There is so much going on around each of us, and we have been trying our level best in keeping ourselves, our families and those around us safe. In these uncertain times, 2 things we can do for ourselves, and our business, is to stay positive and look for opportunities to adapt.
With the onset of the second wave of Covid 19, lots of people have lost their loved ones, however it has been inspiring to see our teams rallying together to support each other, find creative ways to ensure safe operations and look after the welfare of the family.
This reminds me of a quote by the English Philosopher Bern Williams “Man has never made any material as resilient as the human spirit”. The line between home and work has been significantly blurred. With the global pandemic severely disrupting businesses and our personal lives, this is also a great time to learn from each other.
At API, we were never ready for COVID-19, nor were we ready for the changes that we had to make. However, we did take quick concrete steps on various fronts. In IT, we transferred all our data to CLOUD based. We are still working on transferring a few other software’s that are extremely important for us in our daily operations. We have switched completely to Digital Marketing. Similarly, in Sales, we have developed web based ordering platforms for our B2B partners and have registered ourselves as Merchants with Connect IPS. In Operations, we have started online meeting platforms for various teams, adopted task management applications and also adopted instant messaging platforms to ensure proper and quick communication between team members.
Post the first Lock Down, for a few weeks, only limited team members were allowed to come back to office. But after a few weeks, carefully observing the scenario and covid infection rate in the city, we could call everyone back to work. But even then, during the working hours, we ensured the team wore masks and sanitized themselves at work. Office spaces were regularly cleaned and sanitised. We even insured all our team members against COVID-19.
However, we were not prepared for the second Wave and the subsequent lockdown. With this knowledge that it could repeat, that there may be a third wave, we have decided that we will implement a Work From Home policy for employees whose work nature allows them to work from home.
Lastly, on a more personal front, I wanted to also share some thoughts around the other, very important, job that many of us have: as parents. It’s important to recognise that we are not “working from home”, we are “at home, during a pandemic, trying to work”. Whatever your circumstances, this period may be tough on our mental health and our relationships.
As always, stay safe, stay sane, and stay connected!
by,
Mr. Sagun Bir Singh Kansakar
Managing Director
Auto Parts International Pvt. Ltd.
Kalimati, Kathmandu,
Nepal
(With over 40 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket, Auto Parts International (API) is a leader in the after-market parts business in Nepal.)
#automotiveindustry
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