Télétravail à la maison en temps de pandémie

Is your company up to the challenge of Telework?


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In the midst of this pandemic, companies have had to learn to deal with two aggravating factors: telework and labor shortages.

We’ll return to the delicate subject of labour shortage in the next post.

On the teleworking front, critical decisions are on the horizon: what actions and investments will you need to prioritize to both optimize human comfort and maintain performance in this new permanent hybrid work environment?

 

Telework Organizational Challenges

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employée en télétravail à la maison en temps de pandémie

Pandemic and Telework – reflections of an entrepreneur

The pandemic forced us all to review our priorities and, by the same token, how to go about things like work structure, management style, production chain, supply logistics, etc… oh yes, and our Human Resources Management!

In short, while everything was going well in the best of worlds, we all discovered how fragile our happiness and our businesses were!

We will soon complete a 2nd year of distancing and exceptional hygiene measures to stop the pandemic and we all hope that all this will be behind us for good in the fall of 2022, although some prognoses suggest otherwise.

So, we thought it would be a good idea to take stock of how far we’ve come since then and to share some of our personal thoughts on the subject.

 

Organisational Challenges in Times of Pandemic

 

HOW TO MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES?

It was not easy, because for many people, the initial shock of the pandemic created apathy followed by uncertainty, uncertainty about their future on many levels; personal, health, family, job, income, etc. These emotions were further exacerbated by the isolation and curfew imposed.

Despite this, many managers were able to react quickly and compensate for this initial effect with one-on-one and ZOOM meetings (Teams, Google Meet, etc.) to stay on course… and focused.

Many managers then discovered that managing the troops remotely is no easy task and goes far beyond the management of assigned tasks, because connecting with an employee at home also means connecting with his or her personal universe… which often had to be dealt with!

And we also found that many employees were not properly set up at home to perform at their best.

 

HOW TO KEEP PRODUCTION GOING?

The problem gradually became apparent as many companies closed down because they simply could not get supplies. For many, this was due to the lack of personnel at the suppliers due to COVID-19 outbreaks and government subsidies, but for many others, this pandemic highlighted their unhealthy dependence on a few suppliers or even on Asian suppliers… on the other side of the world!

Out of sight, out of mind; they say!

Miracle recipes had to be found and quickly. And then came the notion of essential services and products that essentially covered the food, energy and health sectors, of course.

Was it a warning shot or a stroke of genius? It depends…

Some took advantage of the opportunity to reorient their production chain or add a new one, others found local or closer suppliers and are still happy about it today.

But for the vast majority of us, this shock was an opportunity to become aware of the need to drastically reduce our socio-economic dependence, mainly in terms of health and food. In terms of energy, we are already among the best in the world thanks to our hydroelectricity and our transition to renewable energies should ensure our security for the distant future.

As for the service sector, it was definitely the “lucky one” of the lot, as it is the one where teleworking is most applicable.  And this episode is sure to be a turning point in the future of how things will be done.  “Hybrid”, you say!!!

 

HOW TO MAINTAIN SALES IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC?

For the Services sector, in addition to the slowdown in business due to the… slowdown in business, the return to a new normal followed the gradual control of outbreaks.

For the Goods sector, it was a different story. For the smart ones, it was the return of the good old days as soon as supply resumed and thanks to online trade; for the others, it was an emergency turn to online trade. This period also saw a proliferation of new delivery services!

For many other companies in the Hotel & Restaurant, Culture & Entertainment and of course Tourism sectors, it was a disaster.

On the services side, here again, another realization for many entrepreneurs who were hit hard by their digital lag; some would say that they had to pay their “technological debt“!

 

Lessons of entrepreneurship in times of pandemic

This pandemic has changed us all, inexorably, and most likely permanently!

These upheavals have brought to light fundamental traits of human nature, the social fabric and the importance of quality of life for both.

The fact is that there is no going back; therefore, we must already plan for the return to normal and face this new normal.

And what will this “new normal” be made of?

First of all, there is the work environment to consider, because the vast majority of workers do not want to go back to the office full time. And even though one’s head is in the company, when one’s body is at home, it can be difficult to concentrate if one does not recreate a minimum of isolation similar to the company. The home does not offer the supervision or structure of an office. It will be necessary to accompany the employees in the creation of effective work bubbles.

There is also the human dimension to consider more than before, especially in a situation of labour shortage. We will have to learn to deal with different personalities at a distance, in telecommuting mode, some people need discipline to function and perform, others need comfort and warmth, still others simply need a directive and a clear objective, etc. Clearly, performance objectives will need to be redefined and incentives and bonuses will need to be creative.

