“We have defined a basic strategy considering some potential scenarios. It was not easy, as we went through a helter-skelter of emotions and figures that changed our perspective each day…
Gianluca Fantacci
Ceo, G3 FANTACCI (Poggibonsi, Siena)
www.g3fantacci.com
- How are you reacting to this emergency?
“We have defined a basic strategy considering some potential scenarios. It was not easy, as we went through a helter-skelter of emotions and figures that changed our perspective each day. With a process sadly shared all over the world, we have moved from “It’s just a flue!” to “It’s like a war!”… and the outlook is really not the same.”
“We have identified the health of our employees as top priority and we have discussed what to do together. Based on the experience of the latest big crisis we overcame in 2009, we focused on the safeguard of our workforce and the competitiveness of our company. That’s what we will need most when we start over.
- What do you think is changing or will change radically?
“Hard to say, but our job is to understand the real situation and possibly anticipate it, getting ready to face a new world. We are trying to: every aspect of our professional and private life has been affected, but not all activities have suffered from the same impact. Some aspects have been shattered as if hit by an earthquake, others have been holding strong. The difference is made by two factors: the level of technology and a certain type of critical thinking. Where technology has been adopted more widely, the “tsunami” impact has been software. I am referring to e-commerce, web communications, the implementation of applications and IT systems. Some sectors, such as video conferences and remote PC control, have even increased their revenues. Data and information analysis websites have attracted new, very interested prospects, which were not potential users before. The same thing is true for data analytics: the data engineers who processed information and identified a direction out of it were basically untouched by the storm, and their job has even become more valuable than during “peace” time. Actually, it was valuable even before, but no one noticed or cared about. Last but not least, a factor related to both trends mentioned above, the opposition to the transition of new processes has fallen, while it seemed unsmashable until recently. At amazing speed, everyone realized that we can get a medical prescription via sms, or a three-line e-mail message can replace many hearings at a court, or many meetings for which we drove and queued up for hours can be held from your desk. Or even from home. Technology and thinking. This is what we believe and hope will happen when we start over. A powerful boost to process digitalization and a strong focus on the brilliant minds in our companies. “Disrupting news”, some might say…”
- What should the authorities and all of us do?
“The authorities should only do their job, i.e. be authoritative and competent. We are surely going to face a period of unprecedented difficulty. There will be economic, employment and social issues. I think that the stiffness of our system needs to be removed, at least temporarily. Everyone knows that company need very fast reaction, while politics is slow to react. Understanding what is actually going on would be a good starting point. There will be opportunities for companies to build networks, to integrate some operations, to create common platforms. At individual level, we have to give the best we can, use our quality and talent to the benefit of others. Both inside and outside the company. We cannot make it alone, or maybe we can survive, but with many scars. Maybe it’s an overused metaphor, but we are all sitting in the same boat, drifting down a river and getting closer and closer to a waterfall. We did not choose to be here, we did nothing wrong to get to this point, but everything will be alright only if we can row effectively, strong and most of all in full synch”.
