Overview:
How COVID-19 has impacted the business world
COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019): A blood vessel disease that has symptoms. This included fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of weight, tiredness and sore throat. It is caused by the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among humans. The first time they identified it was in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. And it became a pandemic in March 2020.
Effects on daily life
This pandemic has come as a surprise to some of us, changing the way live day-to-day. Impacting the business world during the lockdown. Teaching us the spirit of togetherness and spurring us towards an attitude of support and giving where we can. It has also affected our daily lifestyle. Our mortality has taken on new meaning in the year 2020. As each person has had to face how fragile and fleeting life is.
This time has shown us how much good we can do by working together. What we can give the nation and community by helping where it is needed and wanted. South Africa has come together as a country during this time, rich and poor, young or older. We have banded together to share kindness, support, and care. Bring hope with masked smiles and kind eyes, during the times of sadness and hopelessness. It has shown us that we do need each other to make the best out of the worst. As a nation, we can stand strong.
How COVID-19 has impacted the business world
COVID-19 in the Workplace
How COVID-19 impacted the business world? When Covid-19 hit in March 2020. The world of work changed. Having to adapt operations to shifts, satellite offices, downsizing, and accommodate sanitization for each day. Plus having to put in isolation methods for the Workplace. There was a sudden and pressing shift globally to change how the whole world operates.
The covid-19 disruption caused a leap in digital innovation. Which changed everything from the way it was before and was already entrenched when Covid-19 struck. Businesses were forced to abandon office towers and send employees home to work remotely through fast internet or phone connections. Working from home has reshaped urban geography. Nowhere is this more apparent than in other countries, where the services sector dominates the economy.
Economy & COVID-19 impact
The COVID-19 pandemic had far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to quarantine it. This virus has even spread itself all over the world. And the concerns have shifted from supply-side manufacturing issues to lower business in the services sector. The pandemic caused the most massive global recession in history. With more than a third of the worldwide population at the time being on lockdown.
With the supply shortages, we are expecting an effect in some sectors due to pandemic. From disruption to factories and logistics from mainland China. There have been spread reports of the scarcity of pharmaceuticals. With many areas seeing panic buying and the consequent shortage of food and other essential grocery items. The technology industry, in particular, has been warning about delays to shipments of electronic goods.
Innovation Stepping stone
Businesses also navigate the financial and operational challenges due to coronavirus. While rapidly addressing the needs of their workers and customers. Some workers have been instructed to work from home, adapting digitally and having meetings online. These behaviours will not end until the quarantine is over.
Consumer appetite for delivery services is going to continue after the crisis is over. Retailers that are unable to fulfil are unlikely to succeed, even in a post-COVID-19 business world.
Companies which are best suited to benefit from the situations are those who offer comfort, convenience or necessity for consumers.
Our adaption to Covid-19
App Inlet had to mobilize around the coronavirus outbreak to create new ways of dealing with the crisis using technology. Our App Inlet team, are still following the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization. Continually adapting to the ebbs and flows of this pandemic. Fortunately, we fell into the ‘essential servers ‘ listing, so we have continued to run throughout this time. Joining in with the sentiment of our other essential service workers with the factual statement of. ‘We have never worked so hard in our lives!’
During this time you have to rise to the challenge and work at innovating and overcoming. By applying this approach, we have not only been able to traverse the unknown waters. But we have set sail and begun to fly. Needing to expand our team to keep up with the increased workload. We are exceptionally humbled and grateful. That we have been in a position where instead of firing we have been able to look at hiring.
Our continued efforts
To lower risk and exposure we have divided our team into two. The first team has continued to work from their home offices. While the second team have transitioned back to working in the App Inlet offices. All meetings, even internal ones, are conducted online. As with most companies, we are endeavouring to take every precaution. Keeping our team safe, healthy, and able to continue working during these uncertain times.
So in closing. Let’s find the good in each day. Celebrate those that have overcome the changes. And find new and innovative ways to better the world around us. Times are changing; we are on the cusp of a massive shift for the digital age. Don’t let the moment pass you by. Make your imprint and be apart of the next wave in the digital age. Let your impact be a positive one in the aftermath of COVID-19 impact.