Faheem Agboatwala: Corona, corona, corona – let’s get talking

1.  What are the best practices, which will dominate the behavior of the team, especially shop floor staff?
2.  How to lead communication during this crisis and to ensure your team can respond and adapt to it?
3. How is a behavioral change going to affect our industry and the buying patterns of our customers?

10 themes that the CEOs highlighted were:

1. Nobody should be allowed into the building unless they are essential visitors. Many companies have initiated a by-appointment system for site visits, with visitors required to complete a health declaration before entry. Alcohol-based hand cleaning should be mandatory when entering and even exiting the building. Also moving between floors has to be minimised, with sanitation stations on every floor. Teams being split across floors or departments for infection control reasons. The main objective is to ensure no team stays together in the same place for a longish period. 

2. Commercial printing companies will have to think of a way to get into newer and greener pastures. Magazine printing, in particular, has been affected due to distribution and postal disruptions. Newspapers are going through a tough phase and that there should be a sustained program to educate users that print on paper is safe from the virus and that it’s not the super spreader as it’s being propagated in some parts of the world.

3. Having a competent team, first-line, as well as the second line, will be vital in wading through this unprecedented time. We must get used to video meetings with staff, customers and suppliers as the new default meeting method. These days meetings have become short and to the point.

4. Covid-19 is widespread, and everyone is vulnerable to the infection, be it admin staff and top management and even shop floor staff. Therefore, deploy office space in a smart manner. The key is not to be too afraid of the virus and maintain a balance of precaution and getting on with daily life.

5. Self-isolating and quarantining, out of caution, must be a top priority. Also, deep clean workspace area at departure. It will ensure safety and reassurance. One must welcome team members coming back to work after a period of Covid-19 illness.

6. The business owner/leader must remain optimistic. The only way an organisation is going to pull through this is by having a positive attitude, and that must begin from the top. Innovation would help an organisation transform and re-learn to survive in a post-Covid world.

7. Lead times for consumables and devices could become erratic and extended as the global supply chain is out of routine. Also, the rules change often as government policy develops, so top management should be prepared to act quickly. Honest and transparent communication is vital. It is hoped that the FMCG and pharma segments will see robust packaging demand in the coming months. Hence, having multiple locations may help during this crisis.

8. For some companies, multiple segments and industries and a varied product portfolio have indeed survived through the first few tough months. The demand is steadily increasing, and even though the past four months have been pretty tough, things are much better in some areas such as the self- adhesive label business.

9. Building and maintaining one’s immunity is key in the fight against the virus, at least till an effective vaccine is launched and distributed. We all must learn to live this new way. Physical distancing and improved hygiene standards are going to become part and parcel in the foreseeable future.

10 And finally, print as we know it is going to go through a sea change and that there will be permanent damage to several areas of our industry. The majority of the leaders were in consensus that most of our challenges are because print hasn’t still got industry status in our country. Careful optimism is a general feeling.

Faheem Agboatwala is the managing director at Hi-Tech Printing Service, Mumbai and a key member of the BMPA