Agility is an overused word – but at a time like this, it’s vital. Businesses large and small are under threat during the coronavirus crisis, but to keep afloat, everyone needs to adapt.
In the last two weeks, nearly every organisation has been forced to rapidly change how it operates away from office-based work to a remote system, with social distancing rules coming into effect. Some companies will already have working from home provisions, but very few will ever have had to manage a completely remote workforce.
This is an exceptional time, and the response from digital companies has had to be exceptional too. And while SMEs are facing their own set of serious issues, it’s been a time of unprecedented upheaval for the region’s large companies.
One saving grace for small companies has been their ability to pivot rapidly, while organisations with hundreds of employees have left behind their offices with days to spare, and moved the entire workforce to working from home, which brings with it many considerations. How have some of the North’s largest digital companies managed?
Maintaining agility
Dean Benson, CEO of eCommerce software provider Visualsoft – based in Stockton-on-Tees – tells me, “It’s an unsettling time in the industry, and we’re having to pivot daily to ensure that not only are we continuing to provide our clients with best-in-class eCommerce and digital marketing solutions, but that we’re also taking care of our entire workforce and their wellbeing.
“The business is no stranger to working from home – this is something we’ve enabled our team to do since 2014, so there’s been no surprise to see how well our almost 300-strong workforce has adapted to the shift to full-time remote working. All of our offices are now closed and remain so for further notice, and we’re actively utilising tech to stay in touch across teams with regular video calls, meetings, and check-ins.”
