Plague (circa 14th century), Spanish flu (1918), SARS (2002), and COVID-19 (2020). Until now, humankind has faced many crises due to infectious diseases such as various viruses and bacteria. Spanish flu that broke out 100 years ago was enormous, with an estimated 500 million infected people and 17 to 50 million deaths worldwide. Considering that the world population at that time was 1.8 billion people, we lost nearly 3% of the population.
Some people may think that the damage caused by COVID-19 is small compared to that, but the problem is that despite the extremely advanced medical treatment compared to 100 years ago, we are struggling to end it. may not be an exaggeration to say that although the damage caused by this virus is less than that of past infectious diseases, it is the worst virus in the history of modern medicine.
The spread of the COVID-19 infection, which has become an unexpected situation for everyone, has changed business significantly. We are now faced with the need to make a major shift toward a new normal world. What is the “new normal”? would like to explain this word that is often taken up in the media here.
The new normal is a turning point that comes at the turning point of the times
It is only recently that the term “new normal” has started to be used. However, even in recent years, there have been many times when mankind has reached a turning point in an era that can be called the so-called new normal.
After that, companies began to use e-mail, Yahoo! appeared in the world, Google developed a search engine service, and NTT DoCoMo started the i-mode service in Japan. And with the spread of ADSL, high-speed broadband using telephone lines prepared in ordinary households has become possible, and the number of people and terminals connecting to the Internet has increased dramatically. The Internet has continued to grow, and no explanation is needed as to how it has expanded since then.
The next thing that could be called the new normal was 2008-2009. The Lehman shock incident is still fresh in our memory. Triggered by this, the need for corporate governance (internal control) increased rapidly in Japan and overseas, and legislation was developed. In addition, as we enter an era where speed and agility are required on the business side, there is also a movement to renovate old systems.
In this way, the new normal is a turning point that comes at a turning point in the times, and it can be said that it is a new worldview with different standards than before.
New ways of working in the new normal era
COVID-19, which triggered the recent new normal, has had a major impact on “work styles” due to the characteristics of infectious diseases.
So, how will the way we work to change in the new normal era?
Normalization of remote work
With the government’s declaration of a state of emergency in response to the spread of COVID-19, more companies than ever have embarked on remote work. Although there are differences depending on the industry, business category, and occupation, remote work will become the norm as a major direction. Many companies are now realizing the effects of remote work, and more than half of business people say they want to continue working remotely. And the way offices need to change accordingly. On-premises in-house IT will not disappear from physical offices, but it will be necessary to prepare a digital workplace that can work from anywhere using the cloud, especially SaaS, in order to work remotely and telework.
Work that involves remote collaboration and communication has various effects, such as increasing productivity and improving work-life balance, and is an existence that companies cannot ignore. For this reason, it is thought that remote work will become the norm even in the new normal era. In addition, it is said that companies that do not implement remote work may lose their competitiveness, including the acquisition of human resources.
Relationships with Customers and Business Partners
It is not only our company that is working on remote work, but also our customers and business partners. Especially in non-manufacturing companies, the implementation rate of remote work is high, and most companies in the IT industry, consulting industry, etc. are now able to proceed with their work remotely.
In the meantime, the way we interact with clients and business partners will also change, and in the future, communication will center on web conferences and business chats, and file exchange and collaboration will shift to the form of using cloud storage functions. . Before the spread of COVID-19, remote business between companies was not progressing due to anxiety about remote communication, but many companies felt that there was no problem when they actually practiced remote work, even though they were reluctant. At the same time, corporate systems and culture are also undergoing major changes.
How sales and marketing should be
Even in the world after the current COVID-19 infection situation subsides, the so-called post-corona, there is a great possibility that business will proceed as contactless as possible. Then, visit-type sales will gradually reduce its scale and change to relatively remote-type sales. In other words, business negotiations using web conferences, etc., and lead (prospect) acquisition through webinars.
In marketing, digital-centric measures will further accelerate. Many people have been forced to work from home due to the government’s self-restraint request, and the internet connection rate has exploded. It is said that most of the corporate decision-making process is done by collecting information on the Internet, so this trend will accelerate in the new normal era, and the importance of methods such as digital marketing and online events and exhibitions will increase. The importance of the content that supports these marketing activities will increase, and the differentiating factor will be how to display such content quickly and attractively while maintaining security.
Provision of products and services to consumers
Many of the products and services provided to consumers must be online using e-commerce. In addition, at restaurants and other places, it is becoming essential to consider takeout and hygiene more than ever.
However, it does not mean that the retail industry will completely shift online. There are material desires that cannot be satisfied by shopping through EC sites. As if to express this, at the moment when the request to refrain from going out and the request to refrain from moving to other prefectures is lifted, a large number of people go to shopping centers, department stores, and suburban outlets.
For this reason, it is necessary to explore new store styles and marketing/business models when drawing up corporate growth strategies.
Reaffirming the importance of BCP
Awareness of BCP (Business Continuity Plan) is also rising rapidly. The number of companies implementing BCP measures increased after the Great East Japan Earthquake, but most of them were mainly measures for stable system operation. For example, switching applications that were managed in-house to SaaS or cloud utilization, or adopting an HA configuration in order to switch to another data center in the event that the company’s data center is destroyed by an earthquake. And with the spread of COVID-19, there is a need for major BCP measures to strengthen “work styles that are not bound by location.”
Uniquely define the new normal and develop new business
When hearing the words “new normal,” many people may have a vague sense of anxiety due to the spread of COVID-19. the COVID-19 crisis was one of them. And these are challenges that everyone faces. We must overcome these “environmental changes” while gathering wisdom. and creating solutions to overcome it.
