Over the last few weeks, businesses around the world have been impacted by the novel coronavirus (termed COVID-19), interrupting business operations at an unprecedented level. For sectors that rely heavily on in-person collaboration between stakeholders – such as manufacturing, construction, the public sector, etc. – the risk has been particularly severe. Gartner’s recent survey found that just 12% of businesses are confident about their ability to tackle the impact of coronavirus; approximately a quarter are sure that it will not affect their business continuity.

In this scenario, organizations need a resilient project continuity roadmap that brings together various stakeholders on their value chain, spanning designers, project managers, testing teams, regulatory bodies, and more. This would enable a single pane of glass, where every stakeholder has real-time access to business operations even when working from home.

 

The cloud could drive productivity with zero compromises on safety

 

COVID-19 has caused two prominent trends in supply, demand, and business operations. On one hand, entire cities and countries are going into lockdown, in a bid to self-quarantine citizens. This is essential to curbing the spread of coronavirus – but it means that employees who would typically meet in person, exchange documents, hold conferences, and plan for new products/strategies are now confined within their homes.

 

One survey reveals that 96% of organizations in India are now working from home, up from just 19% at the beginning of March. Inevitably, this calls for new modes of collaboration.

 

On the other hand, the demand for specific goods and sectors is rising, even as enterprises face a massive labor shortage. A good example is the medical devices sector. In the last few weeks, the demand for medical equipment from N95 facemasks to more complex ventilators has shot up dramatically. Enterprises need to ramp up their production capacities to supply these essential commodities to government agencies, non-profits, and citizens alike.

 

To balance the safety of individual employees with this evolving demand curve, organizations must turn to cloud computing. The cloud allows virtual storage and real-time access to information, available from any device. Organizational stakeholders would be able to log-in from their home devices, furthering growth in this critical time. And, advanced collaboration technologies allow product designers, engineers, managers, testers, and other employee roles to share ideas in real-time, visualizing how these ideas would affect the products on a cloud-based platform.

 

Interestingly, The World Economic Forum has reported that organizations should switch from physical data centers to the cloud to minimize the risk of pandemic spread. Clients, consultants, technicians, maintenance staff, and various other personnel interact within close proximity of each other at these sites, making social distancing near impossible. Therefore, it is no surprise cloud computing is the #1 critical tech strategy for 2020 according to over 70% of organizations.

React and anticipate for any disruption with 3DEXPERIENCE Platform on Cloud

 

At Dassault Systèmes, we believe that cutting-edge technology could alleviate some of the most topical challenges imposed by COVID-19 on businesses today.

 

In addition to reacting to disruption, it is important to anticipate future needs and transition to a more resilient system on the cloud that can aid in project continuity – as well as in long-term business continuity. This is at the heart of Business Must Go On by Dassault Systèmes, designed specifically for organizations looking to sustain productivity in the face of coronavirus, by adopting 3DEXPERIENCE Platform on Cloud.

 

3DEXPERIENCE Platform on Cloud is based on a secure public cloud, requiring no IT efforts, no installation/set-up, and no additional VPN before the user gets started. It is possible to switch from an outmoded on-premise framework to a future-ready cloud-based collaboration platform in a matter of days or even hours.

 

3DEXPERIENCE Platform on Cloud can help organizations mitigate interruptions to their business by:

 

• Visualizing product designs via 3D simulations on a cloud-based collaborative platform, eliminating the need for in-person meetings
• Reducing energy usage (and thereby energy consumption costs) by 30%, helping businesses offset the possible costs incurred due to COVID-19
• Delivering automated updates and rapid scalability, so that business can quickly respond to emerging needs without adversely impacting individual safety
• Enabling anytime, anywhere access through mobile devices, backed by 24/7 assistance from the Dassault Systèmes team
• Bringing advanced capabilities like 3D Modeling, generative design, and accelerated concept to production pathways to personal devices for employees working from home

 

Discover our offer to learn how 3DEXPERIENCE Platform on Cloud could power your return to a new kind of business as usual, centered on collaboration, flexibility, and future-focused resilience. Stay safe, and stay connected, as you navigate this period of challenge, change, and fresh opportunities in the coming weeks.