How COVID-19 was the catalyst for converting people from paper to software processes
When we first began to grasp the seriousness of COVID-19, we started to hear the same sorts of phrases. Working from home, remote working, essential on-site work only. Few companies at that point in early 2020 were set up to have a completely off-site workforce with no office base. It hadn’t been tested; why would it be? Yet when the order came to work from home from the government, we all found ourselves in this position one way or another.
In the scramble to get equipment out to employees, access to servers, and security protocols set up for sensitive data, it quickly became clear to many employees and businesses that their software or current processes were not suited to remote working. Whether it was requiring paper copies, in-person signatures, or having centrally stored databases with slow outbound connectivity, those early days were frustrating for many people trying to get on with their jobs.
Why weren’t we more prepared?
While the move to more cloud-based and software-based solutions had been slowly increasing in the past decade, it was something that was happening piecemeal rather than en-masse. Some industries were keener to adapt to online ways of working, while others were happy with how things worked, regardless of dated methods. An ‘if it’s not broken don’t fix it’ mentality often held people back from taking the leap to software solutions, along with uncertainty around how it would impact their process – and ultimately, the way their business performed.
COVID-19 shook our ways of working to the core. We could no longer rely on popping into the office or arranging a meeting to finalise contracts. The best way to keep running businesses as before was to move things online. Cloud solutions and online business skyrocketed in 2020, with every sector shifting online to continue working. Businesses who were previously toying with the idea of a more remote workforce now had their hand forced. Those still relying on paper copies had to switch to online methods to keep operating. Like it or not, the shift to software-based over paper-based operations had arrived.
What Clarity Saw
As developers of cloud-based software solutions that help people run their business more effectively, we know that software can streamline many work processes that easily get bogged down with paper. When the pandemic took hold, Clarity saw first hand how many businesses were, for the first time, having to drastically pivot their operations to an online-first approach.
We acted quickly to help support our existing customers get the right software solutions they needed to keep their businesses running, no matter what COVID-19 threw at them. Not only that, but we were delighted to help new customers during this period, demonstrating the value of Clarity Software solutions and how it is a smooth process to transfer paper operations onto software.
The demand for high quality software that not only helps businesses operate efficiently, but enhances their way of working, has become more important due to the pandemic. As the reality of long-term working from home and reduced face-to-face contact became the norm, knowing you have a software system that you can rely on to carry out day-to-day operations is critical. As the future of returning to full-time staffed offices looks uncertain, having this kind of software support will only grow in importance.
