How did the pandemic affect you and which were the first action taken to protect your employees?
We are a software company, with a 75%-focus on the automotive industry. More specifically, we manufacture software for various car modules, such as the parking system or windshield wipers. Companies that deliver such modules to major international car manufacturers subcontract us. Before the pandemic, we reached a number of 100 employees.
As a first step when the pandemic restrictions started, we decided to send home all the employees who could work remotely. All employees have laptops, this is why changing workplaces quickly was easier to organise.
Moreover, given the fact that we had portable equipment, this allowed employees who needed special devices, to take it home and work remotely.
Where there any employees who continued to work from the office?
Of course, in some projects, one module requires four people to work and to interact in the manufacturing process. In this case, specialists worked from the office. It was only several groups, totalling 15-20 people, who observed all the social distancing rules. To ensure their maximum security, we offered them masks with maximum protection, thermometers and disinfectants.
The virus affected us directly, since several car assembly factories in Germany and France were closed, therefore, we also closed several projects developed within the company. We had to convince people to take a leave. We discussed with some of them to take a leave under special conditions, for 2-3 weeks. Other employees switched to a working regime of 3-4 hours a day. This is particularly about people involved in projects that have closed, and now are unemployed. We continue to pay them so we do not lose them. This is because we managed to gather a united team of very good specialists.
What changes has the manufacturing process management undergone to adapt to new realities?
We did not apply any radical changes, only purchased licensed software that allowed us to organize meetings and communicate with team leaders more efficiently. Our company is a subsidiary of a Romanian company. We have been communicating online a lot even before the pandemic. Especially when it comes to communicating with the parent company and even communicating with the leaders of the groups that worked on various projects here. Even before the pandemic, our communication was built as to have permanent online access between all the teams involved in various manufacturing processes. This is for sure not only about online communication. At all manufacturing stages, we have an automated reporting system that excludes the need for offline or online personal reporting. Basically, we were prepared to switch completely the internal communication process to the online environment.
Has the pandemic created any business development opportunities?
Not for the software manufacturing department for car manufacturers, but there were other areas, such as software manufacturing for a customer in the banking sector in Romania, where the workload was expanded so that the bank can offer online a maximum number of services.
A large part of the manufacturing companies analysed the possibility of manufacturing anti-COVID protection goods. Have you considered such a possibility?
When we noticed an imminent crisis related to mechanical ventilation devices, we started developing a mobile solution for ambulance doctors. That is, a compact device that would allow ambulance doctors to use it quickly in severe cases. We now have a prototype to test. For this purpose, we received an ‘artificial lung’ to test our device. We discussed this idea with several doctors, who told us that hospitals have sophisticated lung ventilation machines, but our compact device would be a good solution for ambulance staff.
This project was a gesture of support for the medical sector rather than a business project. We cannot predict yet the future of this device, as an anti-COVID vaccine may appear very soon.
Nevertheless, for now, as an anti-COVID-19 solution that will save lives, it is worth all the time and human resources invested. It is obviously an interesting project and we have several graduates who did medical equipment. That is why, we ventured without thinking of monetising this project or even selling it.
What are the expectations and forecasts for the coming months?
We expect the situation to get better from February to March 2021. Of course, the main priority is to maintain the team. We assume these expenses so that someone be there to resume business when the economy returns to normal.
In addition, I hope that this pandemic will boost the wider use of electronic signatures. Today, in order to open a bank account, I have to go personally to apply signatures. If such bureaucratic conditions are eliminated by applying the electronic signature, managers will become much more mobile and productive.
The series of interviews "Foreign investors vs. COVID-19" are part of the gratitude campaign addressed to all foreign investors in the Republic of Moldova who during the pandemic demonstrated a high sense of social responsibility, an example model of employee care and proactivity in reconceptualizing the business . Campaign launched by The Moldovan Investment Agency with the support of the ‘Economic Policy Advice to the Moldovan Government’ project, implemented by GIZ Moldova with the financial support of the German and Swiss Governments.