CORONAVIRUS – is it gone, or is it here to stay forever? Nobody has an answer to it. Everyone is aware that COVID-19 has brought an unprecedented threat to businesses. It aroused a need for health care emergencies, thus inclining more focus on occupational safety.
The pandemic introduced logistical challenges to test businesses’ resilience. And the most crucial it showed an economic crisis that made businesses function differently and adapt to new strategies. Enhancing techniques to work in this transitional world is what both B2B and B2C companies can aim for now.
1. Digitalization
The world was already moving to digitalization, but the current condition made it more necessary for businesses to adapt to the current situation. It is due to the pandemic that educational institutions are forced to operate virtually. At the same time, the most affected ones are businesses. Avoiding mass gatherings is among the top reason that makes connecting digitally an essential part of every task.
Initially, adapting to all of these in a short time was a challenging task. After crossing several hurdles, many organizations have realized that they can operate remotely, which will prove helpful post-coronavirus. It can be possible only after telecommunication services focus on strengthening their digital networks. Along with it, cloud services need to upgrade their servers to serve the needs of increasing users.
2. Demand for cloud services will increase
Global businesses were already moving toward the cloud for computing workloads from on-premises hardware, even before the COVID-19 hit the world. After advancements in cloud technology, a study by McKinsey and amp; Company showed that most of the businesses had shifted only about 20% of their work to the cloud, while 80% of it remains within on-premises legacy solutions.
This has tremendously hampered many organizations’ capabilities to reallocate resources to support workers outside the office.
Soon, all the businesses will start witnessing a rapid increase in shifting additional workloads to the cloud once the current situation gets back to normal. It’s the smartest way for them to gain the flexibility needed to handle any eventuality and decrease technology operating expenses going forward. It would also prompt many businesses that hadn’t considered shifting to the cloud to take up the activity. Looking at many advantages of modern cloud solutions, it has gained public attraction in recent days.
3. Rapid demand for e-commerce
The COVID rising cases are making people depend more on online stores to meet their needs. It is not only convenient, but e-commerce also offers people safety by letting their groceries and other necessities delivered to their doorstep instead of going out.
Not only this, but many food apps have also started undertaking the doorstep delivery of essentials not only to consumers but other business owners such as restaurants and delivery kitchens. It helps to expand their presence and take businesses to the next level.
Thus, it is evident that the post-coronavirus future will replace shopping malls and groceries with e-commerce platforms making online stores a new normal.
4. Centralized food distribution
Artificial intelligence is now being progressively used in the food industry. Suppliers are dependent on the Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for supply chain management. On the other side, manufacturers are using robots for food packaging.
These scenarios prove that these technologies have streamlined food distribution to prove the best fit for survival during the pandemic. Such proven benefits make many working bodies continue to rely on AI and IoT long after the lockdowns are lifted.
Post COVID-19, it will no more surprise people where delivery or pick up of goods will be done through automated machines. Moreover, people will no more be surprised to see large malls or organizational bodies turning into supplementary food hubs.
5. Prioritizing safety
During pre-pandemic times, many people were furious upon being tracked by technological applications owing to privacy concerns. But today, the story has turned completely upside down as people are slowly embracing the concept of prioritizing safety over privacy.
Many countries, including Germany, Australia, China, South Korea, Italy, and India, have successfully implemented COVID-19 apps for contact tracing, which in the past was considered intrusive.
Who knows, tracking apps could even become a necessity in the post-coronavirus future. With a vision to prove more facilitative, such functions may evolve into apps that people can use to automate goods and service procurement or monitor large gatherings that may pose security issues.
6. Video health consultations
Tracking back to its birth in the year 1950, telemedicine is no more a new concept. It was brought into account when most rural areas had no access to medical care. Despite its convenience, it did not become popular as most doctors and patients still preferred face-to-face consultations.
But today, this pandemic situation has completely changed the scenario. To curb the spread of COVID-19, an in-person consultation is currently limited to video sessions only.
Telemedicine facilitates doctors and patients to connect effectively irrespective of the location and time. The convenience this facility brings will attract more people toward the technology in the post-coronavirus era.
7. Standardizing flexibility
Some of the businesses were already on the verge of embracing flexible work routines and remote work policies to build a better employee experience. This pandemic gave a push to it. At the same time, some businesses have come with the idea of coworking spaces in lieu of permanent office space to create a different environment.
Some businesses also have plans to implement IT concepts like bring-your-own-device (BYOD) to help support their nomadic workforces.
The current scenario shows, many businesses will rush to adopt standardized IT solutions that will support BYOD and other flexible technology initiatives. Thus, many businesses are planning to spend on management infrastructure instead of dealing with in-house company devices.
An unexpected future
In the post-coronavirus era, technology is bound to become the main driver of the economy. People will start walking toward work from home policies, and education will take place online more rapidly. At the same time, more and more online shops and businesses will rely on big data and machine learning (ML) to survive in the changing times.
All the transitions discussed above will not be the only factors that will bear the pandemic results. These are just amongst the most predictable ones. The pandemic will change the overall working culture of all the industries that would be more far-reaching than anyone can expect, and with long-term ramifications that nobody could imagine.
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