Covid-19 has undoubtedly caused havoc in many areas and unfortunately a big impact can be seen within the economy and in many people’s lives.  We cannot wait to see this end so we can find a new norm and to move forward again. And it will end and we will move forward again, we just have to get through this period.

A big impact on the economy means a big impact on businesses, forcing most organisations to have a hard look at how their businesses are set up. In certain aspects there is not a lot we can do in these circumstances but in other aspects there are many things we can do in terms of how we move forward. That does not mean your business will be immune to circumstances but you can plan to build a more agile business which will take you further.

A more agile business could mean many things but in this regard it refers to doing things differently which could enable you with the ability to react more quickly and to do so with greater ease. A few options are to consider new ways of operating and more modernised approaches as well as optimising and streamlining processes to move your business forward.

New ways of operating could also mean more ways of operating. If your products or services can only be accessed in store, it’s time to change things up. Or perhaps you do have an online presence but you are still following manual processes to manage your stock or to take care of deliveries. Businesses need to adapt to a more modern way of operating, they need more automation and better integration. All of this assists in more streamlined processes and greater customer satisfaction.

Even though times are tough, customer demands will continue to rise and they will expect things to be done in a certain way. Especially now… once lockdown has passed, customers will most likely expect even more digital, automated, streamlined processes. They already expect things to be easy and seamless… So this will most likely continue to grow.

In order for things to run smoothly and for your customers to have a good experience with your business, your internal processes needs to be up to speed. An ERP or business management system can support this initiative and manage all of this for you. It will integrate or connect all of your various departments, automate and streamline processes and provide a level of business insights or business intelligence that you would not have had otherwise.

In addition to having a management system in place, it’s time to embrace Cloud technology. Many businesses were not able to operate during lockdown due to the nature of their businesses but some were not able to operate because they were not set up to be able to work when they are not physically in the office. In this day and age, that should not be the case. Get your system in order and ensure that it is available at any time and from anywhere. There is no better time than now, to start looking at how you move forward.

Embracing technology and taking on a more modern approach will empower your business and your employees as well as supporting the drive to get that competitive advantage. Start looking at ways as to how you can take those next steps. And if you already have some of these solutions in place, perhaps look at ways as to how you can get even more out of your system or add on to that.