6 Practices Manufacturers Must Adopt To Fight Coronavirus
Ever since the novel coronavirus reared its ugly head, the global manufacturing industry has been at the receiving end of the menace. With partial and complete lockdowns gripping over half the world, most of the companies have resorted to the work from home option, a comfort particularly unavailable to the logistics department of manufacturing-based industries.
The industry today is facing the fierce challenge of carrying out ground level operations while trying to be in compliance with government directives. Moreover, the impaired shipping industry has only added to the trouble. With the export and import of goods coming to a near standstill, some manufacturers are struggling to continue their production while the others are struggling to manage their manufactured goods.
Though China, the epicentre of the outbreak is slowly bouncing back to normalcy there is still a long way to go before the world recovers from the crisis. Absolute suspension of manufacturing process or logistics department’s services in all its likelihood is not a viable option. The next wisest option is to think of innovative ways to endure the situation.
As a company that manufactures goods, it is time to equip your company with ways to efficiently manage this adversity. Here are six practices you can adopt to fight COVID-19 successfully:
1. Vigilance and awareness does no harm
Appoint a team to screen your employees for any symptoms at the entry point of the work space. Conduct a workshop and educate them about the safety measures they need to adopt. If any employee is symptomatic refer him to the concerned authorities. If possible, arrange for a quarantine facility to assist him/her. Do not put the lives of other employees at risk by entertaining symptomatic people at work place.
2. Hygiene first
Be it the administrative staff or the on ground workers, maintaining hygiene matters. Make sure that your staff has access to sanitisers and soap at all times. Hire a team to disinfect the work space regularly. If possible, provide your employees and their families with masks.
3.Rotation policy
Adopt a rotation policy where a set of employees work for a week or so and then get replaced by the next set. Remember that the people who have been working for you are your biggest asset. Their safety is your responsibility.
4. Transportation service to the employees on duty
Amidst a close to complete shutdown of the transport system, offering transportation facility to those on duty will be a great relief. It will reiterate that you indeed care for them. Prioritise their comfort and convenience as a mark of appreciation in this rough time.
5. Stay-over at workplace
A great way to ensure safety of the employees is to make arrangements for those on duty to stay over at the workplace till they get replaced by the next set of staff. This measure will save you the hassle of offering transportation facility on a daily basis. In addition, it will reduce the exposure of your employees to the external environment. You can offer them nutritious food, medical help if required, arrange for some source of entertainment and a decent place to rest.
6.Technology at your service
The COVID -19 outbreak is a reminder to the logistics management space that it needs to catch-up with the ever changing world of technological advancements. There are several ways in which you can digitize a number of aspects of your logistics resource management process and optimise your resources.
In the light of certain challenges and not-so-certain risks, the way forward inevitably lies in resilience building. The magnitude of the outbreak dictates acute planning in order to recover from the crisis. Your employees truly make your company so win their hearts with trust and transparency. Now is the time to adopt an assertive approach and embrace innovation. Undoubtedly, with the right outlook and planning half the battle is won.
Also, check out our Freight Index and Sailing Schedule modules to bring in more resilience during these tough times.