The New Normal

We have to get used to coexisting with a virus that is forever changing the way we do business and work as a team. The world is changing enormously, and so is Integer. We are all living in unprecedented times and the way we work, how we socialize, how we occupy ourselves has completely changed. We have been forced to adapt, but we can identify in this context an opportunity to improve processes and ensure responses to structural changes in the markets, which can be maintained post-Covid and give way to new ways of working.

If there is one thing that is striking right now, it is an abrupt change in what are people’s habits in all dimensions, in the way they relate, how they work, how they shop, and satisfy their everyday needs. IT outsourcing companies must be aware of this if they want to remain relevant in the market.

The new work reality should focus on people, teamwork, autonomy, resilience, and creativity with clear and quantifiable goals associated with deadlines for achievement. Only by focusing on people, on their productivity, and on promoting better relationships and teamwork, will we be able to guarantee a leverage of differentiation in this increasingly difficult market, where only the best prepared will survive. Not neglecting the creation of flexible and transparent digital environments to help internal and external employees work better in networks, to enable a better work-life balance.

Only the sum and the good synchronization of the various competencies allow the necessary added value for the organizations and the people involved. For this reason, choosing the right people for the teams is a critical factor. Therefore, we must assemble a team with different profiles and collaborative working resources to ensure the right mix of creativity and execution.

The recruitment of a person must be in accordance with the type of project, organization, and client. Choosing people only for their technical skills will be a mistake because the possible lack of the right emotional skills, suppresses the added value of the technical ones. We have to work and recruit people to form strong teams, with a focus on flexibility, creativity, autonomy and execution, well balanced, with leaders who have a clear vision and high relationship skills to take advantage of the business opportunities that will arise in the new era.

Looking beyond the immediate future, the pandemic will anticipate changes that were already underway, such as remote work, distance education, or the quest for sustainability, and will accelerate society’s transition to new ways of living in community. So, we should be aware of the following concepts:
VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE ECONOMY – “Experience Economy,” which will become virtual and immersive, in sectors such as tourism, retail, and healthcare.
SHOPSTREAMING – The fusion of e-commerce and live streaming, with interactive, experiential, real-time online shopping.
VIRTUAL COMPANIONS – The improving skills of digital assistants and chatbots.  The increased demand for personalized virtual companies that can entertain, educate, heal.
AMBIENT WELLNESS – New hygiene habits, especially in disinfection care, will become a priority for consumers to live in healthier environments.
M2P (MENTOR TO PROTÉGÉ) – With the number of hours we spend online increasing with isolation, the desire to use some of that time more productively will be born, and we will see a boom in platforms that connect us with teachers, experts, and mentors to acquire new skills.
A-COMMERCE – Artificial intelligence connects to commerce and the demand for contactless interaction will grow, converging with advances in robotics. It is the arrival of a new generation of automated commerce.

The world has changed the way we live, the way we occupy ourselves, and the way we work, so we must not lose focus on people, on their resilience and creativity, as this is the only way to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic and the issues of the future.

Rúben Santos
Head of Outsourcing Services

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