Your Post-Pandemic Business: 4 Things That Are Here to Stay

Rebounding from COVID-19 challenges, the post-pandemic business environment offers abundant opportunities for companies willing and able to adapt to this “new normal.”

Nearly every business has had to change, or at a minimum evaluate, their approach—in their relationships and communications with their customers, in the measures they have taken to protect their team members and meet their personal needs, and in the ways they have had to promote themselves and manage new procedures.

Being able to adapt quickly has allowed many businesses to survive and even thrive through an evolving post-pandemic landscape. These elements of growth are likely to remain, even after business returns to its pre-pandemic routine.

Four post-pandemic elements of the "new normal" that are here to stay

Post-pandemic norm #1: Working remotely

As the business world has gone increasingly virtual, maintaining productivity while protecting team members has become essential. Cloud-based software with complete document management enables a seamless electronic workflow in a paperless environment. Offering real-time access to quotes, invoices, purchase orders, delivery information, and even hand-written documents creates an “electronic file cabinet” that all team members can access, whether in the office, at home, or somewhere in between.

When all transactions are linked in your software, you can improve communication, eliminate the need to re-key information, and reduce costly errors. Plus, when your data is available in real-time, you can manage your business from anywhere, making it possible to run reports, analyze performance, process purchase orders, and answer inquiries from anywhere in the office, at home, on vacation, or at a tradeshow.

Post-pandemic norm #2: Mobility

Our post-pandemic new normal will continue to require flexible business operations in many ways, and mobile technology can help your organization adapt to an ever-evolving landscape. Whether you use a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop, mobile solutions can help you operate more effectively and provide increased customer service.

Mobile solutions provide more flexibility for your field sales staff as they can use their devices to complete sales in the field, create quotes, check inventory, and research delivery status. Incorporating mobile devices in a retail environment can also save time in managing inventory, tagging, labeling, and line-busting during busy times.

Customers also benefit when businesses increase mobility. These options help you interact with customers wherever they are, whether they’re at the curb, in the checkout line, or at an offsite location. You can answer account questions, look up sales history, or research outstanding invoices using real-time information available from anywhere. Sales staff can free up internal personnel by answering questions and handling issues at the counter or in the field. Leveraging business management software with mobile options saves time and will make your business more efficient.

Post-pandemic norm #3: Delivery

During the COVID-19 crisis, many businesses quickly incorporated delivery or other alternative shopping options to meet customer demand. Even if essential businesses were allowed to remain open, many consumers were reluctant to go inside retail stores and wanted convenient pickup and, even more important, delivery options.

Businesses that have long offered delivery for key accounts already realized that they can offer a more personal experience than their big-box competitors. Integrated business management software can help you provide an exceptional delivery experience that increases sales and builds customer loyalty.

Advanced delivery features can help streamline processes so your dispatchers can organize deliveries without drowning in paper. Plus, by incorporating mobile devices, you can take photos or obtain signatures for proof of delivery, which helps your customers while protecting your business. By sending notifications to customers, you can keep them informed of their delivery status, further strengthening your relationship and driving repeat business.

Post-pandemic norm #4: Ecommerce

Too important to ignore! Capacity limits, social distancing, and CDC guidelines made ecommerce even more significant to B2C and B2B sales. Ecommerce integrated with business software is affordable and straightforward to use. Customers can shop from their computer or tablet and oftentimes their phone, see inventory in real-time, pay for their purchases, and choose from various delivery options. They can also access their invoices, sales history, and more.

As the business landscape continues to shift and the world moves increasingly online, opportunities abound for companies that take advantage of the tools available. One cloud-based system can allow you to see your entire business—whether in person or virtual—as an integrated whole.