How to Make Your Business Future Proof and Survive During and After the Pandemic?

The comeback stories leave a mark long after they occur. For instance, let us talk about the King of Comebacks – Sourav Ganguly. He made his international debut in 1992 in an ODI against West Indies and was subsequently dropped from the scheme of things for some odd reason. 

It could have been disheartening to the extent that some people would stop trying. But Dada, as we call him, had other plans. He made a comeback in 1996 in a Test series in England and scored 2 centuries, with one coming in his debut test innings. 

His last series in 2008 saw him amass 324 runs at a staggering average of 54 in four tests against the mighty Aussies. Sourav Ganguly constantly adapted to the changing facets of the game. 

No wonder he is a sports legend. Businesses must take inspiration and also bring a turnaround. Understandably, survival has been painful and challenging because of the pandemic. 

But, a robust plan backed by a hard-working and determined team and the ability to unlearn and relearn is the need of the hour. Harping on new-age norms such as contactless delivery and leave at door delivery solutions and curating strategies around them will bode well for businesses. 

It makes products like Tookan a must-have for every business. The best part? Companies can integrate it seamlessly into their business, even if they do not know anything about coding.

The following few pages will give a detailed insight into the current business scenario and what companies need, to survive and ace the game. Let’s delve deeper.

Change brought in by Pandemic 

The pandemic forced consumer behavior to take a completely different turn. Similarly, It also had an impact on the way people treated their office work. Not to say, it has changed society and the way it went about its business. 

One of the most significant changes that we have experienced is the shift in consumers’ buying habits and how they would prefer the deliveries of their products. Gone are the days when the first preference of the consumers was to go out and have a lavish buffet. 

Today, people prefer sitting in the comfort of their sofas and having their food delivered on their doors with no contact whatsoever. The situation may change in the future, but it won’t unless the pandemic subsides. 

But it has also showcased the brands’ ability, including fierce competitors, to come together when the situation demands. For example, McDonald’s requested people to visit Burger King (its biggest competition) to ensure that they do a decent business. 

Delivery brands such as Zomato and Swiggy won hearts during the pandemic by adding groceries and other household items to their deliverables list. 

When people were unable to go out, these companies ensured that they had their needs fulfilled. 

How is the Workforce Coping with the Pandemic? 

A McKinsey Global Survey found out that 69% of those who took part believed that improving the skills of their staff is more vital than adding new talent. 

So, businesses must look for models that would enable their workforce to exhibit better understanding and lace them with better ways to deal with adversities. Unlike when the pandemic started, business leaders worldwide are now feeling the positivity and the possibility of a quick rebound. 

The same McKinsey Global Survey found out that 73% of respondents believe that the Covid situation will improve as early as the third quarter of 2021. The countries where the second wave has been traumatizing, such as India, did not have the same level of positivity, though. The workforce has exhibited immense resilience to cope with the pandemic at the front foot. 

The pandemic has given them life lessons and taught them to grind hard to survive. 

As for businesses, they learned the hard way that there was an immediate need to top their workforce with new capabilities. Most of the traditional skills have proven themselves redundant during the pandemic. 

So, companies need a new set of skills which include digital, emotional, cognitive, and social capabilities.

What can Businesses do to Survive the Impact of the Pandemic? 

An IBM report mentions that chatbots handled over 80% of customer assistance traffic in the pandemic months. It is one of the ways businesses seek to sustain and thrive. It also showcases the need for businesses to remodel themselves and adapt to the changing circumstances to survive the dark phase. 

Here are some of the best practices to help entities stay afloat – 

1. Adopting Speed as one of the Key Enablers 

If you own a business, you are already thinking about recovering your dues as the situation improves. But will that be enough for you to thrive? You need to revamp the fundamentals and ensure the following –

2. Imbibing a full-fledged digital model

Your business has a portal or has tied up with the top delivery partners for its services. That’s great, but not enough. It is imperative for companies to figure out all the feasible digital channels viable for their business. Utilizing advanced analytics and other available techs, such as satellite imaging, to develop a plethora of insights would be crucial for businesses in moving forward

3. Leveling up your human resources

Instead of using stale techniques, entities are bound to remodel the way they operate. A McKinsey survey conducted in April 2021 found out that the newer sales models were as efficient as the traditional ones for 60% of the respondents. So it is imperative for businesses to level up their human resources and promote usage of alternate sales models for improved results.

4. Imbibing a rapid growth mindset

Growth has taken a backseat for many businesses since last year. It has become about surviving challenging times, but you can do better. Inculcate an agile mindset and augment accountability throughout the workforce. If feasible, undertake a weekly review model to ensure that everything is in sync.

5. Utilize the newer delivery models

The pandemic has borked some of the existing supply chain models. It means that it is imperative for businesses to adapt and undertake collaborations that were previously not considered feasible. It also means that management will have to be innovative and gauge what can work for their business and not depend merely on the pre-COVID resources.

The pandemic period has seen businesses work with utmost urgency and the output they could deliver was beyond their expectations. We saw many companies undertake social listening to understand the need of the hour and make changes to their business accordingly. 

It has enabled them to streamline their delivery department and several other processes across departments. Also, the sales team adopted a host of agile models that enabled them to solve problems faster. 

It paved the way for a clear growth plan and strategies to cater to different clients with improved clarity. 

If your business wants to survive the pandemic, it will have to adopt these models too. It includes the need to find innovative ways to incorporate urgent delivery tasks into existing workflows and finding alternate ways to utilize the available resources. 

