Brian Duffner on why the digitisation of SME’s is so important in a COVID-19 world

Great interview with Brian Duffner, Head of Marketing, Propositions and Product Management at Vodafone Business about the digitisation of SME’s.

What can SME’s do to be ready for digital transformation? 

The scale of digital transformation varies among SMEs. Some small to medium enterprises in Ireland have robust mobility, cloud and security solutions in place so employees can work from anywhere at any time. Other companies will need to scale up to ensure their businesses can securely operate remotely during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

The first step is to identify any gaps in technology and connectivity services. If employees require new devices, we offer a managed mobility service that sets up devices with the required software so that they are ready to use – meaning IT managers and business owners can focus on other things.

Device security, whether it is a mobile device or a laptop, is very important and key for successful digital transformation. As a matter of priority, all devices used to access company data should have a VPN, with a two-step authentication process, to minimise risks when employees access email and other applications. Employers may also want to blacklist certain websites and install more robust device management software for an added layer of security in these uncertain times.

SMEs may also consider using collaboration tools to help with new ways of working. Things like virtual meeting rooms, file sharing in the cloud and enterprise-grade video conferencing are digital measures that will increase a teams’ ability to work together in the office, or remotely.

How can remote-working help SME’s to remain open and what else can they do?

While not every business can facilitate remote working practices, for many there are at least aspects of the employee role that can be supported remotely. While this may alleviate many of the problems associated with COVID 19, preparedness and a clear understanding of what works best for each business and employee is critical to ensure success.

There is a myriad of technology solutions to support remote working practices and help with employee productivity, customer engagement and business efficiencies. These range from having good connectivity through mobile, broadband to diverting your landline to your mobile and the more sophisticated converged communications tools hosted in the cloud – but most importantly these all need to be backed up with robust security solutions.

By using secure mobility technology, SMEs employees can access files and company information from anywhere and can effectively engage with customers, partners and suppliers in a safe virtual environment. Be sure to share best practice for managing their devices and security and make sure there is a helpdesk and a staff member available to handle queries.

For those who are required to carry out their role physically, and are not deemed essential services at this time, businesses can maintain the link with customers through communications tools like bulk SMS, which allows you to send as many texts as you like to staff or customers, all in one go.

How do phone networks deal with the extra amount of customer usage?

The quality, performance and resilience of Vodafone’s network is at the highest standard and we are sufficiently managing increased demand from people using our services to work remotely and to stay in contact with family members and friends during this period.

Extra capacity has been added to our fixed, broadband and mobile networks and there is a dedicated and comprehensive network monitoring system and a team of analysts in place, focusing on performance and the changing requirements. Through the consistent analysis of this real-time data and information, we are able to find and react quickly to any pressure points that emerge.

How can SME’s use how Vodafone handles this to help them prioritise what they should focus on?

Like other businesses during this crisis, we are prioritising the health, safety and wellbeing of our teams and customers. We closely and systemically monitor and review the advice issued by the Health Service Executive as well as the World Health Organisation in order to make decisions. A dedicated taskforce is monitoring these developments and is ready to take any steps or actions advised as they arise. The task force meets regularly and communicates actions to the wider organisation.

We are also adapting to everyone working remotely and regularly checking and updating our systems. Additionally, we are encouraging people to be mindful to others, especially those with time restraints. Simple steps like having routine team meetings help to keep employees well informed and involved and respecting working hours are important. Make sure people’s diaries are up to date, hold meetings by videoconference where possible and use collaboration tools like Microsoft teams to share and update files.

When we finally come out of this COVID-19 situation, what lessons can we learn from it?

Undoubtedly, this crisis has shown us the value of our connectivity infrastructure in supporting businesses to remain operational and in helping families and friends to stay in touch. It will also propel our society, the ways we live, work and interact, into the digital future. The crisis also means we have to rely on and explore new digital solutions which may be retained following the crisis.

For example, remote healthcare provision will become more of a normality post-pandemic. IoT solutions are being developed not just to monitor COVID-19, but to also monitor other chronic conditions that usually require clinical visits. So the crisis will teach us how to operate remotely and how, sometimes, it may improve services provided the right technology is in place.

We are all becoming more agile and learning a lot about ourselves, how we manage our businesses, employees and teams under these extreme circumstances. When this all settles down, we will be in a new paradigm and I believe remote working will become the new normal. Longer-term learning and benefits, like a reduction in traffic congestion and rejuvenating rural life as people shy away from the pressures and expense of living and working in cities, can be realised. Remote working will allow people to choose where they work, and it will also help with employee recruitment and retention.

Will we see more people working from home in the future?

What is interesting is that, when asked, most employees and employers recognise that introducing remote working brings positive benefits such as increased employee engagement, improved job satisfaction and improved quality of life.

While this crisis is forcing some companies into implementing new ways of working for a short period, it has allowed many businesses to embrace a practice they may otherwise not have considered and should signal an increase in the future.