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How to prepare your Business for Coronavirus

prepare your business

Forget the scare stories, here are some simple and realistic measures for prepping your business.

Coronaviruses are a type of virus group common across the globe. The new strain, COVID-19, originating in Wuhan City, China, has now tested positive in individuals from all over the world. With the UK government likely to announce a move into the ‘delay’ phase of virus response tactics, it is advisable to take reasonable steps to prepare your business’ next steps.

Resilience planning – Look after your staff and keep the workplace clean…

There is no vaccine as of yet, so the general procedures for tackling cold and flu have been recommended to limit contagion. Operating in the work space under hygiene advice from Public Health England should avoid the potential mania which other sources can encourage.

Forecasting – Look Ahead…

Everything from your suppliers to your staff could be diminished; think ahead with the right control measures to bolster your company in case of disruption or delay, ensuring your business can ride out the coming year.

Your workforce:

Put in place procedures that can allow your employees to work from home.

Public Health England has advised that individuals arriving from Category 1 areas should self-isolate whether they have symptoms or not. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that up to a fifth of the population could be self-isolating. Any steps that can allow your staff the flexibility to work from home can help your company keep calm and carry on without risking their health.

If you’re one of our clients with an OrderWise hosted solution this will prove much simpler, allowing staff to access the necessary systems from off-location sites using the OrderWise desktop app, and keep the flow of work going remotely. Alternatively, contacting your internal or external IT providers is advisable to see if they can afford your business a form of off-site working ability.

It is important to stay flexible in your working practices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in order to keep consistent with the advice administered from Public Health England, and your employees should be readily informed of this information to keep the situation calm and ordered.

Your suppliers:

Assess any potential bumps in your supply chain.

Communicate with your suppliers to forecast any potential delays and problems with your orders and stock allocation. The chances are, there will be limitations to your deliveries at all stages during these tricky few months ahead; managing your promise dates with clarity can ease this process, giving you real-time information and see the issues before they arise.

Detailing the timings of your order planning and internal manufacturing allows you to spot the risks, enabling you to take your business’ relevant interventions, or even start the search for alternative suppliers. Taking the right steps, at the right moment, can allow you to get ahead of your competitors, so your business can meet stock and order requirements as successfully as possible during this difficult global climate.

Your customers:

Keep your customers informed.

With so much false information flying around, being on top of all the latest facts, figures and updates in your business can make your staff, as well as your customers, feel that little bit more secure.

Advising your customers confidently and accurately of any delays or problems with their orders can make all the difference to your customer service. After utilising your supply chain analysis data, make use of your CRM system to keep up to date with all your due dates and customer details. Such a system will enable your employees to securely log and access customer communication even when your team is working remotely, making sure your business keeps the level of service at its best, and the costumers on side.