By Dougie Beck
A business disruption response management toolkit comes with embedded Covid Crisis Specific action plans. It is to be used to manage the necessary adaptations and changes required to successfully respond to the uncertainty and chaotic dynamics in the economy and market. Lets come to the basics first of a DRM tool kit:
What is a DRM toolkit for?
it is designed for organisations impacted by the Covid Crisis to successfully manage a Rapid Identify Develop Deploy process to implement the necessary adaptions and changes to BAU to get through the fluxing business conditions.
Why use a DRM toolkit?
It provides a means for top down management control to maximize chances of success and minimize the levels of potential chaos an organisation will encounter in responding to the numerous seen and unforeseen issues and challenges arising from the Covid Crisis.
It does this by providing organisations a toolkit to take a deliberate and systematic approach to their response ensuring a consistent coordinated game plan is enacted across the organisation. The objective is to manage through the chaos, not have the chaos manage you.
When to use it?
It fits across all post Covid Crisis lockdown phases of survival, to recovery to go forward.
Survival hallmark is reactive – the business has limited time with great uncertainly and flux to put remedial actions and solutions in place
Recovery hallmark is proactive – the business has more ability to do things proactively and well but due to continuing uncertainty there will still need to be flexibility and short-term horizons as a focus rather than long term commitments
Go Forward hallmark – the business has is under control and clear about its future. The rest of the world my still not have got its act together but you have stability and certainty about the business future direction and ability to follow that path.
Top Reasons to Buy A DRM Toolkit:
- The ability to adapt, change and respond quickly, deliberately and systematically is a business essential. A headless chicken response will not work.
- Do you know what it takes to survive disruption?
- Each business is unique so we don’t try to tell you what to adapt, which changes to make and what quality of response you should make. But we will show you ‘How To’ successfully establish, manage and execute a dynamic, relevant, quality programme of rapid response initiatives.
Frequently Asked Questions I get on A DRM ToolKit:
Q: Why the need for a formal approach for DRM? Isn’t it just business as usual at speed?
There is of course this absolute need to react and respond quickly to changes in demand and workflow patterns. Whether you choose to call those responses and adaptations changes ‘business as usual’ or not misses the point. Just throwing mud at the wall and hoping to be lucky is dangerous at the best of time. More so when you are acting at speed!! The focus has to be on managing these challenges in deliberate and systematic manner.
A specific Covid Disruption Response Management tool kit for driving and managing these necessary business activities is required to avoid headless chicken behaviours and results. A cohesive execution plan that rapidly identifies the immediate needs, assesses the best responses, develops and deploys new solutions, services and business practices in a controlled manner.
Q: So why your DRM toolkit?
This is the same toolkit, expertise and resources you would get from hiring a top-grade consultant to help you navigate your response. But since this is an online self-service consulting model it is the perfect solution for the urgent need for help right now. There is no constraint on your ability to satisfy your needs. You are not limited by the human factor of a consulting firm only having limited people and number of hours. You don’t have to pay for them to get up to speed with your unique needs. Nor are you depending on the individual preference and experience of each consultant. We provide best practice data to everyone on a consistent basis. All customers get full-service levels 20 x 7 as and when they need it. And you have it ongoing. Pay once and keep using it as it evolves and keep pace with new Covid related information.
Q: Is this only a short term fix?
While there is an obvious need to deal urgently with the many pressing problems faced, there is also value in trying to get ahead of the numerous change waves that will follow.
Q: Why don’t we stick with our existing practices?
That may be precisely the right thing to do. The questions are whether it is fit for purpose to address the Rapid Response needs of the current Covid situation. In such a unique and rapidly evolving situation there is a need to be very focused on the Covid only issues – health and wellbeing, financial, commercial all in one interdependent situation. This is far from business as usual.
Q: Why do you say we need to adapt and change from business as usual so much? We can just cut costs and focus on making sales to get through.
Cost cutting and focusing is selling is likely a very necessary response. But everyone will do raw cost cutting and put more energy into making sales. So where does that leave you in when all your competitors are chasing the same limited business? You can’t just do your old business cheaper and survive when the market is actually looking for better, or different ways of doing business. Smart, creative responses are required as well.
Smarter, operating processes, customer service, procurement, every aspect of your business can be fine-tuned. You probably know how and just never got round to it. Now may be the time to get round to these as part of your overall rapid response initiative. Some may not be essential immediately but should be done once the immediate drive for survival and control is achieved.
The ’ready to use’ DRM has more advanced offering to support you through future unknown and know disruptive events where you can be more proactive about adapting to the future world rather than just reacting to what smacks you in your face if you are unprepared.
Inertia is clearly riskier than taking action right now! This time next year you will wish you had started earlier.
(This is the second part in a 3-part series on DRM for businesses post pandemic)
About Author:
Director at InnovateToProfit & Spacetime NZ – Dougie Beck as operated as a consultant working with clients on sales performance improvement, leveraging CRM and CX technologies. He has worked with some of the world’s most successful companies including KPMG, Price Waterhouse, NZ Soltius NZ, Azimuth NZ, Oracle NZ, and Digital Equipment (UK).
(Interested in a DRM strategy to improve sales and make your business survive all through the pandemic? Get in touch with dbeck@xtra.co.nz.)
