COVID-19: IT is key to business continuity
IT plays a critical role in maintaining operational efficiency during times of change and uncertainty. Ceridian's Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer Warren Perlman shares the critical steps our IT department is following to support business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the big lessons so far from the COVID-19 pandemic is that we live in an interconnected world, where we are all in this together.
Now more than ever, this is a time for organizations to share best practices and learn from each other. In that spirit, I’d like share what I call “Perlman’s Top 10”. These are simple, but critical steps that my colleagues and I in Ceridian’s IT department took to ensure the business would continue to operate efficiently, so our employees could continue to delight our customers virtually during this unprecedented event. These steps can be done by businesses – both large and small:
#10. Use Zoom and Teams for online meetings.
#9. Increase frequency of communication to the IT and broader company teams – with helpful “how to” tips.
#8. Prepare the support desk to support user home networks (Wifi, printers, etc.).
#7. Acquire webcam-enabled laptops for staff who don’t already have laptops.
#6. Enhance monitoring and reporting capabilities to provide near-real-time updates regarding VPN connections, bandwidth utilization, and VOIP connections and capacity.
#5. Verify VPN and bandwidth capacity for a 100 percent work from home environment
#4. Contact and have regular touchpoints with all critical vendors to ensure service continuation.
#3. Heighten cybersecurity operations to ensure stability of all environments and thwart advanced phishing attacks.
#2. Verify backup services for all critical systems.
#1. Review Business Continuity Plan. Assume a 100 percent work from home environment and adjust plan accordingly.
Lastly, I cannot tell you how many calls and notes my colleagues and I in the IT department have had from our Ceridian colleagues in Canada, the U.S., Mauritius, the U.K., and Australia. This is really gratifying, and it inspires the team. Clearly, our past preparation is paying off now.
Stay safe everyone and be sure to thank your IT team!
Warren
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