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Supporting Local Businesses Through The Help Of Technology
Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit us and had the Movement Control Order (MCO) implemented, various industries and businesses have been negatively affected. However, many businesses have found ways to transform and evolve not only to survive, but also to find ways to survive amidst the new norm post- Covid-19.
One particular industry that has drastically changed is online platforms, which typically work with drivers and delivery partners. They have since adapted to newer, innovative technology with small & medium enterprises (SMEs) to expand their coverage.
When the MCO began on March 18, online platforms like Grab, Foodpanda, Zalora and others have broadened their platform reach to micro, small and traditional businesses. Hence, creating thousands of job opportunities for the people, particularly in the delivery services, personal shoppers and food preparation sector. The sudden expansion of these services allowed the people to have additional, or at the very least, basic income by monetising their personal vehicles.
Nevertheless, people at home also spent time learning about baking and cooking, then offered their creations onto social media platforms to generate some side income while white collar workers have also shifted their business operations fully online by working from home.
While the government has encouraged small businesses to go online and adopt digitalisation for years, the MCO magnified the importance of digitalisation within businesses to stay afloat in the new norm as social distancing measures are here to stay. Under the National eCommerce Strategic Roadmap, e-commerce was estimated to record a 20 per cent growth rate this year to RM170 billion.
As more SMEs go digital, people will grow more comfortable with online platforms, trusting digital payments and eCommerce will expand to other forms of digitalisation. These include B2C communication, business operations, data collection & analytics, cloud adoption — all innovations that lead to increased productivity and higher service value.
Businesses who adapted early to technology and digitalisation before the pandemic hit were much ready and even resulted in sales growth during the lockdown. As such, Hypergear Malaysia was one of Packtica’s clients who adopted the online CheckNow system prior to the pandemic. Watch the video below and find out how early transformation helped them thrive during the hard
Collectively, transformations and digitalisation within businesses will produce a more robust business community and in turn, keep the economic growth on a positive trajectory, as more businesses return to 100 per cent capacity over the RMCO period. Meanwhile, eCommerce and adaptation to technology is the way to go for future businesses without the burden of having to stay at one point or location.
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