The Adaption of Businesses

In biology business, adaptation is a change in the structure or function of an organism company that results from natural selection a global pandemic, and the organism organization becomes better suited to survive.

Back in 2018, VNET tried out a service called SnackNation out of Culver City, California, that specialized in delivering boxes of granola bars, jerky, and coffee to offices much to the delight of our staff. Fast-forward to March of 2020, when offices across the country closed their doors sending employees home, companies like SnackNation looked like they would be doomed. Fortunately, they were able to quickly pivot from a focus on offices to offering smaller “work-from-home boxes” delivered right to remote worker’s homes. Additionally, SnackNation added personal safety items such as masks, wipes, thermometers, and hand sanitizers, which became a more valuable product for their customers and attracted new businesses. They are on track to having their best year ever.

In Erie, manufactures have modified their molds and machines to fabricate face shields early in the pandemic. Restaurants who never catered to curbside pickup transitioned quickly and were able to stay in business when other establishments had to close their doors. Some even gained new customers who may not have otherwise tried them out prior to COVID-19. Transportation companies have had to work overtime to ship goods all over the country as the demand for trucking rose sharply during the pandemic. Source: Wired.com

Wireless IoT (Internet of Things) sensors are helping production lines track the output and productivity of shifts as manufacturers increase the production of essential products. It’s all about finding large and small inefficiencies and correcting them to keep businesses going strong.

Success stories are being written all around us both nationally and locally, and technology is often the center of these stories.

Technology for creating a Sense of Security
One hurdle we all face today is gaining a sense of security. Businesses who can ease people’s minds about cleanliness will have a much better chance of success. This goes for not only customers but for the employees as well. Offering contactless payment methods, paperless menus, hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks are all great things to offer to make people feel comfortable in your business. Customers and employees who feel safe are going to strengthen your business. Employees who are transitioning back to the office also need to feel safe. Contact Tracing Apps used in an organization can relieve some stress over social distancing.

Internet
The need for a fast and reliable internet connection has never been greater it is now. We rely on it to place orders, communicate with customers, access cloud services and software, process payments, and communicate with others to name just a few. What if that connection is interrupted? Can you afford to be down, or should you be looking at redundancy? If you’re a small business, perhaps having an AirCard mobile hotspot as a backup device will keep business moving.

Phone Lines
Are you now taking more calls from customers? If you’re a business that is taking orders by phone and receiving calls for order pickup, you may find that your customers are getting busy signals. What is that costing you? It’s important to remove customer hurdles in order to make sure they come back for repeat business.

Voice Service
Depending on the size of your business, you may want to manage incoming calls with a VoIP solution. With a well-designed phone tree, you can provide your customers with automated answers to frequently asked questions, direct them to the right person or department, or queue the calls if necessary. Time is money, so you’ll want to spend less time picking up the phone!

Link: https://www.velocitynetwork.net/voice/

Cameras and Sensors
Would a well-placed camera facing your parking lot facilitate curbside pickup? With a network camera, a network intercom or sensor, and a VoIP system you can engage with customers without needing to be face-to-face with your client. This may instill trust and confidence in your customers and help to improve efficiencies with personnel. There are many custom applications that can be implemented with a little planning.

Public WiFi
If you’re a restaurant owner and your customers are using smartphones to place orders from an outdoor eating area or parking lot, it’s possible that they don’t have a reliable data signal at your location. A proper public WiFi network would help with the customer experience.

Texting Services
Employ a texting service to update your customers about changes to your business so they can take advantage of your latest conveniences. Let them know you’re placing their safety first. Texting is inexpensive and is more likely to be read over email. It’s also a great way to send out specials and reminders.

Cybersecurity
With work-from-home employees, VPN connections, Cloud-based services, and video conferencing, there is no better time to ramp up your network security. Managed AV for organizations will give birds-eye-view to threats on individual PC’s and servers. Consider a newer, more robust firewall solution from SonicWall for you best network security and VPN features to protect your data from hackers who are taking advantage of these changing times.

Webcams
Businesses need to have webcams in the office to stay connected to work-from-home employees. Conference rooms will need to be updated to include better webcam solutions to facilitate easy communications, as well as individual workstations. Hardware and software from Microsoft, Cisco, and Konftel are sure to have a solution to meet the needs of your business no matter the size.

At Velocity Network, we have a 30-year history of adaption. We’re very thankful for a community that has been there to support us. Likewise, if your business needs help navigating the waters of these uncertain times, give us a call and let’s see how we can make technology better for you and your business!