COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. From virtual meetings and online catch-ups to curbside grocery pickups and remote weddings – this new normal has one integral element in common: technology.
In the pre-COVID-19 era, digital transformation was largely restricted to personal use-cases (think: the use of smartphones and social media platforms, for instance). However, as the global pandemic stretches on, businesses are being forced to go online and make use of emerging technologies such as chatbots, live chat, co-browsing, among other things to keep up with the dynamic demands of the users and the community at large.
One of the primary reasons why technology has taken center stage is because it helps businesses to stay agile and relevant in an ever-changing world. Every day, new human requirements keep cropping up, and technology, as well as, digital tools are playing a vital role in fighting the pandemic with increased speed, sophistication, and accuracy. Let’s understand how.
“Data” as a Weapon in Fighting Coronavirus
There’s no doubt that the use of timely and accurate data has allowed governments, experts, and healthcare players to spread awareness and disseminate best-practices with respect to the novel Coronavirus. Let’s look at some other real-life examples of how data-driven technology is driving a positive change and aiding healthcare professionals as well as citizens worldwide:
- China is using thermal scanners in train stations to track people with elevated body temperatures in order to flag those who may be exposed to the virus. Additionally, the country uses a fantastic surveillance system and mobile-tracking capabilities to monitor civilian movement and ensure that everyone’s complying with the quarantine orders to the t.
- The Indian government rolled out the “Arogya Setu” mobile app – a Coronavirus Tracker app – to offer a host of useful services such as:
– Connecting with the healthcare experts (Call Helpline button):
– Getting aware of ‘hot spots’ in the neighboring areas and understand how the virus is progressing pan-India:
– Accessing critical information about preventive measures to avoid infection:
– Engaging in self-diagnosis (Assess Again button) and consulting with a doctor should the need arise:
In terms of the app’s success, more than 10 Crore Indians are registered on the app today! Need we say more?
- In the United States, several institutions have developed informative dashboards, complete with real-time visuals – maps, graphs, and statistics – to keep the users informed and alert:
Then there’s Microsoft Bing’s COVID-19 Dashboard:
The New York Times rolled out an interactive Coronavirus Map:
Saving the best for last, the World Health Organization launched a Whatsapp chatbot to tackle pandemic-related misinformation and offer consulting services:
Key takeaway: Clearly, world leaders and governments aren’t shying away from using digital tools to spread awareness and tackle the virus using insightful, real-time data as a useful weapon.
The Role of Remote Working Technologies in Tackling COVID-19
“We adopted new technology overnight—not the usual years—as we have a higher tolerance for mistakes that don’t threaten the business.” – McKinsey Report
Remote working – a once frowned upon concept – is now essential to support social distancing norms and ensure business continuity. Before we jump into how businesses are working remotely, let’s look at what the numbers tell us:
- According to Gartner, “88% of organizations have encouraged employees to work from home, and 91% of teams in the Asia Pacific have implemented ‘work from home’ arrangements since the outbreak.”
- The use of collaborative video conferencing technologies such as Zoom, Google Duo, etc. are sky-rocketing with “Zoom reaching 200 million daily participants.”
- Finally, a staggering “74% of companies plan to permanently shift to more remote work post COVID” as per research by Gartner.
Needless to say, COVID-19 is giving remote working a long-term boost and empowering employees to work with greater efficiency. But the real question is this: Is technology acting as a boon or a bane?
Here’s our take on this:
One, audio and video-conferencing tools such as Zoom, Skype, etc. are helping business maintain day-to-day, real-time communication with seamless ease:
Two, Cloud-based solutions are allowing enterprises to cater to their storage needs with enhanced flexibility and at scale.
Three, more than email, instant messaging on tools such as Slack are enabling teams to collaborate like never before:
Four, enterprises can boost productivity by making use of collaboration and project management platforms such as Monday.com that allows users to track tasks, projects, individual members, and use a host of productivity features such as time-tracking, an integrated kanban board, automated notifications, workflow automation, among other things:
Key takeaway: Remote working technologies are at the heart of this new working normal, allowing employees and senior management to work in close tandem with one another and breaking silos as well as (metaphorical) boundaries. For all intents and purposes, you can consider this to be the next best option to “business-as-normal” and one of the best strategies to streamline processes.
What the Post-COVID Era Will Look Like: A Perspective
All things considered, it’s safe to say that resilience and speed – and by extension, technology – will be the common threads that’ll drive individuals and businesses even in the post-COVID-19 era.
Enterprises will increasingly be seen adopting technologies such as AI, IoT, and big data analytics to navigate business challenges that will be thrown their way. Additionally, these technologies will help businesses to accelerate innovation and customization.
Key takeaway: Most organizations are already making flexible changes to their organizational culture while keeping a customer-centric approach across their offerings – this is where using relevant and feasible technology can help pave the way for a tactical and successful business road map.
The Writing is on the Wall
Every way you slice it, technology is and will be the driving force for organizations big and small in the post COVID era. Considering how the work dynamics have evolved, more people will be seen working from home, giving rise to a slew of new remote working technologies, whereas business interactions and communications will become more technology-dependent as it helps save time, effort, and cost.
On a final note, companies that will tackle the operational and continuity challenges during the COVID-19 period, using technology, will be the ones that can move forward with a comfortable head-start. What do you think?
About the Author: Ashwini is passionate about Business, Entrepreneurship, E-commerce, emerging technology and Digital Marketing. She is working with Acquire as a digital marketing expert. She is a free soul and adventurous scholar who spends her free time with herself, loved ones, music, as well as watching & playing sports. She is ocean addicted and on roads being a thrill-seeking traveler to get new experiences as she looks at life as our very own works of art.