Roger Shaw, Chairman of RSA Solutions speaks to Wood & Panel on company strategies during coronavirus pandemic, status of supply chain, adaptation of digital technology and more.
The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the way a company functions! How are you coping with that?
Roger Shaw: RSA Solutions specializes in solving manufacturing problems with innovative software solutions that are based on each customer’s unique needs and process-specific challenges. We help companies get on the path to more efficient and profitable manufacturing processes regardless of what they’re currently using for software and machinery. During this challenging time, we’re focusing on providing service versus making sales. This means that we’re developing relationships, helping prospects meet the many challenges they face that may have nothing to do with their own sales operations. This ranges from offering unique financing situations to helping them quickly ramp up for sales via the internet.
What about the supply chain? How are you addressing to the challenges?
Roger Shaw: We help companies manage supply chains and develop triggers to stimulate activities which raise flags for shortages. This means that companies can actually prevent having to dramatically interrupt production plans by adjusting to upcoming challenges before they happen.
All major exhibitions are either postponed or cancelled! How does this affect your brand? Are you planning any alternate brand promotion strategy?
Roger Shaw:
1. We’re doing more webinars with users sharing their experiences and we’re conducting digital tours.
2. It’s important for manufacturers to enhance their websites with high-value, informational content and to explore any opportunities for doing more online business, including taking orders and order-processing.
3. Companies can then communicate more via social media and email marketing, letting customers and prospects know about expanded digital services and capabilities.
Digital technology is something one must adopt to cope with this crisis. Where do you place yourself when it comes to digital technology? How are you now connected to your customers?
Roger Shaw: At RSA Solutions, most of our staff works remotely already, so we’re all quite familiar with and already utilize lots of digital communication and remote meeting, webinar and communication platforms. We do this internally as well as with our customers.
Keeping hopes high, this too shall pass soon. But what will be its impact on the global woodworking industry?
Roger Shaw:
1. Companies will adopt more efficient processes – and this of course includes an increase in automation
2. Companies will increase the use, on a regular basis, cell phone texts, webinars, email and other remote communication platforms, both for internal operations and external communications
3. Companies will shut down production and sell inventory from other factories
4. Comapanies will move quickly to enable their position in the supply chain to be accessed via e commerce with visual 3D graphics and automatically create all processes from start to delivery/installation.
