What will happen after the COVID-19 crisis?

Right now, we are all (understandably!) focused on protecting our loved ones, fighting the spread of the virus, and dealing with the immediate fallout in our jobs, businesses, and communities.

BUT when life starts to return to normal, what will this new “normal” look like and how are we going to have to adapt?

I do not have a crystal ball (ah… if only…), but there are a couple of things that I am predicting…

1. Many of those employees and contractors that were told to work from home will find they LIKE it.

2. Many of those employers that were forced to have their staff work remotely will find that (sometimes to their surprise), their people were more responsible, efficient and productive (oh… and they did not have to provide space, coffee, power etc, reducing overhead costs).

In other words, some of those people forced to work off site will probably stay there!

As we get our heads above water and start looking beyond immediate survival, we should plan for this potential (accelerated) shift in mindset – a mindset that has already seen a gradual change over the past 10 or 20 years but could now show a sudden larger surge in popularity.

Being techies, we naturally focus on the technology that can enable remote workers to communicate, collaborate, be accountable, and be productive without being chained to a traditional work environment.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Office 365 are two of the strongest toolsets that we feel can really help keep us all efficient and connected (not to mention somewhat sane!). What other tools does your manufacturing company recommend?

Please add your comments and tell us how technology was/is/will be helping you and your team in this new paradigm.