Working together towards the “new normal”
If there’s one thing Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on Tuesday and Thursday night made clear, there is no going back to “normal”, COVID-19 has changed our economy, as well as the way we do business in South Africa and the world. While it’s natural for uncertainty to give rise to speculation, it’s important that we all remain level headed and continue to work together – as Ramaphosa alluded, we could actually create a better, kinder and gentler economy and South Africa as a result.
In the interim, we need to be practical and consider what will happen when lockdown is eased, and we go back to doing business. KDZA management has been devising a COVID Lockdown Back-to-Work plan to consider all number of possibilities, and we encourage our partners to do the same.
To give you ideas for your own business, we thought we’d share some of the things we’ve been looking at for when some of our staff return to the offices. It will certainly be a different space.
We are considering how to continually disinfect all parts of the building to maintain a safe environment, as well as how reception will operate and interact with customers, service providers and drivers. We are looking at a way forward with regards to “normalising” and how remote working might fit into a “new normal”. Our meeting room protocols will be revised as will our travel policy over the short and long term.
There’s a lot to think about and plan for, and that’s what we are doing. What I can tell you is:
- Discussions with you, our partners, around concerns and possible ways around them are ongoing.
- Overall, some will make it through these tough times, and some won’t. We believe it is our job is to take care of our business’s health and wellbeing, as well as that of our customers. We are considering how we can best help everyone survive and thrive.
- We are in almost daily contact with KDE to work on our plans.
- The service team, marketing team, sales team and business support teams are all working hard behind the scenes on a number of initiatives that will allow us to “normalise” and subsequently help our customers – in other words, to transition to a “new normal”.
We are currently in a hiatus before the storm, and I would like to take this opportunity to share with you how I feel about being a South African.
I have watched how our President, Cabinet Ministers and MECs and have performed over and above their roles and responsibilities and, while I have always been proudly South African, I’ve never been more so than now.
South Africa has mobilised and is doing amazing things across the country to prepare for the coming months. By working together, so much more is achievable.
Let’s continue to collaborate, think smarter and work together. It will go a long way to getting us through this challenge.
Werner Engelbrecht - General Manager - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
