Getting back to business with a people focus after COVID-19

Just weeks after winding down their operations, companies are being asked to restart their engines as lockdown rules are gradually and methodically relaxed.
But reopening will be more than a restart.

The rules have changed. Employee and customer behaviors have changed. ​​Reopening is an opportunity to reinvent the business.

With our report, COVID-19: 5 priorities to help reopen and reinvent your business, part of our Outmaneuvering uncertainty thought leadership series, we offer a guide for organizations as they start the journey to get back to business, taking care of their people every step of the way.

Reinventing during the “Never Normal”
Reopening requires more than a return to normal, however. We call the unpredictable and long-lasting period that follows this pandemic the Never Normal. Not only will it feature fundamental changes to economic activity, but also fast-changing cultural norms, societal values and behaviors.

Also, the easing of restrictions is no guarantee of a quick return to normal. We may see the following scenarios, each with its own set of potential risks:

Rapid remission, where the disease is contained and life returns to “normal” somewhat swiftly.
Cyclical outbreaks, with the disease spreading to new hot spots and rebounding in old ones.
A flattened curve, where the rate of infections is slowed but the virus does not go into remission.
Prolonged chaos, with efforts to control the virus seeming useless.
At its heart, reinvention will require a stronger focus on people and a greater commitment to the technology-enabled capabilities that make organizations and their workforce designed for disruption.

5 steps to reinvention
Companies will need to take five key steps to commit to a program of reinvention now:

Put people first. Place caring at the core.
Design spaces that work. Ensure a safe, inclusive working environment.
Solve in phases. Redesign for business as unusual.
Commit to an elastic cost structure. Create the fuel for growth.
Get future-ready. Create next-gen agility.
Read other ways we’re guiding leaders to care for their workforces and communities and helping keep people working during these uncertain times.

Innovate every day, and help guide the world’s leading organizations as they reinvent in today’s new, “Never Normal.” Find your fit with Accenture.