Remote process transition in the era of COVID-19
Blog: Capgemini CTO Blog
It only seems like yesterday that we were all traveling endlessly across the globe. Carbon footprint, climate control, and sustainability were the biggest buzzwords. And, of course, we could go outside, meet friends and family, and enjoy our free time in public spaces. However, in these uncertain days, so many things that we previously took for granted that have been “unlearnt” in a matter of weeks.
COVID-19 has forever changed our perspective. The fight to stay safe and the innate nature of human beings to care and protect have come to the forefront. Companies are talking about work from home (WFH) – even in industries which earlier thought this was not possible.
The challenge of remote transition
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and face-to-face interactions during the transition of processes from client locations to our Rightshore centers were key. This critical period ensured rapport was built with the client teams and their offshore delivery team members – the “One Capgemini” mantra was a direct result of this inclusive transition approach.
With many of our clients in various stages of transition, and new client contracts just coming under the transition horizon, some of the key questions our clients are now asking are how is Capgemini enabling remote transition? How will you ensure that the knowledge transfer is not impacted due to the remote transition?
Will this impact the transition timeline? What are the risks? And how will you ensure the teams stay connected?
Detailed methodology
What started as a rapid response to reassure our clients, quickly morphed into a detailed methodology to ensure attention to remote transition stays the same – if not more. While the diligence is the same, it’s the execution that makes it different.
With this in mind here are some simple tips and tricks we follow and request our clients to follow:
- Meticulous planning – decide who from your teams should be part of the planning sessions, ensure time is blocked in their calendars, and stick to the transition plan. Include some additional contingency time for any unforeseen disruptions due to technology issues.
- Critical resources – notify your clients in advance of who the critical team members are and their roles, and request the same from your clients too. This will ensure the teams know their counterparts and they establish a rapport from the outset
- Bite-sized sessions – break down each session to cover just one activity, with each session no longer than two hours. Provide a 15-minute break between sessions, and account for standard lunch breaks
- Time zone awareness – be realistic about the challenge of working in a different time zone than your client. Allow your clients to complete their regular activities before they begin any training sessions with us
- Proper facilitation – include regular check-ins to break the monotony of a conversation and ensure your clients are open to discussing any sudden challenges (coping with children at home tops this list). Confirm if the objectives of the session were accomplished
- Platform preparation – test your platform for audio and video quality in advance. If you’re experiencing video/audio lag, make sure at least one member of the team is notified so that it can reach all others. Where possible, keep an alternate source handy. Record sessions with consent so that they are available for replay when needed.
In subsequent articles, I will share more tips and real examples of how our remote transition is working across multiple clients.
To learn how Capgemini can help you overcome the challenges of transitioning your processes remotely in the light of COVID-19, contact: priya.ganesh@capgemini.com
Learn more about how Capgemini’s Digital Global Enterprise Model (D-GEM) framework and ESOAR (Eliminate, Standardize, Optimize, Automate, Robotize) methodology are helping leading global brands to transform their business operations to be competitive in a rapidly changing, digital business context.
Priya Ganesh has worked for Capgemini for the last 12 years, first as a Solutions Architect and now as a Senior Director leading the solutions and transformation practice across APAC. She enables clients in their transformation journey, leveraging Capgemini’s key assets and collaboration across our Group.
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