Critical decisions are on the horizon: what actions and investments should you prioritize to optimize both human comfort and maintain performance in this new hybrid work environment.

In short, the company will have to adapt to employees.

 

Final Remarks

Update applications and software’s… it’s urgent!

Zoom/Teams will never replace the conference room.

It’s hard to read body language from a distance.

The home is not the office.

 

Last Words

And of course, this pandemic has also allowed us to test the effectiveness of our processes and collaboration tools in terms of security, connectivity, real-time collaboration, project management, quality control, etc.

With more or less happy results depending on…

And this will be the subject of our next post.

Enterprise security, finding the balance between protection and performance


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It’s an evidence, no enterprise wants to discover a security breach in its IT systems and applications and make the news with its data all over the Internet. Cybersecurity is an obligation for all enterprises to which they must comply; and today, enterprise security goes way beyond IT systems and applications.

In the last few posts, we discussed the many advantages of Cloud Services of which cybersecurity is key; like data protection (encryption on the wire, sometimes in the DB, protection from hackers, backup, etc.). So, what about IT systems and applications in particular, and your enterprise in general?

Protect but don’t affect

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You need to develop a new application?  Fine, do you have a Business Case?


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100 times go back to your work, again, again and again… and so it goes also for your Application Development Project and your Application Development Business Case.

The fact is among all enterprises, budgets are getting scarce and their distribution is getting rare as well. When it comes to application development project, we clearly see where it starts but not necessarily where it will end and not always in a good manner for that matter; which leaves bad memories and a bitter taste in the mouth of too many C-levels.

Although the initial motivation to start an application development project seems legitimate in the eyes of CMOs, CIOs or CTOs; their Application Development Business Case not always adequately supports it. The general idea is always to increase revenues but maybe we can add some rigor to it since you’ll have to sell your project on the inside and validate your Application Development Business Case.

Your challenge consists mostly in answering a few questions and validate your initial assumptions. So, here’s a basic pathway and a few useful arguments.

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The Decision of a Custom Software Development – 3rd Myth


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Evidently, considering the massive investments required and made in IT today, purchase decisions and suppliers selection must go through Finance and sometimes even through, Board of Direction. The decision of a custom software development for an application application falls under this type of investment and the weight of this responsibility is a myth, in our opinion; the 3rd myth in our series of custom software development.

Therefore, in this context of collegiality decision-making, nobody bears on its own the weight and responsibility (the shame) of decisions, sometimes dire of consequences. And this concept of shared responsibility is becoming somewhat a generalized entrepreneurial culture in Western societies, for the better and the worst. A great many thinks that the reign of commercial software reflects such an era… and entrepreneurial culture.

Tell me what motivates you…

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How to assess the gain of Tablets for the Mobile Workforce?


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Even though it might look so, it’s not necessarily true; and some questions about it must be revisited from time to time? So, how to assess the gain of Tablets for the Mobile Workforce?

I know, I know, you must think: « Come on, are you serious? ». In 2015?  But in fact, even though everybody has a mobile device today, it’s not crystal clear whether it’s really useful or even necessary.  More than often, and many have witnessed it, mobile devices are a source of distraction at work and the cause of errors, productivity loss, time loss, data loss, etc.

Well, let’s see it through…

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The Productivity of Quebec enterprises – obstacles to originality


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Managing growth while successfully controlling your expenses, retaining your critical resources and facing competition; and simultaneously increasing profit margin, of course, to please shareholders!  Well, it’s not an easy business to be a manager these days. And very few can boast being a visionary one!

One of the key factors of success is certainly productivity, or  the ability to  increase productivity!  And this, nowadays more than ever, goes through technology.

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The true nature of the Sales Cycle


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Let’s not forget that Mobility didn’t happen just yesterday; in fact, the sales process of the notorious Avon representative were, well… 100% mobile.

In short, we’re really Back to the Future nowadays, only now the nature of the Sales Process is executed in a different way; it’s entirely mobile or almost and mostly automated, stored, secured… and green!

Just to be clear, let’s reveal the true nature of the Sales Cycle of a typical Sales Force of today!

Mobility

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Mobilizing Business Intelligence – challenges and parameters


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Everybody talks about BI (Business Intelligence) and its virtues since a few years; everybody wants BI seeing in it a miracle remedy to its enterprise or Sales Force performance or thinking it could be the new growth vector they’re looking for. And probably with good reason but it can’t be done with a blink of an eye, there has to be a sound analysis done before mobilizing Business Intelligence!

