Quarantine on digital technology terms

Pandemic is shaking both business and consumers worldwide. With the ever-increasing presence of COVID-19, business leaders are struggling to keep up with a wide specter of problems: from revenue drops and the termination of supply chains to maintaining the well-being of their employees and ensuring their lasting productive contribution to the business. Naturally, the consequences of the pandemic will impact absolutely all the sectors of economy with no exceptions. And current radical measures taken to contain the pandemic only act as a catalyst for the consequences to come.

Based on the Institute of International Finance (IIF) forecast, global GDP growth this year could fall as low as 1%. Analysts at Business Insider Intelligence and eMarketer believe that, in addition to medicine, the pandemic will have the greatest impact on the sectors of telecommunications and technology, digital media, logistics and commerce, banking and financial affairs, even the educational sector.

However, today is vital to understand that this influence not only implies the prospect of global recession, but it also is a strong incentive on business, societal, and state interaction transformation.

Undoubtedly, survival is a priority now. However, survival not only of a sole person, but also of the functioning of the private and public business sectors. And at this struggle, the information technology and digital transformation will play a major role.

So, what priorities of strategic importance do we need to address apart from maintaining the quarantine?

1. Maintain the accepted work capacity of company employees in all possible areas of operations

2. Prevent the intellectual stagnation of the population in the time of crisis and panic

3. Provide access to quality education for the children at a distance outside of the standard “go-to-school” scenario.

 

Strategic Case 1: online services as a “work-from-home” solutions to the employees

The time has come for the businesses to realize that they can utilize a more pragmatic approach towards the digital transformation of remote work and business management. Now, more than ever, this is the exact case when statistically underestimated human capital must be a priority. It must not only be retained under the circumstances when people are not being allowed into offices, but also, to create conditions in which the employee can grasp the opportunity to earn money for survival and hence help the employers to survive as well. Remote work is very effective, promotes self-discipline, strengthens the personal responsibility results provided and helps restructure the organizational process with respect to communication, socialization and coordination of operational management.

Among the most effective and affordable digital task management services available today:

• Google Doc (the well-known free network office suite, which includes text, spreadsheet editors and a service for collaboration with presentations);

 • Google Sites (a service for storing internal corporate documents with shared network access);

 • Meldium (quality service with recommendations and a number of digital tools for interaction with the secured documents);

 • ProdPad (a service of digital tools that allows you to organize a remote workflow for managing products and their integration);

 • Asana (a flexible and convenient digital platform for collaborative work with projects requiring serious detail without the need of email);

 • Bitrix24 (a cloud platform with a set of tools for remote corporate work with projects of various specificities and complexity).

 • iDone This (an excellent digital “organizer” for evaluating the productivity of employees involved with the ability to view, evaluate and assess in the work performed).

Strategic Case 2: Online Platforms for Self-Education

To succumb to panic in the context of ongoing events triggered by the spread of COVID-19 is a normal human reaction, that will eventually be exhausted by the recession of the epidemic. But this will not happen tomorrow or in a week, and there will be more time for self-organization and self-development than ever (unless you are a doctor or epidemiologist, who in these severe times are forced to work to your limit). Believe me: after the coronavirus war when we return to our usual lives and enter back into the world, it will already be a completely different world. And, most likely, most of us will need serious skills in order to strive in the damaged economy.

Among the most effective and affordable online resources for self-education available today:

• Coursera (a platform of the best courses in a variety of disciplines - exact sciences, languages, literature - with the possibility of training for business and obtaining a certificate that confirms knowledge);

• EDX (one of the most extensive sources of online courses from the best universities in the world where you can find courses in medicine and design, in addition to the standard disciplines);

• FutureLearn (an online platform that offers free tuition for courses in various fields of knowledge from leading world universities);

• Udemy (a service that excellently pumps programming skills, which are relevant now, more than ever, especially with respect to the remote work);

• TED (“Technology / Entertainment / Design” - this is a collection of online conferences representing knowledge, opinions and ideas of scientists, entrepreneurs and representatives of various professions from around the world);

• "ВУМonline" (includes 40 free online courses in Ukrainian, which contain various lectures on certain specialties and industries, as well as useful tools for online interaction with government agencies and maintaining household financial expenses);

• Zoom (the leader in online conferencing solutions according to Gartner Magic Quadrant reports, 2019. It provides a platform and technical support for online conferences, training, video webinars and cross-platform messaging and file sharing).

Case Study 3: Online Platforms for Remote Education for Students

Last year, the hot topic dictated by the labor market – the need for children to acquire the basics of programming and introduce the generally accessible possibility of remote education into the education system was omitted only by the negligent. While globally the appropriate practices were created and improved, Ukraine stacked behind; however, the pandemic shifted our priorities as well. This is an undeniable plus; in addition, it must be understood, that the events of today will have an impact on our children tomorrow, and digital technology must become a part of the acquired skills, and not just a temporary entertainment. Teachers will also have to adapt to new opportunities and learn the necessary practices online.

Among the most effective and affordable online distance education projects today:

• Google Doc (useful and optimal not only for use in business, but also in the educational environment);

 • Сlasstime (a convenient digital tool service for teachers, which helps to evaluate the progress of the class and each student individually, and also allows you to create and conduct interactive online lessons);

 • Learning.ua (an online project that includes interactive tasks in mathematics, Ukrainian language, reading, as well as interesting tasks and games for schoolchildren and preschoolers, focusing on international standards of education according to Common Core. Thus, students can count on a high level of knowledge, sufficient for successful completion of external independent evaluation, as well as admission to Ukrainian or Foreign universities);

 • MySchool (online learning environment for schoolchildren, their parents, teachers and heads of district education departments. The system unites people associated with the school process by automating the workflow of schools, an online library with multimedia materials for students, abstracts for teachers in all subjects, topics for all classes with the inclusion of various SMS services);

 • EdERA (Ukrainian project offering online training in the MOOC format (mass open online courses) in the areas of Ukrainian language and literature, Geography, Physics, Ukrainian History, Mathematics, Biology, English. The project includes interactive lectures, abstracts with illustrations and explanations, exams and homeworks, suggesting online support for teachers and the opportunity to communicate with other students);

 • "Гипермаркет знаний" (online platform containing the entire Ukrainian school curriculum, which gives children the opportunity to do homework and practical exercises. School books, manuals and didactic materials that can be used for free are found here);

 • MiyClass (a platform with a wide range of educational materials, assignments and tests in school subjects, which allow you to study disciplines in an interactive form).