Stronger together: Your COVID-19 response doesn’t need to be a zero-sum game

The COVID-19 epidemic has caught even the most forward-thinking organizations off guard. The pervasive nature of this crisis has touched us all and will forever change the way in which we do business.

Immediate effects – such as sudden disruptions in operations, production line stoppages, fulfillment challenges, poor customer confidence for essential services, and declining employee morale and efficiency are leaving many leaders in a state of deep uncertainty about the future. Gartner recently reported that around 70% of organizations surveyed are finding themselves unprepared, while only 2% of global organizations believe that their business can continue as normal.

 The battle for budget continues

The economic impacts of this crisis are clearly severe – and we really don’t know just how far reaching they will be or how long they will last. It’s almost natural for an organization to shift priorities solely to survival mode and keeping the lights on. And IT budgets that were under scrutiny before will be looked at even harder now – with business and IT functions battling it out for every penny.

Even before the crisis, a lack of investment and shrinking IT budgets were leading to a situation where, in order to win, it was as if someone needed to lose. And now, it seems even more that the future is a zero-sum game. But it is in times like these that organizations must prevent any internal fragmentation by ensuring they keep their eyes on the big picture moving forward. This means unifying and continuing to focus on innovation and customer experience, while continuing to be a resilient organization.

So, what’s the way forward? Start with a triage: Focusing sharply on your IT core and fostering collaboration throughout your entire ecosystem

Right now, the prioritization of your core business processes and services is critical – a triage for your operations. Focusing on the core is key in addressing your immediate, crucial pain points. Collaborating closely with your employees and service partners and fostering a seamless relationship between both business and IT will help you better alleviate these urgent pain points.

Additionally, this collaboration and focus can serve as a digital transformation launchpad for solving broader challenges across affected locations as this crisis evolves while continuing to deliver innovation and better customer experiences without missing a beat.

The Power of Zero: Enabling infinite possibilities with zero touch

At Capgemini, we call this digital transformation launchpad The Power of Zero. The Power of Zero focuses on driving a lean, efficient, resilient, and optimized core with zero touch. This enables infinite possibilities throughout your IT estate and recognizes that in order to reap the benefits of the latest technologies in today’s digital age, it’s essential to have a foundation that is cost effective and operationally efficient (especially during a major crisis).

Why the Power of Zero?

Even during calmer times, many constraints can exist around traditional IT that ultimately lead to a build-up of inertia around the innovation process. Traditional support processes, for example, are built on the implicit assumption that an incident will happen. So, why not focus on reducing incident volumes to zero?

Over many years, technical debt has built up – encumbering the ability for future enhancements to be delivered quickly and in a flexible way. So, why not reduce technical and landscape debt to zero? Workarounds have often built up due to process inefficiencies and a lack of usability. Why accept this – why not start to reduce business process latency and eliminate end-user dissatisfaction?

Win-win crisis response: 100% service coverage and zero touch

At first glance, it might sound like blue-sky thinking, but the Power of Zero really helps you to stabilize and bolster your core in times of uncertainty while creating a compelling future vision with IT activities that are wholly focused on releasing value. This value can then be invested into enabling truly infinite possibilities for your business.

And most importantly, in driving operational agility, the Power of Zero helps you restore services quickly in times of crisis – with zero touch. I’m happy to report that within Capgemini ADMnext, during the first chaotic week of March, we delivered 100% service coverage from onshore and nearly 100% from offshore for all ADM engagements.

This service coverage was achieved by enabling 76% of professionals in India and 92% of professionals in other geographies to work from home. Compare this with a recent Forrester survey, which found that now only 48% of employees say their company/organization has the technology resources to allow people to work from home if necessary.

In the middle of a crisis like this, zero is always a number to strive for – zero transmissions, zero cases. And within the realm of Application Services, a relationship with a partner who can step up and offer you 100% service coverage – with zero touch – is truly win-win for everyone. This means your IT, your business – and ultimately – your customers.

To find out what the Power of Zero and ADMnext can do for your business, download the whitepaper here or contact me now to get started.

Gary James

Expert in Application Management Services, Automation

I lead the development and market engagement for Capgemini UK’s Applications Management business unit. Building on over 25 years of experience in Business Applications I work with clients to ensure that their application strategies and services are aligned to their requirements in a dynamic, ever changing market.