The COVID-19 outbreak is a never-before-seen health crisis that impacted the social and economic aspects on a national and global scale. The onset of COVID-19 has exposed existing weak links across industries, government, and in our economy.
Almost twenty-two months since the outbreak, the ripple effect of this crisis is still unfolding. Conventional approaches are not sufficient for the long road to recovery caused by the pandemic-related disruptions. With the changing environment that makes up the new reality, the way organization operates are radically shifted and work procedures are fundamentally changed.
People-First Mindset
The top priority at ISME is the safety and well-being of our clients, staff, and family. While adopting the new norm at work, strict SOPs such as physical distancing, wearing of face masks, frequent hand washing, and sanitizing of products before delivery are still applicable and mandatory. As a proactive measure to curb the spread of Covid-19, we ensure that all staff are fully-vaccinated before returning to workplace. All staff of ISME is required to conduct the RTK Antigen Testing as approved by the Ministry of Health through self-testing. For staff involved in an on-site service job, a self RTK test will be performed on weekly basis; For staff that do not travel, a self RTK test will be performed twice in a month.
When a technical issue occurs onsite, our technical team will attempt to diagnose and troubleshoot remotely. As the restriction to travel interstate is slowly lifted, onsite services and troubleshooting will also resume. The general safe work practices and SOPs onsite are followed closely to minimize exposure risks.
Remote Work and Communication Readiness
Irrespective of our readiness or desire to work from home, the COVID-19 has pushed our organization into the remote working and virtual communication experiment. During the Movement Control Order (MCO), KPMG has conducted a public poll with 3000 respondents in Malaysia. The capability of leveraging communication methods and staff readiness in adopting the right collaboration tools are reported to have a positive impact on the productivity of the respondents. To establish strong productivity when working from home, ISME has utilized effective communication platforms (such as ISME’s online store, Whatsapp, ASANA, Google Meet, Chrome Remote Access, etc.) and implemented individual KPI reporting to keep the team engaged and productive while working remotely.
Innovation and Adaptability
The global economy shut down during the pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in the operations of supply chains and logistics management. To minimize inventory risk caused by lockdown and transportation disruption, the operation team at ISME developed a strategy for risk mitigation through inventory control and improving forecasting for a better-informed purchasing decision.
At ISME, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way we think and how we approach our work. While adapting to the new reality, we are committed to providing the same level of support and customer service to our clients to ensure a smooth operation on the road to recovery.
