Take stock and identify who is available to work and their capacity in real-time. Manually digging through spreadsheets and sending emails slows managers down. Minimize impact on the business with visibility and control to allocate the right work to the right person in the right location.

It is crucial for managers to act fast and help the business to adapt to the new normal. Reconfigure teams and engage cross functional workers to tackle dips and spikes in volume while keeping processes up and running.

Bring the workforce together digitally and let them work in a way that suits them – whether that’s changing the type of work they do or adjusting allocations for equitable outcomes. A manager’s role in a crisis is as much about supporting and helping team members to get work done, as well as the management of it.

If there are specific tasks that simply cannot be completed remotely then all is not lost. Quickly set up and manage digital workers in the same way as people, and automate the allocation of work to them. This takes the pressure off the distributed workforce and helps managers proactively plan ahead of the curve.