While much of Europe is still battling against Covid-19 and the challenges of lockdown, the green shoots of recovery are beginning to emerge in parts of the world.

In the middle of a crisis it’s hard to think ahead with any real clarity. European businesses are still reeling from the almost-instant shift to remote working, operational streamlining and reduction of employment costs.

Planning for the coming weeks is now underway although, with little clarity of how long lockdown might continue, this can be very challenging.

Yet it’s undoubtably a competitive advantage for businesses to start thinking in real terms about the post-pandemic environment and how your organisation should respond. Here are a few areas to consider:

What are the learnings?

This crisis has been a major test for business leadership and you will have learned a lot along the way. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that everything will return to normal and you can continue as before when lockdown comes to an end.

There may well be important discoveries to reflect on. Digital transformation has played a crucial role in helping businesses navigate the challenge.

How well did your technology infrastructure hold up under new remote working demands? What happened to organisational productivity? If it increased, why?

Many people have found that they actually worked more effectively using workflow apps like Trello or Monday than when sitting in an office with their teams. Don’t miss the opportunity to make improvements based on your learnings. Ask all your senior leaders to reflect on the challenges and the successes of their new ways of working.

Reconsider business travel

Every business claims to be committed to reducing their impact on the environment – yet the Coronavirus crisis has forced us to take real action. Roads are empty, flights are grounded, capital cities are deserted. Yet business continues.

Videoconferencing and digital collaboration tools have proven themselves as a viable alternative to business travel. How much money and time could your business save by meeting online instead of in person? How much would employee productivity, morale and wellbeing improve by avoiding traffic jams, airport delays, early mornings and weekend travel?

An important consideration in this, too, is the role of international networking. One of WIL Group’s real successes lies in having experienced people in every country around the globe, who understand the local culture and can hit the ground running when new expertise is needed fast.

Where are the opportunities?

There have already been pandemic winners and losers – consider the airlines, hotels and restaurants versus video streaming, telecoms and e-commerce brands. But these fortunes are set to reverse. Post lockdown, people will head out to bars, restaurants and attractions in their millions, especially as summer approaches.

How can your business capitalise on the post-pandemic boom? What can you do to gain a share of voice?

Future-proof your organisation

If there’s one thing we have learned from this crisis it’s that things can change at lightning speed. Just four months ago we had no idea that we were on the brink of a major global disaster that could deliver a $1 trillion hit to the world economy.

Experts anticipate that the coming months and years will see many organisations take steps to protect themselves from future crises – from reducing risk in supply chains to investing in better data and modelling tools to understand business impacts.

E-commerce has proven invaluable in these challenging times, as has digital transformation, collaboration and cloud-based services. Make sure that your organisation has the right tools to survive not just the coming months, but the years and decades that follow.

At WIL Group, our network of experienced interim professionals have already supported hundreds of businesses in managing the immediate and short-term impacts of crisis situations. Now is the time to access their skills and expertise to secure your organisation’s future. 

Get in touch today