From Phil Perkins, President and CEO, ACUMEN Corporation
As the Covid-19 Pandemic rages on, one can always find positive aspects to everyday life. That is especially true for our company. As a technology-based business we are very fortunate to be in a position to support our clients from our home offices using much of the same technology.
What has become obvious during the past month or so of the “new reality” is that we actually need to visit a client site once in a while, particularly as we wrap up active projects and assist as our clients “go live” on their new systems. This past 30 days alone we have worked with two east coast clients as one implements an end to end business management software suite (SAP Business One) and the other adopts a new barcoding/ scanning system. In both cases the final setup and training was best handled in person.
I think it is well worth mentioning that with both clients we formed an additional pact beyond that which helps insure a successful project. It was a pact wherein we shared responsibility for the safety and well being of our two teams. It involved the swapping of policy and protocol information addressing such things as the proper use of masks, placement of hand sanitizing stations, positioning of workstations relative to our trainers and the client associates charged with learning the new software.
It was gratifying to see that no offense was taken when one firm asked the other to share that safety information. There were, after all, no politics involved. No posturing regarding the reality of the crisis, only the realization that we were for that one moment in time ONE team…not two. Our goals were shared and our mutual understanding of what was at stake was without question.
As CEO of ACUMEN Corporation, I’ve had the distinct honor of working with a highly qualified team of core managers and consultants for many, many years. They are more than employees, more than associates…they are family, and as the head of the family I worry about each one the team as we take small steps to get back to normal business. I thank them for their courage and determination.
I also want to thank our wonderful clients across the country for truly caring about the safety of their associates and ours. We’ll get through this. Together.
Be careful out there.
