Exploring Digital Transformation Benefits Amidst Pandemic

Life indeed teaches you to accept the unexpected! It’s just yesterday that a new virus capable of killing people with a medical history was discovered. Today we are already in phase one of this life-threatening pandemic.

Many of you who are reading this right now, are already concerned about the health of your families and friends. This transitional moment is crucial for society and business. Public gatherings are canceled, schools have started switching to online curricula and political leaders are advising citizens to stay inside their homes.

As a business leader, your first thought is regarding market uncertainty, the flawed supply chain, and the cut-down of manpower due to the implementation of work from home policy. Many companies do have a workforce that carries out their daily tasks from remote locations.

Read our ultimate guide to the digital transformation: Digital transformation guide: An in-depth review for undertaking organizational digitization initiative

Businesses with traditional work at the office setup rely on the busyness system set up inside their corporate network. But with the Corona virus outbreak, you are feeling the wrath of failed business plans as meetings are getting rescheduled or canceled, employees are reporting in sick and the entire workforce architecture is collapsing.

In that case, technology should be the key to fast track the safety of everyone. Today in this blog, we will highlight how digital transformation will be beneficial keeping the Covid-19 pandemic in check.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how digital transformation is the key to preparing yourself for the worst that is to come in the wake of this deadly disease that has claimed more than 9k lives till now.

Creating effective work from home policy

As per a survey by Workhuman, only a third of people in the U.S. work remotely. This is a contrasting insight if we consider a poll conducted in 2018 by Kantar, where off the 33,000 people interviewed, 32% valued a job that allowed them to work from home.

Google and JPMorgan have already started testing out remote working policies for the safety of their employees. And even Twitter is encouraging its workforce to work from home.

Reading this gives away a rosy picture where all is well, companies are indeed showing responsibility towards their employees. Even though working from home is a boon to many employees, there are companies that do not have the required technology infrastructure to justify the “business as usual” attitude.

Businesses must learn to implement remote working technologies such as Meet, Zoom conference, and Salesmate CRM into their productivity tool mix and strengthen their technological architecture.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, technology companies are rolling out various tools for supporting businesses to smoothly carry out their work from home policies. These companies are providing extended trial periods and even lower prices.

1. Google

The tech giant is giving free access to its advanced paid features.

2. Microsoft

The multinational technology company offered a free six-month trial of its top tier of Microsoft Teams for enabling schools, hospitals, and businesses in China during their lockdown period.

3. Zoom

This U.S.-based video-conferencing provider is getting its share of attention during this pandemic. The company responded by canceling its 40-minute limit from its free Basic plan in China. Even the doctors in China in around 1,000 hospitals used the video conferencing service for online consultations.

Digi or Telehealth Services

Digitalization has been revolutionizing the industry yet the overall costing of digital transformation keeps many businesses away from accepting it.

The healthcare industry has seen a boom in the digital revolution which is focused on providing better experiences and services to patients as well as health plan members, healthcare providers, and employees.

When we talk about availing the medical services to already sick patients, medical centers and hospitals are the worst. Simply because those who are sick will easily infect the other comparatively healthy people.

Providing appropriate assessments, diagnoses, and treatment to patients in their own homes is a better option for curbing any pandemic.

Availing virtual and digital consultation to patients has two major benefits:

1. They get quick service and help right where they are comfortable.

2. They won’t catch or spread any infection from the other patients.

Also, there is less labor involved which lowers the costs, provides better convenience, and terminates the chances of health risks to both patients and medical service providers.

With Covid-19 at the center of the discussion, it is important to learn that investment in digital transformation also mitigates the chances of disease transmissions.

Let’s take a look at the SARS outbreak, from a technology perspective. The SARS outbreak stayed for six months, affecting more than 8k people worldwide. Telehealth has taken the forefront, people are heavily using video conferencing.

Bringing robots and chatbots on the forefront

Various countries are making good use of robots and chatbot technologies.

Kaifu district-Hunan province

Robots are used for

• measuring body temperature
• record data
• disinfect the hands of employees

Doing so improves your overall efficiency and also reduces labor costs.

The United States

In the effort of deploying digital solutions, the first COVID-19 affected patient was treated by a team of doctors that consisted of a bot too.

• The robot is equipped with a stethoscope
• It takes the vital signs of the patient
• It also communicates with the patient over a large screen

Chatbots are being used in the USA for reassuring people and helping them to get treatment.

Seattle-based start-up 98point6 is offering virtual tours where patients chat with AI before they are connected with a doctor.

Bright.md, a Portland-based start-up, installed its coronavirus screening system which uses AI for conducting remote interviews with patients.

If the application detects a possible case of COVID-19  a video interview is arranged with a doctor.

Israel

Sheba Medical Center took the help of telemedicine for providing a proper diagnosis to the 12 quarantined patients.

• Remote monitoring of treatment protocols
• Medical examinations without the presence of any medical staff
• A robot controlled by doctors with a screen, camera, and medical equipment were deployed on-site

Virtual events

The Covid-19 outbreak resulted in the cancellation of many in-person conferences worldwide. Businesses are switching to virtual events

The Mobile World Congress was first to be canceled in the wake of the pandemic. Google Cloud Next ’20 got renamed to Digital Connect, a free, global, digital-first, multi-day event.

Collison, the fastest-growing tech conference in North America, sought virtual as Collison from Home—the in-person event has been postponed to June 2021.

Conferences as an industry are growing at a fast pace, with a trillion-dollar under their belt already. These events are crucial for exchanging notes and ideas, building professional rapport, and meeting many renowned names in various industries.

What’s in store?

One of the ways of pushing these conferences into digital is by combining video and networking. The stringent safety measure that is required for dealing with the spread of Covid-19 and any future transmittable disease will push businesses to think out of the box and innovate.

And even though we are sure businesses will be back to their “in-the-office” work culture, this outbreak will help them prepare for the future. And we strongly believe digital transformation is the key to achieving this.

Stay safe, stay healthy everyone, and wash your hands often (for at least 20 seconds) with soap and water!