How to Go About Ensuring Business Continuity in the Philippines
As we enter the “New Normal”, some of the things that we used to do must change in order to be compliant with the need of the time in order to have good business continuity. More and more office transactions are now being performed online as we try to avoid face-to-face contact due to the threat of COVID-19.
What measures can companies do for Ensuring Business Continuity in the Philippines? The following are some suggestions:
Provide Provisions for Remote Working
What are the different processes employees must observe during remote working? How would these be different from working face-to-face? Let’s discuss them one by one.
Checking of Attendance
During face-to-face, the checking of attendance is usually done through biometrics. During online, however, an online software does this task. It comes with a price though, ranging from 5 to 45 USD per month. Some of them are free but it comes with some limitations like a limited number of employees you can enrol with their system. Some of the notable attendance software available in the market include Soho People, Bitrix24, Avaza, Timecamp, Timeforge, IceHrm, TimeClockFree, OpenClockWizard, ClockSimple, and TimeClockBasic.
If you don’t want to spend any penny, you can do some simple hacks. You can simply create a simple web-based spreadsheet wherein employees can log in and log out. As for proof of time verification, you can simply create a group chat wherein employees could send selfies of them with a clock in the background.
Communication Among Employees and Clients
During face-to-face, employees within the company and company to clients would talk face-to-face to accomplish most of the processes of their business, and important communications that have a future impact would be written in memorandums.
During online, however, most of the communications would be done via the internet. There are some teleconferencing softwares that could perform these functions. Some of the notable teleconferencing softwares available in the market include Zoom, BlueJeans Meeting, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, and Zoho Meeting.
A company must have a proper internet connection for communication among employees and with clients. Employees who are working from home can get USB dongles, pocket-wifi enablers, and cellular prepaid load to their SIM cards.
Technical Support and Training to Employees
As the business has to continue, training and support to new employees must be given. During face-to-face, technical support and training are usually done through live meetings within the physical office.
During the pandemic, however, this is done through a combination of online teleconferencing and small-size group training observing health protocols. Teleconferencing can provide some simple online training to employees, especially those not involving the use of any machines or equipment. If the latter is the case, employees should be given live training in a small-size group.
Some of the regular supplies related to work must be given as well such as computers with an internet connection, company ID, Ink for the Computer Printer, Papers, etc. We could do this via proper communication with the Company’s property custodian where he could schedule when employees can come to the office for these things as they work in a skeletal model.
Promoting Products and Services
A business should promote to attract more customers. Not only that, the company can introduce new products and services for new and existing customers.
During face-to-face, marketing channels usually include TV and Radio, Web Contents, Personal Selling, and some Fliers. During the pandemic, the same thing continues except for the giving of fliers since only a few people go outdoors. Also, personal selling should be done more with phone and e-mail than meeting the clients to avoid face-to-face as a means of observing health protocols.
Provide Provisions on Customer Care
Some customers feel that they are isolated, especially those who can’t go online from time to time. The company should make its presence to customers no matter what. They have to make them feel that they’re always there and they care. In these times of pandemic, when customers transact with the company, they should be more understanding and sympathetic as we are facing a crisis.
Provide Provisions for Auditing, Tax-Payment, and Banking Online
Thanks to software engineers. Web-based applications to facilitate auditing, tax payment, and banking are now in effect. Subscribing to these services will make a smooth flow for the company especially in these times of pandemic.
Provide Provisions on How to Update your Community
The company should make its presence to its customers especially in these times of pandemic. Letting people know what are their efforts to fight COVID-19, how they protect their customers, and what is the latest news about the company are some of the things that a company can do.
Provide Provisions for Strategic Planning
There’s life after the pandemic. COVID-19 will not last forever. Companies should prepare to come back to normal operation eventually.
COVID-19 teaches every company a lesson for preparedness, especially on crisis management. A company must have clear policies and guidelines for a crisis. Each employee may have to play their role for achieving these as a part of the Company’s strategic planning.
Concluding Words
Do you want to ensure your business continuity in the Philippines? We at 3E Accounting would like to help. We are Business setup experts in the Philippines and we are proud of that. Why don’t you drop us a line? See the Contact Page of this site.