It is very unfortunate that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit businesses hard. What’s worse is that some experts are saying this is only the beginning.
With this in mind, whether this corona pandemic ends within a month or two or stretches into the long-term, business owners and managers need to be ready to buckle down, reassess and make changes to their business strategy in order to weather the storm (and beyond).
In this interview, Oscar Budandi, Head of Business at Q-Sourcing Servtec Rwanda (QSS) shares his views on the situation in Rwanda now and the expectations for the future, not just for QSS and our clients but also some great insights for any other business to consider.
How has the COVID-19 outbreak impacted the Rwanda business community in general?
Well, like any other country/economy, Rwanda’s business community has been affected by COVID-19 that caused the closure of operations, as your aware Rwanda is a country with few natural resources (minerals) hence its people are the core resource and the service industry is a key sector in generating revenue.
For example, Rwanda positioned itself as a center for hospitality and tourism in the region that includes hosting many international conferences and attracting many tourists and investors it’s in that regard the pandemic that caused the cancelation of all events has affected the business community severely.
That said it’s important to note that the pandemic has opened the eyes of business people to think outside the box, especially in embracing technology in their daily business operations.
How is QSS Rwanda coping? And how have you been impacted?
Yes, we have been impacted, our clients fall across different sectors and some have been severely hit like those in Aviation, Tourism, and Entertainment among others which have led to a temporal suspension of some contracts.
Regarding managing and coping with consequences, our critical element was first to ensure that our clients and other stakeholders are fully advised of the impact of any decisions in regard to Human Resource Management and we are happy that such was well handled.
Internally as QSS since March when the first cases appeared in EA we had to rearrange a couple of operations and create a clear plan of how to deal with uncertain times in an elaborated Business Continuity Plan that is reviewed and updated weekly.
The team at Q-Sourcing Servtec Rwanda is at work, fully abiding by the Government health guidelines
Since mid-March when the first cases appeared, we had to rearrange a couple of operations and create a clear plan of how to deal with such uncertain times in an elaborate business continuity plan that is updated & monitored weekly.
What key adjustments should businesses prioritize in their human resource setup going forward?
Well it’s inevitable that HR Management (Outsourcing and Consultancy) set up will definitely change and clients will have new demands based on the experience they have had and different sectors will need different approaches but I would say that the key adjustments should rotate around embracing Technology, Performance Contracts(Out-Put based), Research & Development and Innovation.
What should QSS Rwanda clients & the public expect going forward?
They should expect continuous innovation in adding value to their core business, our main goal is still the same, we believe our clients and any other employers need efficiency in their daily operations and our role is to partner with them to take off any pains and headaches related to Manpower (HR Management) this leads them (Clients) to focus on its core business since the productivity of their staff is our task.
Are you a business owner or manager in Rwanda? How has this outbreak impacted your business? How are you coping? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
