In 1665, Isaac Newton left Cambridge University to self-isolate and avoid the pandemic that was sweeping Europe. While working from home (Although at that time there was no internet available), he saw an apple fall.
Pandemics press the fast-forward button on history, and Coronavirus is no exception.
We are witnessing unprecedented and immediate change across every aspect of society.
Seeing a family doctor by video has quickly become the norm, rather than the exception. Restaurant suppliers have pivoted to home delivery. And students are now being taught in virtual classrooms all over the world.
Every organization is being affected, and no one knows what the “new normal” will eventually be. Or how long the transition will take before we get there.
One compelling consequence of Covid-19 is a “Call for Customer Centricity”. Now, it is not about being successful, it is about being useful. Customer centricity is a way for companies to become laser-focused on the needs of customers. It is necessary for your organization to understand the consequences of the global pandemic in your marketplace and why customer-centricity is more relevant than ever.
As you plan to restart operations aiming to full productivity in the New Normal, you also need to have clarity about:
· How Covid-19 can lead to meaningful change in the direction of your company.
· Key areas about your customers that you should focus on now.
· Deciding how customer-centricity will fit in your strategy.
· Identifying the opportunities that come because of the crisis.
It is a time for hope but also for caution. The end of the lockdown will not spell a return to the “old normal”, nor will it be for everyone at the same time. There are some key actions to consider as we approach to restarting:
1. Create a detailed relaunch map.
2. Provide customers with safety guarantees that restore trust.
3. Safeguard the health of employees.
4. Revive demand.
5. Rethink operations and supply chain.
6. Accelerate digital transformation to serve new customer and employee needs.
7. Improve data-driven decision-making and data availability.
8. Steer the restart with care.
9. Sustain value creation born from crisis and reinvest in recovery.
While you are still in a crisis, take the opportunity to strengthen relationships with customers and solidify the supplier ecosystem. For leaders, it is now important to determine which of the developments imposed by circumstance may have generated value, financially, operationally, and for their customers and employees. Some of these could then be incorporated into the future thinking about the reorganization of work and reinventing the business model.
Finally, innovation of both process and offering has made huge leaps during the lockdown. With the restart, these new performance achievements could be reinvested and contribute to enriching the company’s material and intangible assets in the long term.
In just a few short weeks, companies will have to plunge into a new phase of the restart with many unknowns that will remain nebulous for a long time. But we are sure that if you considered the proposed actions to approach restarting, transition to the New Normal will be smoother and less painful.
Click here to find out how we can help! We’ll help you find what really matters!
