continue to strengthen your remote capabilities, you’ll need to reassess the principles by which your team is put together. If your employees are given the autonomy and tools to properly deal with the new normal, your organization will continue to move forward at a time when the world at large is standing still.
