As the world battles the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, HCL Technologies stepped up to plate to ensure business normalcy for its clients in New Zealand and India while strongly advocating various measures relating to workplace safety, and the vaccination programs.
Since its onset in the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has been earmarked as one of the most life-altering health crises that millions around the world have experienced. Almost overnight, it fundamentally altered the way we live, work, engage, and collaborate.
Businesses and economies were severely impacted as nations underwent sudden lockdowns, quarantines, operational closures, travel bans, among other safety norms. Governments, healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations, and communities across the world began massive efforts to curb the spread of the deadly virus and protect human lives.
Role of Technology in the Post Pandemic Era
While the pandemic created unimaginable chaos for organisations and individuals alike, it also led to technology transitioning from being a strong supporter to becoming the key enabler for humanity, resulting in the reimagination of existing business continuity and resiliency strategies across the business ecosystem.
In the last year or so, emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), predictive analytics, cloud computing, and big data have paved new paths of opportunities across industries, ranging from faster drug and vaccine developments, online retailing, virtualising of business workflows, online learning, and even socialising.
In fact, Navigating the Path to a Resilient Digital Enterprise, a recent survey by HCL Technologies (“HCL”) and ADAPT, conducted for approximately 220 of Australia and New Zealand's largest organisations, found that about 55% of the respondents are expected to invest in communication and collaboration tools, while 56% will invest in optimising and managing digital workspace as these aspects are considered to be critical technological projects for ensuring business resiliency, scalability, and agility.
“Technology has proven to be the critical lynchpin in the transition of the business ecosystem in the post-pandemic era, interlinking the vital pillars of organizational growth– people and processes – together. “
HCL – Stepping up to the Plate to Meet the COVID-19 Challenges
HCL has been proactive in establishing new business models and work culture strategies to meet the COVID-19 challenges. Agility, speed, and innovation have been the key success mantras ensuring the company’s business sustainability and growth during this crisis while it remained consistent in serving its clients, as well as enabling and safeguarding the interests of its employees.
For instance, the company has created a location-agnostic work approach with the clients through its end-to-end fluid workplace solutions including digital workplace services, collaboration platforms, and cloud infrastructure, among others. This has aided HCL’s customers in seamlessly and quickly shifting to a remote-working model – at the same time having the capabilities and tools to easily deal with aspects of productivity, collaboration, security – and providing an enhanced end-user experience.
Case in point, recently HCL entered into a strategic partnership with a New Zealand-based dairy cooperative to modernize and manage the entire technology infrastructure used by its employees around the world every day. This complex transition was completed successfully amidst Covid 19 pandemic.
Also, in a strategic move to expand its business outreach to meet the changing business dynamics in the post-COVID-19 scenario, HCL has acquired the DWS Group, a leading Australian IT, business and management consulting group, that delivers business and technology innovation to multiple clients across a spectrum of industry verticals across Australia and New Zealand.
Additionally, HCL’s COVID-19 Risk Assessment App, built by HCL as part of SAP’s Partner Ecosystem Social Collaboration initiative, has proven to be highly beneficial for its customers and partners in developing their ’return to workplace ‘strategies by enabling assessment of each employee’s vulnerability to infection and the risk they pose to others.
#OneHCL: Enabling Business Normalcy across India and New Zealand
Right from the onset of the crisis, HCL has been constantly implementing sustainable measures to protect its employees, reduce the pandemic’s impact on its clients, minimise any financial risks to the company, maintain supply chain resilience and stability within all its operations, and provide support to communities around the globe.
With employee health and wellbeing continuing to be of utmost priority at HCL, the company has been strongly advocating various measures relating to workplace safety, work-from-home / return-to-office guidelines, and the vaccination program for eligible individuals, while stringently adhering to the protocols set by the government. The company has set up a holistic vaccination approach to assist employees and their dependents, and third-party personnel across all geographies. The company’s digital channel #TakeCareHCL continues to be active in spreading awareness among employees about the pandemic and a variety of specific initiatives available to help employees and their families.
Further, HCL’s dedicated COVID-19 portal has been adding value as the single point of access for any emergency, and the company continuously updates it with relevant information on safety, support facilities and resources.
Ongoing Initiatives Adopted in India to Beat the Second Wave
The second wave of the pandemic that began sometime in mid-February 2021 in India appears to be more devastating than the first. Being an employee-centric organisation, HCL, in line with its strategy to ensure a safe ‘return to office’, is evaluating a calibrated plan based on vaccine availability and government guidelines by geography. This strategy will be supported by the implementation of innovative technology solutions to ensure a safe and secure workplace, in line with global best practices and COVID-19 guidelines.
Our efforts to urge ‘Prevention of Spread of Infection’ have been recognized by Intertek, a world-renowned quality assurance leader, making HCL Technologies the first IT company in India to achieve the ‘PROTEK’ certification.
Technology’s transformative potential - fueling tomorrow’s world
Technology has played a critical role in keeping the wheels of economy in motion during the pandemic, whether by facilitating remote working, automating processes or enabling contactless transactions. The augmented use of digital tools and solutions has also helped in speeding up the process of developing a smart digital economy that is agile, autonomous, interconnected and compatible and one that is expected to grow long after the pandemic is over.
Written by:
Michael Horton
Executive Vice President & Country Manager Australia & New Zealand, HCL
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