Years ago, while on an engagement in China, I faced first-hand the scare of a global virus outbreak. SARS had been plastered all over the media and I was dead center in the most dangerous zone. Now it seems we are facing a similar outbreak with daily news injecting new fears into the world and our markets.  

While there are many ways to perceive the Cononavirus threat, it is important to acknowledge the affect it has had and prepare your organization for the potential outcomes. Looking back, compared with the 2003 SARS outbreak, technology capabilities today are more robust and can keep your business operational, even if your people must stay at home. This becomes even more critical for small to mid-sized organizations which typically have more limited and centralized internal IT resources. Even large companies that outsource to centralized offshore providers are exposed to significant risk by having a provider in a “hot zone”. Learning from crises and disasters shows us we should always:

1. Take precautions and train our workforce 
2. Assess and mitigate risks 
3. Have proven and tested contingency plans in place 

Each of these items can be addressed by leveraging technology resources. There is a plethora of cloud-based collaboration tools that support a mobile workforce, allowing your staff to continue communications with each other and conitnued access to data / documents from any location. Similarly, there are multiple conferenceing solutions that help keep formal communications, such as customer meetings, on schedule. If you haven’t considered how your company can use these resources, then now is the time to do so to ensure you company can continue operations in the face of restricted travel and increased need for remote work.

With increasing need for remote support, in-house teams can become quickly overwhelmed. IT Managed Services can help manage these resource constraints and implement necessary remote work capabilities by providing additional resources for projects and expanding your team’s existing capabilities. In turn, this helps companies cope with the risks to revenue that come with Coronavirus or other natural disasters.

Technology is the life blood of most companies and the primary way we communicate today. By assessing your risks and bringing in the right resources you can ensure continued operations and revenue in the face of the unknown.

SAGIN, LLC is a professional services firm which combines, IT Managed Services, Consulting, Risk Management and Employee Development to keep businesses operating even through the difficult times. To learn more about us or perform an assessment of your IT operations you can contact us at info@saginllc.com or +1.312.281.0290 or visit us at www.saginllc.com