In current times, we are seeing a big dent on economies around the world and so no
any single sector has left without being impacted due to this Covid-19 pandemic
disaster.
Companies are struggling hard to match their trending productivity but
challenges are many, and so they are failing not just to maintain their
productivity curve but also facing difficulties for paying wages to the
employees and some are even striving to sustain their existence due to prevailing
cash crunch situation.
However, after every such recession or global adversities, some new
revolutionary trends or modus operandis get emerged out. Therefore, without
worrying much on what happened and do nothing, the focus should be diverted to
what best we can do to overcome this phase and learn from this phase for
running the business least impacted next time and saving every single penny
which can maintain company’s balance sheet at positive side.
Action items that should be adopted by a
firm to keep the cash outflow at minimum and other ways to help in saving
company's revenue, let us make a list with its targeted outcome:
- Time
has come to upgrade the IT infrastructure which can enable and facilitate
better wireless connectivity without being in company premises.
- Develop
a culture for taking daily reporting and allocation of work through Web
meetings, Instant Messaging Apps, remote access on shared drives and
online training software.
- Explore
the possibilities and service providers wherever the automation is
possible and minimization of human involvement.
- Employees
should be allowed fully or partially to work from any place and the task
allocation can be framed in such a way to map their efficiency and
competencies.
- Promote
the company's products digitally and to the specific target audience
rather than again picking the traditional marketing &
distribution channels.
- Keep
the cash-flow movement easy, less time consuming and traceable.
- Company
can provide their encrypted laptops and gadgets so the data theft or any
other unauthorised use can be avoided.
Benefits which
company can reap out from adopting such way of working:
1.
Benefits at Organisation level:-
Ø Cost involved for operating below
functions would be saved directly:
o
Staff
Bus-running cost, driver salaries, Challenges due to breakdown & RTO compliances.
o
Conveyance
allowance to employee can be ruled out.
o
Electricity
consumption due to air conditioners/AHUs, PC systems, lights, fans.
o
The
additional space left due to either some departments have been given ‘work from
home’ facility or previously allocated for canteen, which now has become
available for production or other expansions. For example, in pharma
industries- departments like International Regulatory Affairs, Intellectual
Property Rights, Some functions of Corporate Quality Assurance, Documentation
related staff, Accounts, Finance, Auditing, PMT, Pharmacovigilance, Business
development, Supply Chain or any other department which are just involved for
work on computers or phones can be given work from home.
- Space
& utilities for canteen and cost involved for canteen arrangement and
wages of canteen staff. No headache for canteen committee or food safety
norms.
- Less
manpower needs less staff in
support functions like- HR, Admin, Personnel, safety officer
- Minimisation
of paper consumption, office supplies, office furniture, meeting rooms, as
majority of functions are happening digitally.
- Purified
water consumption
Ø Other indirect benefits:
- Less
burden of employee safety, conflict issues and minimal office politics.
- Least
chances of any mild or moderately ill employee transferring infection to
rest of the team.
- As employees
are connected digitally through mobile and laptops, company can approach
him/her anytime during exigencies beyond office hours, which is not
possible in traditional way of working.
- Increased
employee loyalty because of this added advantage of WFH which gives him
freedom to manage other tasks at his discretion.
2.
Benefits at Employee level:-
- Non-productive
time for commuting can be saved, so more time is available to be with
family members.
- Other
personal works can be managed easily without taking leave from the
company.
- Cost
saving for fuel and vehicle for commuting to the office or staff bus/cab
pick up point.
- Cost
saving on business attires, grooming needs
- Low
risk to expose to traffic, pollution, infections ultimately safety
concerns.
- Better
work-life balance, better mental peace. People are not required to adhere
to company’s time schedule like military. Time for exercise, mental or
spiritual activities, new learnings /courses, powernaps, family time etc
can be managed as per individual’s schedule. You may even manage your
work chilling out at beach with lemonade in one hand!☺
- Blessing
for lakhs of nuclear families where husband and wife both are working and
finding hard to take care of their young ones during office time. Pets also can be taken care.
- Employee
can work for any company across the globe from his/her native place if
fully WFH has been provided, which in turn save many other costs for
house rent, tiffin service and weekly/monthly trips to native place.
3.
Benefits at Community level:-
- Less
traffic on road so optimisation of traffic services as only required
people need to move out daily.
- Less
pollution and carbon footprints.
- Children
get much needed warmth and ardour from their parents during their physical
and mental development times, making them better person and save from any
child abuse cases.
- Less
consumption of public resources and commodities so can become available
to wider population.
These all benefits in turn make
visible difference in state’s growth through optimisation of resources.
However, at the same time there are also some challenges to create such culture
on which we shall discuss in our next post…
By the time, we shall be eager to know other advantages or challenges you may think...
.keep reading & stay connected….
#Covid19
#WFH
#Distance working
#Work from home
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