Nearly two years into the coronavirus’ (COVID-19) global domination, the pandemic continues to pose a growing threat to the worldwide business and investment community. Today’s corporate environment’s global and interconnected structure poses a considerable risk of global supply chain disruption, which might result in significant financial losses and have a long-term detrimental impact on global economies.

Locally, businesses are wrestling with how to assist their staff, implement emergency procedures, and sustain their enterprises in the face of economic uncertainty while the country faces an unparalleled public health catastrophe. It’s been a learning curve for some, especially now that digital-transformation-driven solutions are becoming more in demand.

Due to social distancing and remote employment, traditional in-person businesses such as restaurants, hotels, government agencies, brick-and-mortar retail, and the entertainment industry have been pushed to get creative with solutions to stay competitive while also opening up a world of possibilities.

By definition, entrepreneurs are imaginative risk-takers and Jamlite Innovations is one such company that continues to provide innovative solutions to businesses striving to preserve some kind of normalcy during the pandemic.

Chez Maria, an Italian and Mediterranean restaurant that recently relocated to Progressive Shopping Centre, realised they needed a new system to handle the increased foot traffic.

“We knew we needed to upgrade our point-of-sale system since we moved to the new location,” said Nancy Hado co-principal of Chez Maria. “So we decided to work with Jamlite Innovations as it allows us to create an easy way to take orders and process payments.” she continued.

Jamlite’s point-of-sale system is customised to the client’s needs, even using Jamaican patois if they choose.
“The ability to create a customized point-of-sale system allows you to make it more user-friendly for the staff, making sales easier to process and much more fun to use,” according to Tyrone Williams, CEO of Jamlite Innovations.

Increased flexibility

During the STATIN survey released in July 2020, persons were asked whether their working hours from the home fit with family or social commitments outside of work. More than 30.0 per cent (37.4 per cent or 49,200) thought the working hours fit better with family or social commitments. This shows that implementing remote work can be beneficial to increasing productivity and work-life balance for employees.

With looming lockdowns and curfews always a possibility, some businesses may want to integrate remote work to avoid outbreaks or allow flexibility to workers who may be ill.

Jamlite Innovations set up a cloud management system for Better Wheels Auto Parts that has a user-friendly interface with password encryption that he can access remotely.

“I’m proud that I’m able to find a local solution and able to monitor my business from anywhere in the world,” said Mr Martin, owner of Better Wheels Auto Parts with locations in Linstead, May Pen, and Portland.

“Having a good business management system allows access from anywhere. Using the cloud, we ensure that executives and salespeople have access to the files they require, no matter where they are. So in the case of a pandemic, you should be able to still work and contribute to your job seamlessly even if you’re forced to work from home. This avoids team members using the same equipment and limits exposure to the virus in the case of an outbreak.” Tyrone Williams said.

Bring together different data streams

“When a corporation uses many data recording methods, such as a receipt book, getting an accurate overall picture of how well the business is operating can be challenging. As a result, having a centralized business management system allows you to combine data sources such as inventory management, income, and payroll,” the Jamlite Innovations CEO explained.

Easier to scale

Using numerous separate tools to manage business functions isn’t a major concern with start-ups. However, for more established businesses that may be affected by the pandemic, the costs of both time and efficiency can start to build up. By keeping things simple, effective business management software helps firms solve their increasing growth and operations.

“We also allow our customers to be able to able to grow with us. We’ve been on the market for almost nine years and continue to offer support to our customers. We are working on some features that will allow for more customization including payment gateway processing,” Williams said.

To avoid disruptions, Williams suggests that businesses should consider adopting pandemic-specific policies and procedures, as well as capabilities for staff communications, telecommuting, and personal/family leave.

“We don’t know what the pandemic’s long-term impact will be or how it will influence business in Jamaica, but it helps to develop and maintain policies for a safe workplace as businesses re-hire, re-open, or expand operations,” he added.