The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has changed the business landscape for years to come. Anxieties are high as companies operate in crisis mode and settle into a “new normal”. Without notice, leaders have had to take action to assess the company’s viability and trajectory. They must balance maintaining financial solvency and managing staff, while looking for new opportunities for future growth during these uncertain times. Decisions made today can have immediate and lasting impact on the sustainability of a business. With the COVID-19 crisis, companies can turn a challenge into an opportunity to restructure business for current stability and future success.

Lowering Costs

If you want to quickly improve the profitability and viability of your business, lower the operating costs. Companies should find ways to reduce costs, reduce waste, improve efficiency, and save money. It is important for leaders to take a strategic approach to lowering operating costs to minimize any negative impact on the company’s productivity and profits. While cutting costs, companies must also focus on maintaining a great professional reputation by continuing to provide quality services and products.

Downsizing your staff may be required to survive these turbulent economic times, but it can have a lasting impact on your company’s trustworthiness, morale, culture, knowledge base, and efficiency. If possible, find ways to mitigate staff reduction, rather than implement layoffs. Maximize your staff’s potential and repurpose staff to avoid layoffs. Assign staff to roles and positions that well-match their skills, knowledge, ability, and expertise to increase organizational efficiency.

Managing a remote workforce is certainly not without its challenges. Without the ability to continuously monitor employees, management must find ways to hold employees accountable for quality, productive, efficient work while fostering an environment of trust. They must set clear goals and expectations and develop a way to measure success. In these situations, we often suggest implementing new automations so that your valuable team members can focus on tasks that are equally valuable.

Remote Consulting Business Model

As the COVID-19 crisis impacts business and the economy, companies are seeking consulting services to transform business processes and technology and implement best practices to maintain or increase productivity and profitability. At REdirect, we are refining our business processes, so that we can continue to serve our clients’ needs, amid the uncertainties and challenges of navigating their businesses through this pandemic. We are using digital tools and collaborative platforms to seamlessly and effectively provide high quality consulting services, including:

1. Sales and Marketing Webinars
2. Virtual Client Round Tables
3. Cloud Tools for Comprehensive Project Scoping and Management
4. Fast and Secure Online Statements of Work
5. Virtual Meetings (Project Kick-offs, Status Meetings, Working Sessions)
6. Remote Testing & Training
7. Remote Support and Help Desk Services

Benefits of Remote Consulting

1. Lower costs

   One benefit of remote consulting is lower costs. Clients can have a greater return on investment, because travel related expenses for the client and consultants are eliminated. There can also be a huge cost savings with billable time, as consultants typically bill for full days when onsite, versus billing for blocks of time when working remotely. These cost savings can translate into additional consulting services when fewer funds are allocated for travel and onsite time.

2. Simplified logistics

   Remote consulting facilitates simplified logistics for the project team: project teams can be quickly assembled and engaged. With remote consulting, project team members can more easily contribute work to the project while still focusing on their day-to-day job functions.

3. Accessibility

   Another benefit of remote consulting is accessibility to consultants on your project team. With a remote team, you have access to a broader team of subject matter experts. Also, consultants are not subject to travel delays or complex flight schedules, which can lead to scheduling conflicts and less desirable engagement dates. With consultants living in diverse time zones, clients can have 24-hour access to consulting services, as needed.

4. Distraction-free collaboration

   Project team members can be more focused and productive without the distractions an office environment can provide. They can increase efficiency and maintain business continuity.

5. Quick and easy issue resolution

   With a team of dedicated consultants and support team specialists, issue escalation and resolution—during a project or with a support service contract—is quick and easy. Issues can be immediately reviewed, prioritized, researched, troubleshot, and resolved through use of technology platforms to track issues and communicate progress and status.

How does a company operate in crisis mode? In the face of adversity, the best thing companies can do is work together with strong and united leadership. While navigating through a crisis, it is important for companies to support their people and maintain consistent communication.

In turn, if you find yourself needing support, perhaps it’s time to engage with a consulting firm who can take over some of the tedious tasks, or help you streamline them to make the day-to-day easier. As we move beyond crisis mode into a more normal mode of operation, this model of remote consultant is sustainable and can continue to offer benefits to your organization. Ready to explore your options? Contact us here to get the conversation started.