For several months now, organizations have been severely shaken by the current health crisis. Contingency plan or not, organizations had to quickly review their working methods in order to continue or resume their activities. For most of them, the pandemic will have triggered major changes. As a manager, are you in a position to say whether your operations went well during the containment? And today, is your organization in solution mode or still in reactive mode? Here are the questions you need to ask yourself to keep your operations on the right track!
1. Performance
Did your employees perform well during containment? And during deconfinement?
- Yes
- We can’t evaluate it
- No
2 and 3: Many employees have had to experiment with remote working. Several factors may have disrupted their usual work rhythm, such as an environment less conducive to work, the presence and continued schooling of children at home, the illness or death of a close relative, and so on.
Tip: Your organization could allow flexible working hours to enable employees to manage work and family situations. As a manager, don’t hesitate to ask questions to understand your employees’ situations and concerns. Training in remote working can also help them improve their work performance. What’s more, it’s important to provide feedback on their duties so that they are aware of the importance of their work and its impact on the process in question and on the workflow of others!
2. Accounting and financial operations
How did accounting and financial operations fare during the crisis?
- Better than before the crisis
- No change
- Paralyzed
3: If your accounting and financial operations were paralyzed during the containment period, it’s possible that many, if not most, of your activities were carried out manually and with paper documentation.
Tip: It’s essential to review processes to reduce internal printing and, if possible, external paper documents. Prioritize the use of documents in PDF format, so you can access documentation remotely and speed up team workflow.
3. Internal controls
Were your organization’s internal controls maintained during the crisis?
- Controls have been reviewed and tightened
- No change
- Controls not carried out
2 and 3: Staff turnover (e.g. vacations, lay-offs, sick leave, etc.) may have caused certain controls to be discontinued, or may have shifted some of the responsibility to employees still on the job, without adequate segregation of duties. Checks that used to be carried out manually have also been eliminated, as there is no other way of doing them. In the absence of controls, errors and fraud may have been committed.
Tip: Keeping documents in PDF format enables you to use several tools to authorize, certify or validate the information contained in the documents. For example, digital signatures, stamps and tally marks can help you maintain certain controls. It would be important to review the separation of functions and maintain periodic monitoring of transactions and documentation in order to identify any irregularities.
4. Teleworking
Did your organization allow teleworking before the crisis?
- Yes
- Sometimes
- No
3: For many organizations, remote working has become an obligation. Each employee went home and tried to carry on with his or her day-to-day activities with the equipment available (e.g. personal telephone, computer, printer) and with your usual processes running smoothly.
Tip: It’s a good idea to determine whether telecommuting is feasible for your organization in the long term. Can certain activities be carried out remotely? Is it necessary for certain employees to be physically in the office? If telecommuting is now encouraged, it would be appropriate to plan not only the necessary hardware and IT structure, but also the sequence of different actions each employee needs to take to maintain an efficient workflow.
5. Communications
Before the pandemic, did your organization use communication tools other than e-mail (e.g. Teams, Skype, Zoom, etc.)?
- Yes
- Sometimes
- No
2 and 3: Remote working may have isolated your organization’s employees, limiting exchanges between colleagues and interrupting workflow. What’s more, they may not have had the feedback they needed to make their work run smoothly. A lack of communication may also have affected the quality of the work.
Tip: It’s a good idea to determine whether certain communication tools could be implemented (or, if so, which one is preferred) within the organization, to promote exchanges, document and knowledge sharing, and maintain an effective and efficient workflow.
What we need to remember
The impact of COVID-19 has certainly been felt in your organization. The decommissioning phase becomes the ideal time to redesign processes, or even create new ones, to ensure that they meet the organization’s needs in a sustainable and adequate way over the long term. It’s better to be proactive than reactive!
We can help you review your operational processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your resources, while integrating the required internal controls. Let’s discuss the best options for keeping your operations on track.