For example, Amazon undertook drone deliveries in several parts of the world. Swiggy started Swiggy Genie, a service that enabled its workforce to deliver documents, laundry, and other items from one location to another. Several other brands across the world have been innovative and used the newer delivery models to keep themselves relevant. 

Delving deeper to find opportunities for growth 

In India, what was supposed to be a one-off thing turned into a full-fledged lockdown. It barely gave any time to the businesses to analyze the situation and make the necessary changes. The team members who used to meet six times a week did not physically meet for months. 

Even when they did, the meetings were infrequent and did not carry the same vibe. Businesses undertook different operating models that enabled the workforce to take action even without their usual ways. 

Now that things are improving, the management mustn’t let go of what has been working so well for them. What we once conceived as unsustainable has become the new norm, and adapting to these throughout the value chain will enable the businesses to gain a competitive edge.

Before pondering how to survive, entities must understand who they are and why they exist. It includes looking for areas to grow and finding the best ways to do it. We saw countless examples of how a handful of people achieved what massive teams could not in the pre-pandemic phase. The primary reason behind it was inculcating a dynamic environment. 

It allowed them to eliminate the bottlenecks and make decisions with improved clarity. It would be one of the critical enablers for businesses in the post-COVID era too. When a crisis hits, it is the real identity of humans and businesses that showcases itself the best. 

Every company that has coped with the turbulent phase had one thing in common – they had a clear identity and purpose. It enabled them to stand and undertake actions that were in sync with their beliefs. 

So, once the pandemic subsides, the businesses will have to understand who they want to be and how. They will have to leverage the new-age data and analytics model and keep a learning attitude to move forward. 

Technology has helped them generate critical insights and use them to shape their decisions in a crisis. There is no reason to shed these changes away once the pandemic is not the “new normal.” 

Building Things From Scratch and With Higher Resilience 

The pandemic caused platonic shifts in the way consumers behave. It impacted their consumption pattern across sectors. Even though it had them startled for a while, most of them had the courage to revamp at the earliest. As questions on sustainability seemed imminent, these entities went leaps and bounds further to adapt to the new normal. 

Here are the most common occurrences –

1. Bringing in operational transparency

Cloud computing had made available a lot of infrastructure “as-a-service” for the brands. But entities weren’t making the most of it until the pandemic arrived. It pushed them to convert their capital expenses into variable ones. But when they did so, it brought about improvements throughout their value chain, such as cutting down costs and improved management.

Adopting digital technologies such as capital-spend diagnostics gave them insights into their cost model that were never available before. It encouraged them to undertake greater transparency in their operations and have a newer outlook towards spending.

2. Developing operational resilience

Brands looking to survive the pandemic need to understand that operational resilience is one of the critical factors that would enable them to do so. It includes outsourcing tasks other than core competency, undertaking cross-training, and utilizing multiple sources. Also, the inculcation of newer technologies has improved insights into the regional advantages. It has allowed developing greater resilience towards potential future disruptions.

3. Augmenting sustainability

The pandemic saw massive shifts in customer behavior and the way they demand. For businesses to counter the platonic changes with ease, they will have to be sustainable and offer better value to the customer. It includes building a more interconnected but flexible workflow that would enable the workforce to adapt to the evolving customer behavior with utmost ease.

An IBM report mentions that COVID-19 supercharged digital transformation by a stupendous 59%. It also led to businesses completing 66% of initiatives that previously suffered resistance.

4. Reimagining Deliveries 

The customer journey went through a significant overhaul last year. The focus shifted from offline innovations to creating digital solutions that would work irrespective of such pandemics. 

Be it delivery chains or undertaking a complete online ordering model, businesses have to reimagine what they think is feasible and how they want to cater to their customers. 

For example, brands like Amazon have been able to deliver products within a few hours despite the pandemic constraints. It includes revamping the way companies perceive deliveries and utilizing end-to-end solutions that would help manage the supply chain with greater efficiency.

If you have the resources that specialize in coding, then you can choose to do it yourself. But most brands are reluctant to do so, which is why Tookan is an excellent option for businesses.

What is Tookan, and Why Does it Matter? 

Tookan is a delivery management portal builder that enables businesses to develop mobility solutions with no experience in coding. 

Designed to cater to a host of business types, it is a customer-centric model that augments scalability options and lets them make the most of the available resources. 

With Tookan, businesses get access to a fully functional platform capable of delivering a superior customer experience without burdening your entity with sky-high costs. It enables you to leverage your existing business application and create an intuitive ordering platform. 

Tookan has a highly efficient dashboard that lets you track your on-field personnel in real-time. It uses geo-analytics to ensure higher workforce productivity. It also allows your users to access a map interface, giving them accurate location tracking of their orders. 

It has enabled businesses to undertake more deliveries without having to hire more delivery agents. Also, it has helped them to make urgent deliveries a possibility by seamlessly integrating Tookan within their operations. 

With going contactless being the new normal, businesses must build a robust and efficient delivery system.

Contactless Deliveries are the New Normal, and so is Tookan 

Even though management may seem to be in a hurry to perform activities rather than planning, it must take a step back and evaluate the resources. 

It will allow them to create a possible synergy and induce their resources to give a higher output. Inculcating solutions like Tookan will give you a leeway to focus on the core competencies without having to worry about deliveries. 

The seamless integration of payment gateways and an agent wallet has further enabled it to provide more value. Irrespective of what businesses do, it is necessary for them to reimagine the way they perceive themselves and ensure that it aligns with the changing needs. 

Being flexible and adapting to the changing business landscape will give companies a better chance at surviving and thriving during and post-pandemic.