Isn’t it said that a crisis is often an “unfortunate good opportunity” to reinvent oneself? The pandemic that we are experiencing has at least the merit of initiating certain debates, even if the price to pay is heavy.
In normal times, workspaces and infrastructure management are not promising topics in most companies, because they are cost drivers. However, the crisis shows that these sectors are crucial.
Anticipation and planning are part of the DNA of managers, at least that is what you might think. Nevertheless, the current situation shows disarray, not to say disorganization, in companies that were thought to be well prepared. One might reply that the situation was so unexpected and exceptional that it was impossible to prepare for it.
On closer inspection, one must admit that the choice of managers was often dictated by the pressure of investors seeking immediate profits or “foreseeing” is investing in time.
Workspaces and infrastructure management (FM) are part of sectors oriented towards the medium-long term and the frantic pace of certain economic actors does not allow for synchronisation at this level.
Without getting paranoid, some bosses would be wise to ask themselves the simple question “what if? “: What if my production tools were no longer accessible, what if my employees could no longer move around, what if my customers turned to other solutions?
The maximum solution is often not possible for financial or technical reasons but having 2-3 crisis scenarios and investing in slightly more expensive but reliable solutions should guide company management.
Nonetheless, it will take courage to return to a form of normality: this is perfectly possible if you have excellent communication, minimal flexibility and regularly tested “B” plans.
The coming months will be a real challenge for many. Nevertheless, most actors, especially in Switzerland, have shown and will continue to show great resilience.
Courage and a good end to the summer