Are we really Learning From This Serious Pandemic…It Should Impact All Business.. But Is It?

Most of us, if not all of us, have been going through a life-changing event that I would think is a first for almost everyone …

We all have opinions as to what is right or wrong, but the fact is, the world has changed forever. These changes can be for the better provided we all use proper judgement and be a part of the solution. Many areas in our lives will change quickly while others will be a long process as we adapt to new ways of doing things. Some of the extreme measures we are undergoing will be dialed back so we can all live “normal lives.”

But the question really is, how much of an impact have these chain of events really had on all of us, and do we really understand the bigger picture?

Here is what I know and have learned so far:

As a world, we have come together to really put an end to this virus, at least to the point where it is manageable. We have ALL sacrificed and tried to contribute the way we feel we can. From health care to law enforcement to social work and so much more. All sectors have done a great job. I see the thanks we give each day and it is all deserved.

Could this virus have been prevented? Probably not. Could we prevent a pandemic arising from future viruses or other health risks by doing more prevention as we move forward? I believe so. Pointing fingers to the past will not help. Moving forward with solutions will.

The world will spend trillions of dollars and many will sacrifice jobs, and some even their lives. Many businesses will not recover. Over the course of the last few months, we have followed so many initiatives so that we can as they say, “flatten the curve.” Many of these initiatives will become policy, and these policies will effectively allow us all to live a higher quality of life in the long run. 

The whole infrastructure has changed. With the social and physical distancing requirements, we have all learned that maybe congestion can be prevented, maybe by practicing cleansing steps during and after social interactions. How we can spend maybe just billions instead of trillions to be more proactive and prevent future pandemics. We have learned about how prepared our medical facilities (and they are good) are now, and how they will need to be prepared in the future. I would think environmentalists are championing the effects of less transit, cars, waste, and other initiatives that if tempered can work, such as more working from home, car-sharing, less sickness, and more productivity.

But are we actually going to change how we do things? Are we learning about the little things we can all do and stick to going forward as I have, as have my family and my companies? And we actually like the simple changes. Not the isolation of course. That has to change and it will so we can all be together as a society.

Innovation should be rewarded.

As we move forward we first thank all those people and companies who have sacrificed, donated time, and changed their businesses to help the essential services. We thank the government for being fluid and adapting to the needs as they change. That’s a given.

The biggest reward will be what we have learned and develop programs and innovations to make our future secure. So while we work through this we need to work and recognize people and organizations that already are taking steps. As we push for a better future we should reward innovation that is taking place now. If we can provide new services that protect our health and security without circumventing our daily routines and interactions, we have truly done something special.

The public will expect it, society will support it and businesses will demand it. My hope is we do not regress and fall into the same issues again and again.

Recommendations

• Provide incentives and rewards for cleaner facilities and service.
• Show support and preference to businesses that are providing alternative solutions that will have a positive effect in some way to keep the curve as flat as possible.
• Government to provide grants and subsidies to organizations and communities that support and follow these new policies and objectives and not just talk about them.
• Educate all and our next generation as we have been doing over the past two months. It’s for all to know and understand.

I say these things with the hope we can even do small things that will help. I do not see this now in any big way. We even have clients that are investing in physical distancing now and increasing programs which I would like to one day recognize. But I have to still ask the questions, have we all learned? I recently saw a few days ago, a tender for a new system that in no way even mentioned any initiatives to promote our new way of life (more ironic is it is a HOSPITAL.) Given we are in the prime of the issue you would think it would be the most important subject on their mind. Maybe over time, we will accept that the “momentum” may slow down (but we should be at the top of our game now.) Should we all at least be “looking” at innovative improvements even if in the end it may not be feasible? Yes of course.

Grant Furlane, CEO, LocoMobi World Inc.

Mr. Furlane has over 35 years of technology experience specializing in the Transportation, Network Security, and Parking industries. Mr. Furlane has invested in business ventures in Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, and Shanghai starting in 1989. He has been involved in over 500 million dollars in technology investments and was contracted to lead the initiatives of several large, public IT companies. Mr. Furlane aggressively built three transportation technology companies that established the vanguard for tracking and monitoring vehicle movement. His companies developed and sold integrated control systems for major airports, hospitals, and parking lot management companies.