A staggering 40% of businesses fail to reopen following a disaster and another 25% fail within one year following a disaster, according to a report published by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Even organizations that survive disasters can remain fragile, experiencing disruption for years to come. While FEMA’s statistics were built upon “normal” disruptions—hurricanes, tornadoes, floods—we can see how impactful contained disasters are to businesses, leaving the world to wonder what impact the coronavirus outbreak will have on the global economy.

States across the country are beginning to reopen, and organizations are eager to get back to operations. The world we knew before coronavirus has changed and businesses will be forced to reimagine day-to-day organizational logistics as a result. Amid the chaos of staggered reopening, things are bound to fall through the cracks. Relying on a patchwork of spreadsheets is a recipe for forgotten tasks.

Organizations are facing an unprecedented set of concurrent challenges and cannot afford messy logistics or ill-informed plans, especially when it could mean the difference between surviving a potentially lengthy global recession or not. Workflows that were once automated may no longer be calibrated for a post-outbreak world. For example, shipments that once arrived every Tuesday like clockwork may now have a three day arrival window complicating scheduling and logistics. While the world scrambles in anticipation of what’s next, businesses will need to pivot quickly in order to successfully manage the countless issues awaiting reopening, leaving them without a playbook for what’s to come.

A Unique Dilemma

The United States’ phased reopening of the economy brings with it a complex web of uncertainty. While states start giving businesses the green light, most are left unclear as to what lies ahead. Namely, the potential for a second wave of cases on the horizon in the fall. Coupled with global economic uncertainty, organizations face a statistical uphill battle as they attempt to kickstart operations after a prolonged disruption from the global crisis.

As companies begin to open their doors, the realization of now-fragmented processes will begin to take effect almost immediately. Workflows and standard operations will begin to break for a host of reasons—people will be displaced, suppliers no longer in business, shifts will be staggered due to new legislation. This might leave organizations rushing to fix a growing number of issues, all emerging at the same time. How businesses rise to meet the numerous issues awaiting them is critical to their longevity.

But how does an organization anticipate the management of unprecedented issues?

Centralize Issue Tracking with Origami Risk

Origami’s issue management utility enables businesses to avoid reactivity and incoordination in the face of organizational disruption upon reopening. Providing a centralized place to document and track issues, the tool makes it easy to see obstacles the organization is facing, who is addressing what, which items require approval to be closed-out, and where progress is being made. With a big-picture view of organization-wide issues, a disruption strategy can be built from an informed perspective.

Regardless of role or industry, issues are likely to arise at unforeseen locations and times. These will require ad hoc solutions as they occur. From insurance professionals piecing together how to process, pay, and resolve COVID-related claims to legal officers working to ensure business’ compliance to new legislation, organizations will be forced to pivot quickly. In this setting, there is a need for a tool that can be flexible and fill in for broken processes and automation.

Is your ERM program ready for when everything starts going wrong?

With Origami’s issue management utility, your company is equipped with a tool that can be used to avoid getting swamped with one-off issues. Instead, you’ll be able to gain insight into how they’re being handled, have a big-picture view of where reopening-related issues are popping up, and understand how they are impacting operations.

Potential Trouble on the Horizon

As the world watches the United States economy begins to reopen, one of many unanswered questions remains. Will we fall into a cycle of closing and re-opening the economy for the next 18 to 24 months as cases spike and plunge between periods of closure? While businesses venture into an unknown future, the need for a utility that can address organizational issues and inform coordinated responses becomes mission-critical. As the implications of the reopening process continue to evolve, one thing remains constant—organizations’ needs for a way to manage the issues ahead.

Currently, businesses across the US are attempting to kickstart operations and begin a long tightrope walk between surviving through reopening or becoming part of a FEMA statistic. At this point, any disruption can be a threat to business, requiring extra attention to ensure that addressing issues that arise does not lead to pitfalls or stunted progress. Having a centralized tool to manage and resolve the numerous issues that await businesses upon reopening allows for time and focus to be redirected to where it’s needed most, instead of getting bogged down in one-off problems.

For more information on Origami or to discuss how our platform can be tailored to fit your organization’s risk management needs, request a demo. If you are an Origami client and not already using the issue management utility, reach out to your client executive to have it set-up. For a list of Origami Risk’s COVID-19 solutions and resources, including on-demand webinars, one-pagers, and more, visit our coronavirus resources page.