Downright visionary: The following article was published on March 26, 2019. Corona was not yet in sight – but we had already heavily reorganized our consulting business to web meetings. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the switch to modern communication tools. Companies must force themselves to switch to modern tools in supply chain management…
Our consulting business is increasingly changing. While there used to be sufficient time reserves on the customer and consulting side to allow enough leeway for all-day workshops, it is increasingly difficult to find joint all-day appointments. Many project members have busy schedules with regular meetings or internal project coordination. The only remaining gaps therefore only offer a few hours of shared availability. The consequence is that an agreement is reached on the remaining time available. However, these two- to four-hour meetings no longer justify the sometimes high travel expenses and the associated high travel costs on the part of the consultants. The solution therefore lies in so-called remote meetings, in which communication takes place via appropriate tools such as Skype, Teamviewer or Webex. The participants sit in their offices or in the meeting room within walking distance. This involves looking at the presenter’s screen together and discussing the presentation slides or software solutions. The transmission of the video image from the meeting room is rather rare.
The advantages of this solution lie not only in the cost savings and time savings. Experience shows that remote meetings are conducted much more efficiently. The participants are better prepared and more focused. This means that many topics can be dealt with quickly, and what would previously have taken an entire day can be completed in just a few hours.
Furthermore, this type of meeting offers much more flexibility. You can “meet” at shorter intervals and don’t lose much time until the next possible full-day appointment.
So only advantages? So will we no longer meet in person in the future?
No, it won’t get that far for the time being. It is still important to meet in person and get to know each other in order to experience linguistic expression in combination with facial expressions and body language.
You also have to take the time to discuss complex issues in depth and solve problems. Just ramble on and discuss supposedly trivial things that may turn out to be important later. This is often neglected in the fast-paced remote meetings.
So what does the near future hold for our collaboration? We will of course continue to meet in person. But on-site appointments will decrease and be reduced to just a few meetings in the project. This must not and should not have a negative impact on the quality of the results, but it should save costs and increase flexibility in the project. Of course, just like our customers, we must continue to learn how to use the technical possibilities correctly and get the best out of them.
I look forward to the next meetings with you, even if it is only remote ????
