Unless you have been living under a rock, the entire world seemed to be in a momentary pause by the rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout the globe. Malaysia isn’t spared from this pandemic visit. On March 18th 2020, then Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the first phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO), after Malaysia had reported 117 positive COVID-19 cases in multiple states.
Ensuing this MCO implementation, no social gatherings were allowed. Movements in and out of the country were strictly regulated. Everyone had to abide by the ‘stay at home’ rule at all times or you’ll risk being fined. The roads and buildings were empty and quiet. People started discovering or rediscovering survival skills at home.
It is at this moment that we found out: the internet conquers everything. We started seeking solace through digital entertainments. For some, social media was the only way for them to experience any ounce of social interactions. Countless ‘Internet challenges’ sprouted like mushrooms after the rain; still remember when your newsfeeds were flooded with pictures of Dalgona coffee, Banana cake, Yoga tricks, TikTok dances and Animal Crossing screenshots?
i. Dalgona coffee. Image by asianfoodnetwork.com
And then…. the month of Ramadhan came looming in. For many merchants and small business owners, this would be one of the most lucrative time of the year. But with everyone being ordered to stay at home at all times, is there any hope to save the business?
The realization hit us- the show can’t go on without internet. Gyms and fitness studios have started opening up virtual workshops. Universities, schools, and even tuition centres rely heavily on Zoom calls to continue their classes. Bazaars and hawker stalls have moved their operations to Facebook groups (or e-bazaars). More and more restaurants have popped up in our food delivery app. Abang posmen have doubled their workload.
ii A Foodpanda rider. Image by The Star
And what about limiting physical contact? We are all going cashless now. According to The Borneo Post, it was reported that the account registration for Sarawak Pay, an e-Wallet mobile platform has shown an unbelievable hike throughout the MCO period.
This is a ‘natural selection’-like moment for companies and businesses: adapt or you’ll die.
What does this mean?
Your business operations and managements need to transition online. This way, you will be able to maximize the potential and efficiency of your work.
For laymen, here are some simple examples:
1. Creating a Facebook or Instagram page for your business in order to reach out to more potential clients
2. Taking advantage of the ‘share’ function to boost your product with minimal to zero cost
3. Using an automated system to receive and respond to enquiries to ensure a pleasant customer service experience
4. Generating leads to help optimize your marketing strategy
This isn’t limited to retail, F&B and service sectors only. Companies that couldn’t afford to temporarily close down has executed a ‘work from home’ system where staffs work remotely through their laptops and computers at home, this is not unlike digital nomads. Cloud-computing will help your company gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
Digital transformations have been all the rage recently, and it’s for obvious reasons.
Digitizing your information, data and documents on the cloud will give you new levels of flexibility and access without the human error. An automated workflow is another system that should be introduced to your remote operations. Automations ensure a better accuracy, more efficiency and security that otherwise couldn’t be achieved by human limitations.
COVID-19 has shown us that being disconnected in a physical sense doesn’t equate to an absolute or total isolation. If anything, this pandemic has only accelerated the inevitability of digitalisation. To survive in a computer-dominated world means having to take part in the digital disruption. Are you ready for it?