CEBU, PHILIPPINES – Barely two months since the rage of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting more than half of the world’s population. The scare of the disease have been causing major concerns and disruptions in the business world and in our social life as we know it. The disease started in Wuhan, China and after just a couple of months of seemingly endless battle it spreads like wildfire, not only in China but in countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
In the midst of this health crisis, now more than ever, businesses are forced to equip and shield its operation from its potential damaging effect on profitability and ability to continue. With the ongoing rage of COVID-19 pandemic, businesses will have to start looking at the situation as the new normal. Hence, it is natural that while the world is in dire outlook threats, opportunities has to be assessed and taken advantaged to survived on this gruesome situation.
Three months into this unprecedented state of lockdown, quarantine, and uncertain infection rate, more companies will need to be creative in finding ways to overcome the situation. For a start, the basic requirements in communication and computing must be addressed such us video teleconferencing, business system, and decent computer system. Likewise, business leadership must understand the need for support services that enable the needs of the people working on the ground, or in this case at home.
In practical sense, businesses have existing processes that are already adaptable to the current situation. For example, email is widely used in communication and have been utilized internal as well as external message exchange. Other than basic communication, is this actually utilized in sending and receiving orders and electronic signing of documents? All this can be addressed with a clear as guidelines defined by the business leadership. In the absence of such, companies must start working out their plans to avoid major interruptions. Big time!
In the Philippines, a full reading of the Electronic Commerce Act of 200 (RA 8792) and its Implementing Rule, as well as the Supreme Court’s Rules on Electronic Evidence is the first step in ensuring compliance and unwanted possible issues arising from this transition.
The second of the many steps that needs to be taken is the integration of existing, already utilized by the company, technologies to aptly adapt to this new normal and guard its footing against business losses and catastrophic loss of the business itself.