Challenges of Business Intelligence

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Mobility Strategy – the stakes for the enterprise and the Mobile Workforce


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Dedicating someone specifically to Mobility, putting him/her  in charge of establishing a solid link and creating a bridge between business units (including the Mobile Workforce) and the IT department; that’s the very first step any enterprise, concerned with new business challenges and new business process, and looking forward to enhance both productivity and profitability, should take.

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The true nature of tailor-made software development


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When Analystik starts a new mandate with a client; the main goal is almost always to automate a business process and the methodology is, all things considered, quite simple:

  • Analysis of the process
  • Analysis of possible enhancements to the process itself
  • Creation of the software solution automating the process
  • Integration to existing related technologies and processes
  • Implementation

One spontaneously sees that a tailor-made software solution will fit more like a « glove » for the enterprise compared to a commercial software which is more of a « mitt ».

Shall we point it out over and over; although it calls upon a superior initial investment compared to a commercial software which answers roughly from 50% to 75% of requirements; a tailor-made software solution will always respond to 100% of requirements.  And let’s not forget, while adaptation to existing technologies and processes is always included with tailor-made software solution; it is always necessary as well with commercial software solution but never included !!!  We’re talking extras here; sounds like a story you’ve heard recently?

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Does Cloud CRM systematically answer all your questions / needs?


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Many clients from medium and large enterprises that we meet have migrated their CRM in the Cloud or are seriously thinking about it. On the other, and as surprising as it may look, we have also met others who have set a Cloud CRM and are on the verge… of coming down from their cloud!!!  In fact, just recently, while attending the CFO Summit in the USA, we were quite surprised to find out that many enterprises were not that satisfied with a well-known Cloud CRM solution and are seriously looking to a tailor-made CRM solution!

This is the story for this post; why should you migrate to a Cloud CRM and why should you look into a more traditional, some would say a more, personalized solution?

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Sales and Productivity – the case of CRM Solution


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Companies today have many means to use to increase sales and achieve corporate objectives! Moreover, several of these means (strategies, tools, tactics, etc.) are the heart of the managers and executives annual Strategic Plans.

Marketing for example can play within the entire range of tactics and tools, whether traditional marketing with advertising, media placement, direct marketing, promotions, etc., or Marketing 2.0 with a wide assortment of technologies for collaboration and profiles in Social Media… this, of course, if you’re an aficionado of Web 2.0 and already have an Enterprise 2.0 footprint – a digital footprint.

Human Resources may, for its part, contribute to the achievement of objectives by providing additional or better qualified resources, resource allocation, training, or help with developing and deploying a Knowledge Management strategy, etc.

And then there’s IT….

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Obsolete IT applications – issues for entrepreneurs


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So let’s jump merrily into the depths of the nightmare of every entrepreneur: IT investment. I say nightmare because it’s a field of expertise for which the vast majority of entrepreneurs have absolutely no basis for appreciation or evaluation.  There is little or no reassurance for a decision-maker faced with a 100, 200, or even $500,000 decision, which choice will likely have a major impact on productivity, thus profitability and the future of the business.

So… to help the entrepreneur in this situation, and I believe there will be more and more who need help in the years to come, because the stakes are the same and are just as important as ever: Business Process Automation, increasing productivity, mobile workforce, accessible information, increased quality of Business Intelligence, improved decision-making processes, integrity and security of company data, etc., all of course with the ultimate goal; increase Profitability and improve Customer Satisfaction.

The Problem

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The Database – always at the heart of a company’s business reality


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Amazingly, 25 years ago, the only people who spoke of Databases (DB) were the IT folks. They were perceived within large enterprises, not just as geeks but as business gurus. They held the secret formulas, some sort of modern day sorcerers.

Over time, the variety of databases available has diversified. Databases infiltrated the universe of many different departments of businesses; be it the Sales Force with its CRM, Human Resources (HR) with a homemade Access application, the Finance department with their multitude of Excel sheets (even if strictly speaking, they’re not really databases, it must be pointed out that Excel still manages the largest amount of data stored globally), Production and Purchasing with their ERP, etc. And that’s without counting the best years of Visual FoxPro,  which has been replaced by SQL, Oracle and many others…

Since that time, we have bandied about the term across levels of business, for example: “I think we have that into our Database”

Good evening, tonight on Discovery: The Adventures of Databases…

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