The world ‘post-pandemic’ is going to look startlingly different and it goes without saying that businesses will need to adapt. It’s likely that the pandemic will have accelerated the digitalisation of business to the extent that organisations right across the board will have some kind of innovative technological solution in place. What’s more, efficiency is likely to be even more important after the pandemic as leaner, more focused businesses will be those that cope best with the challenges that COVID19 has brought.
In order to be a firm for the future, businesses will need to identify how technology can support their operations and clients most effectively. There isn’t a one size fits all solution. Firms will need to focus on agility and to find the right technological solutions for specific areas of their operations.
This is to say that things that were once considered cutting edge, for instance using a cloud platform, won’t be enough to prepare businesses for the ‘post-pandemic’ world. Technological solutions must be focused and take into account the obstacles faced by both staff and clients. The pandemic should be seen as a proving ground for technology.
However, thriving ‘post-pandemic’ won’t all be about technology. Paradoxically, it’s likely that having the right people will actually be even more important than before. Just having technology in place is pointless – companies will need intelligent, forward-thinking staff for technology to be worthwhile. Client-facing staff will need to lead with empathy and follow with effective solutions.
Soft skills like communication look to be more important than ever as understanding exactly what clients want will be essential in the fast changing ‘post-pandemic’ context. Conversely, staff members with the wrong attitude will be incredibly damaging in conditions where agility will be highly important and could harm morale right across a business at a vital time.
Not only could the wrong staff members compromise a firm’s ability to prosper, difficult clients could be more draining than ever. Spending hours on clients who don’t bring in much profit to a firm will harm business efficiency in circumstances where cost-effectiveness will be key. By trimming these clients and identifying ideal clients, firms could offer extra value to the clients who matter most.
There’s that age-old adage that crisis breeds opportunity and many new niches will likely emerge after the crisis. Having the right service offerings, location and technical ability will all help create new possibilities that should bolster post-coronavirus success.
However, the distinction between creating opportunities and profiting from them will be important. Successful firms will need to ensure that they do both. This will mean carefully monitoring metrics for success to ensure that they accurately reflect what is best for a business.