Pragmatic digitalisation in special times

https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_the_next_outbreak_we_re_not_ready?

Now it's happened. With unprecedented scale and countermeasures, we find ourselves in probably the greatest catastrophe for the whole of humanity since the Second World War. This presumably triggers reflection in everyone, which in many cases also amounts to a sad look back. Many missed opportunities to prepare better for this situation come to mind in this context. But that doesn't get us any further right now. "Should've, would've, could've!", as they nicely put it in the Ruhr region. In other words: look ahead, because that's the direction we're heading.

That goes for missed digitalisation too. None of us can turn back the clock, but tackling things pragmatically and simply now, that we can! Pressure already drives some results too, as one customer example shows, who used to describe themselves as very slow at implementing new topics. Because of the need to coordinate staff working from home, the Microsoft Teams rollout happened in one week instead of the expected several months. There we go! Chapeau! This example shows things can move fast. Other examples show things can also stay simple. Suddenly the otherwise indispensable features on the website, in the shop, or on other digital touchpoints get stripped down, and quick & dirty works too. Here a few examples:

Design

In normal times, agreeing on a new page for the website or a landing page can take epic amounts of time, because unfortunately everyone has something to say about design. And if the button colour then also has to go through management for correct compliance with corporate design, it drags on like chewing gum. In Corona times, it can sometimes happen in a day, and it doesn't matter so much whether the colour is right, but that the information gets out.

Fully integrated vs. "hands-on management"

Shop systems without a fully integrated basket and checkout are unimaginable under normal circumstances. When it comes to staying reachable for customers even during lockdown and accepting orders, orders are also taken via simple contact forms, and that's a good thing too!

Online trade fairs

The ban on contact makes many things impossible that simply can't be entirely dispensed with. This includes trade fairs and other gatherings that are part of our economic life. Now the time has come for formats to be tried out that in the past were often dismissed as odd or led a niche existence. So today it's comparatively easy to bring together even large groups of people via video conferencing or streaming, to hold networking events, trade fairs or lecture events, and every conceivable combination thereof.

Conclusion

We have every option available to at least partially replace the missing physical channels, quickly and pragmatically. The toolbox is well stocked, and for almost every conceivable problem there's a whole range of solution approaches that can be implemented quickly and at manageable cost. And now is the time to tackle it. Procrastination is no longer an option ...