As the COVID-19 outbreak spreads globally, the business giants have begun drafting a dreary image of disrupted manufacturing, broken supply chain, abandoned stores, and sagging demand of their products. The ongoing spread of the pandemic has become the most prominent threat to the world’s economies and financial markets. In 2002, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic was known to affect 8098 lives with the recorded death toll of 774.

Covid 19 is affecting 182 countries, including one international conveyance (cruise ship ‘Diamond Princess’ harbored in Yokohama, Japan). As of March, a total of 81,171 cases of Coronavirus patients are recorded, with 3,277 number of total deaths in different provinces of China.

Big companies like Google and Twitter have instructed their employees to work from home as a preventive measure. Startups, as well as SMBs, are providing their employees the flexibility to work from home and stay healthy and safe amidst the pandemic situation.

How is Coronavirus affecting different industries globally?

Covid-19 is not just a threat to lives, but it’s a severe menace to even the world’s largest economies. The black swan event is shaking up the businesses as well as consumer behavior on a large scale. The immediate and clear impact is a massive disruption to the supply chain as it turns to a complete shut down of factories and manufacturing plants.

The rapid spread of Coronavirus has put a halt on important tech meetings and conferences, which has caused missed partnership opportunities. Companies are shutting down their operations, and the majority of businesses have opted for work from home to avoid the accidental spread of the scary virus among the employees.

In the event of a crisis, tech tools have emerged as a silver lining, and companies across the globe are promoting work from home opportunities. Though it seems quite challenging to manage work tasks, family, and kids while working from home, one needs to be manageable and stay productive at the same. But the question here is that ‘how to work from home and keep the kids safe’ during a global health crisis.

Begin with Process Mapping

Process Mapping is outlining the tasks, instructions, and guidelines to accomplish the ongoing remote project. It also includes jotting down the tasks and instructions assigned to other team members involved in the project.

Tools that help Companies Salvage Productivity

Remote work is done best when all the team members work cohesively using Cloud-based tools and apps. Tools such as GSuite, Slack, Asana, Basecamp, Zoom, Teamviewer, Desktime, etc. makes it quite easier to manage work while collaborating with the team members in real-time.

The Importance of Video Conferencing Tools

In the digital era, the world is connected with advanced technological tools. Employees can interact with each other, and the high-tech video conferencing tools have paved the way for businesses and big corporations to connect seamlessly in a better way. Tools such as Skype for Business, Meeting Owl, Zoom, UberConference, FreeConference, etc. provides a powerful way to enable conferences, presentations, and other videos/audio contents from remote locations.

Collaboration Tools for Business

Collaboration and communication among employees are crucial for better output. It is perhaps the secret ingredient for running tasks successfully while you work from home. Tools that are must-have for structured teamwork include Trello, Slack, Facebook’s Workplace, Microsoft Teams, Quire, etc.

Trello

Trello helps project teams to work in collaboration and stay organized at each stage. It enables employees to work in sync across multiple devices.

Slack

Slack is a successful collaboration and all-purpose chatting tool that is tested and trusted by major business giants.

Facebook’s Workplace

The app allows employees to collaborate right from any location and share task updates, feedback, files, and more.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that allows users to invite everyone to chat, call, meet, and work together.

Quire

Quire enables employees to organize their tasks in the best manner and collaborate while on the go.

Work from Home Tips to Stay Happy & Productive

People who work from home need to figure out their work and home tasks accordingly to maintain a work-life balance. Schedule weekdays with recurring tasks and set up a daily routine for enhancing productivity. Few tips will help you stay productive while meeting the tight deadlines are:

Regular working hours

Schedule tasks and breaks

Ask teammates about the status of assigned tasks

Organize your workspace

Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Set your login and logout hours (if not set officially)

Learning Tools for your Kids

While you handle your office operations remotely, it is crucial to engage your kids with learning activities. Learning apps will also prevent your kids from excessive use of smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Kids apps that promote learning in a fun way include Reading Eggs, PBS Kids, BrainPOP, Byju’s, National Geographic Kids, etc.

Final Thoughts

While you work from home, the important thing is to end your day with a routine. Maintaining a good discipline and a right schedule is crucial to accomplish all the tasks on time- every day. It is essential to take care of the kids and their learning activities so that they can stay updated and return to school with a zeal once the dark clouds of Covid-19 shreds.