Transformation and adaptation of organizations after the pandemic: technological resources and digitalization.

According to a forecast by Bill Gates, founder of the technology company Microsoft, it was predicted that information technologies would reach their highest point in 10 years; however, in a period of less than two years, starting in 2020, it was achieved. What was the reason? During this period, due to the closure of the industry, institutions of all types and businesses felt the need to continue operations at all costs, since no sector was no longer necessary.

For example, the food industry was one of the most important industries to continue with its logistic chain, from production to delivery. Although it slowed down for some time, it continued to supply millions of people around the world.

Companies had to adjust the way they had been doing their processes, and even had to change their business model. For example, supermarkets introduced home delivery or online orders that were only picked up at the store. This way of working is here to stay. New companies emerged to deliver food and products such as medicines at home. These changes took place because people or companies demanded new ways of doing things, which brought innovation in processes and business models.

The adoption of technological resources is nowadays a priority for companies, considering in the adoption process, the promotion of a culture of innovation, as well as the development of new personnel capabilities.

Although technology alone does not guarantee success, it is important to analyze how it can be integrated into the company and develop dynamic capabilities within the organization. Some of these include, for example, the ability to adapt and collaborate to maintain competitiveness. Adopting technology presents challenges in the innovation processes of companies, such as the amount of investment required to acquire it and integrate it into their production processes.

Technology related to process management, digital marketing, cybersecurity and data storage in the cloud are not the only aspects to consider; staff training is also important.

Although it seems a titanic task, opting for the incorporation of emerging technologies is what has kept alive companies that took this step out of necessity during the COVID-19 confinement. Companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook in the technology sector have adaptability and business resilience as a common factor.

Among the companies that disappeared during the pandemic, there were not only SMEs, also large and recognized companies disappeared or went bankrupt, an example of this are: BEST BUY which closed 41 stores in Mexico in December 2020, Sin delantal, a food delivery service company, CINEMEX which is a movie theater chain closed 140 branches, although it reopened some in a limited way and InterJET declared bankruptcy as did AEROMEXICO.

Some of these companies were already bad before the pandemic, however, it is important to see that a small company may be more vulnerable in terms of technology adoption, but may be more agile when it comes to integrating it. The adoption of e-business strategies (business capabilities) is facilitated if you already have e-communication, e-commerce and e-collaboration capabilities. The World Economic Forum proposed measures to overcome the crisis, the first is to combine speed and stability; the second is to turn digitalization into an advantage; and the third is to drive systemic change through cooperation.

Companies that grew during the pandemic were differentiated from those that declined or disappeared by their high degree of digitalization, agility, innovation and overcoming crises (resilience). And how do organizations overcome crises? By taking care of the labor talent that are the basis of innovations, making the customer feel safe, for example, in product shipments, innovating in deliveries as is the example of Amazon that innovated in its product deliveries with drones. Planning risks, planning scenarios and implementing continuity and recovery systems, information technology and security and innovation in the supply chain. Taking one step at a time and being critical in the adoption of technology is, without a doubt, something that companies should consider, integrating the technology that the company really requires.