The COVID-19 outbreak has caused considerable disruption for all businesses. Since we went into lockdown at the end of March, everyone has been affected. During the lockdown we have remained open due to us supplying to key markets defined by the UK government as essential, however, we have had to reduce our staff levels onsite to ensure social distancing can be met, many staff working between home and the office. As we begin to slowly introduce more staff back to work, we must ensure we can maintain social distancing and hygiene guidelines set by the government.
Worker Shortage & Supply Chain Disruption
The virus outbreak has created serious problems in global supply chains. The situation in China has improved since the start of the year when China’s lockdown and worker shortages caused delays to many orders. Most of our partner factories are getting back to capacity, although some production lead times remain at least 30% longer than normal. Logistics delays due to a lack of flights into key freight hubs continue to present challenges but there are signs of improvement, which should continue over the coming weeks.
Employee Wellness
It is important that our employees, customers, and suppliers remain well and feel safe. Whether you are working in the office, warehouse or from home we have made steps to ensure everyone is working in a safe environment. Staff lunchtimes have been staggered, a reduced workforce onsite and no face-to-face visits. Instead, we are utilising the many digital meeting tools available, allowing us to collaborate with colleagues and customers. We have also undertaken a full workplace assessment to develop cleaning and hygiene procedures.
The New Working Environment
It is likely things will not go back to normal for a while as we continue to learn more about the virus, and a vaccine is developed. However, as a company we have adapted to all measures set by the government to ensure all social distancing regulations are met, we have the capabilities for many of the team to work remotely, and will continue to adapt to changes/requirements when needed.
As we move forward with the presence of COVID-19 challenging businesses for the foreseeable future we will all need to look to new working practices. Working remotely will be one of the biggest changes we see globally and the focus on technology services that can help businesses keep in touch with their customers and suppliers. By adjusting to these changes, we will continue to see more innovative advances with technology and embrace this new way of working. At Diamond, we continue to move forward against the unknowns to ensure our supply chain is robust and adapts to all the challenges. We are determined to carry on engaging with all our customers, providing them with great products and service, and adding value to their business. Ensuring that Diamond continues to prosper and thrive.
