As Covid continues to wreak havoc across the country, Australian companies are taking extreme measures to keep the work environment safe and keep businesses running.
B dynamic CEO and founder Jam Pathirana.
According to Jam Pathirana, CEO and founder of B dynamic, Covid not only affects companies' ability to stay open, it also creates huge costs for companies that have to adapt and take extreme measures to keep their businesses running. The resulting costs are passed on to consumers at the end of the checkout – a term Mr Pathirana calls Covid-safe inflation.
"As one of the largest e-commerce and fulfillment companies in the country, we had to completely redesign our business processes in order to maintain our high service and delivery commitments," says Pathirana.
B dynamic is an e-commerce organization and industry leader that helps companies grow their business through online sales and fulfillment services. With over 25 years of branding, product sourcing, and channel development experience worldwide, Mr. Pathirana understands e-commerce better than most.
"When Covid came up, we had to rethink how we do things," he says.
“Our business customers rely on their end customers to receive their items as promised. We have a great responsibility to ensure that we can continue to work in any case. "
Mr. Pathirana says that B dynamic has implemented a number of measures.
Training for employees
“All of our employees had to undergo Covid safety training. From protective clothing to hygiene, we have introduced a range of new measures and training courses to ensure that everyone is safe in the workplace and, if possible, at home, ”says Mr Pathirana.
Protective clothing and disinfectants
“We have also invested in protective clothing and disinfectants to ensure that our employees wear level 3 masks according to TGA standards when they work,” says Mr. Pathirana.
"We also bought disinfectants and distributed them to many locations across the company."
Reorganized shift systems
“As a company that involves many moving parts, including sorting, warehousing, picking, packing and shipping, teams of employees work in departments and operate as business units,” says Mr. Pathirana.
“With Covid we had to change our shift system. We have split people up and put two shifts in place at all times to ensure that if a group of people is affected by Covid and placed in quarantine, we have another shift ready to step in and do the work.
Thorough cleaning
“Our workplace is constantly cleaned thoroughly, regardless of whether or not Covid is present,” says Mr. Pathirana.
"This ensures that our workplace is as safe as possible and that risks are reduced."
Pathirana believes that many companies need to start passing on the cost of Covid management if they have not already done so.
“We are lucky that we have been able to bear the costs so far. But other companies won't be able to do that, ”he says. “The associated costs will either affect the viability of businesses or force them to raise their prices. As a result, consumers will end up having to pay more.
"Safe inflation from Covid is a real problem for the economy and consumers and something we all need to be aware of."
Mr Pathirana believes that with support, many Australian businesses will be able to grow their online growth through the pandemic as long as they take sensible steps to put in place the right e-commerce systems and fulfillment support.
More information is available at bdynamic.com.au.
