How to keep wheels turning as we go in and out of workplace

March 29, 2021 11:08
Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong being a city well-known for its resilience, has seen businesses quickly shift to an online model at the onset of COVID-19 -- operating with video conferencing, and forming a new way of communication and collaboration.

While the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in the business world, there are two things to keep in mind to achieve successful and sustainable digital transformation, here are key points that you need to know.

Transforming your ways to deliver services to customers

Over the years, the way to sell, deliver services, and develop the workforce has transformed. It is clear that expectations for how customers buy and how they consume services is changing for the long term. Businesses have to rethink the way they communicate and serve customers.

For example, when fitness centers shut down as social distancing measures tightened, a Hong Kong yoga tutor expanded her businesses online to continue her classes through Zoom. By creating new programs that do not require professional equipment, her lessons allowed her students to practice yoga at home. At the same time, she experienced a 20% increase of new students, and expects to shift 30% to 50% of her classes online even when the pandemic is over.

The wedding industry also adapted -- Peninsula Hong Kong launched an innovative marriage celebration offering, allowing couples to share their special day with more friends and family digitally despite restrictions.

No matter if you are a self-employed Hong Konger or company in the city, being able to serve customers with preferred go-to-market and modern service offerings becomes the key to success. To achieve this, collaborations with different departments and third-parties are crucial, and that is believed to be the blueprint to offer modern and multi-modal services moving forward.

Provide the secure, safe, and private means to collaborate with confidence

From pioneering tech startups to multinational banks, from the innovative educators to healthcare leaders, what they are looking for is solutions that provide flexibility to support them wherever they are, while providing constant levels of security and privacy without getting in the way.

With more frequent online activities, especially when personal data is considered as a new currency, today’s conversations are all about digital and physical safety, as well as personal privacy for our workforce and our customers. As such, in order to grow the business under the new digital world, creating a culture of trust is of utmost importance.

A good example can be found in the medical field. Traditionally, almost all medical activities were largely performed in person prior to the emergence of COVID-19. However, with social distancing measures in force, many medical practices started to offer services via online portals.

Kowloon Central Cluster, a hospital cluster managed by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority serving more than 1.1 million citizens in the districts, is one of the most representative cases in Hong Kong. To continue providing services under the pandemic, it has developed a cloud clinic. Besides protecting patients’ privacy through SMS confirmation and implementing an instant meeting ID that expires as soon as the meeting has ended, the hospitals also chose the most secure setting and went through a security assessment. By implementing all these security measures, the Kowloon Central Cluster is confidently providing secured and trusted online consultation services.

COVID-19 has shaped the way we live today, and through the experience of last year, it is clear that video communications platforms are no longer just a tool for work, but one that play a part in businesses’ digital transformation journey to meet new customers’ expectations. As we head into recovery around the world in 2021 with vaccines being available around the globe, businesses should rethink how they can adapt and bring out their best throughout the digital transformation.

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Zoom’s Head Of International