In March 2021, $9.8 billion worth (approximately £7,896,301,000) of global trade ground to a halt after strong Egyptian winds caused the Ever Given, one of the largest container ships in the world, to turn sideways and become stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking the entire waterway.

As one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, accounting for around 12% of total global trade, the blockage had an enormous impact with price rises for oil, semiconductors, and consumer goods all partially blamed on the blockage. On March 29, after a six-day blockage, 14 tugboats working together finally managed to move and free the ship.

Lessons learned on resilience and preparedness

This was a standout crisis at the start of the current permacrisis we find ourselves in, and it can teach us something important when faced with challenges to come: that it is possible to turn a tanker around. All organisations, from small businesses to global enterprises, can find solutions to address their challenges, no matter their scale.

Maintaining morale and overcoming the fallout

The impact on employee morale has been one of the most damaging consequences of the current permacrisis. Remote working has led to many employees feeling more isolated, while frontline and customer-facing workers have faced difficult situations.

More than 91% of IT decision-makers report that their colleagues are suffering because of the permacrisis, according to 8x8 research.`

Cloud communications can combat slumps in morale. For example, cloud communications platforms offer several different channels through which employees can connect with each other. Chat, video, and calling allow workers to connect in the way that feels best to them. Video calls can allow for longer, more meaningful conversations. Meanwhile, chats allow for the constant exchange of short pieces of information.

What’s more, with multiple modes of communication being incorporated into a single platform, engagement is easier for employees and more cost-effective for organisations. In fact, according to research from Metrigy, 70% of organisations are looking to single-provider, all-in-one platforms as their cloud communications model.

Solutions for any situation

Cloud communications systems were designed to offer companies stability and agility, two things that are critical for combatting the uncertainty and unease that arise from new crises. Yet, our research shows only 50% of organisations are currently using cloud communications to prepare for future challenges.

More organisations must build resilience, as new crises are certain to arise. To do so, they must adopt cloud-based communications, thereby benefiting from improved:

  • Connectivity. Cloud communications offer organisations greater connectivity than on-premises equivalents, both in terms of reach and the types of channels available. Because of this, organisations have a larger set of tools that connect more employees. As crises arise, the wider and richer connectivity will allow organisations to respond better (while also helping to enhance employee engagement).
  • Redundancy. With an in-built redundancy that allows for business continuity in the worst of situations, cloud communications systems have “backup” networks in place to ensure organisations can operate without interruption.
  • Scalability. Cloud-based systems are quick to scale, allowing organisations to rapidly respond to new demands on resources. In crisis moments, when needs might change or demand might increase, cloud communications let organisations adjust accordingly.
  • Responsiveness. New demands on resources may also require new functionality; cloud communications allow for the fast rollout of new features as software updates happen quickly through the cloud. Compared with the sluggish speed of analogue system updates, which often require purchasing new physical infrastructure, this represents a step-change in organisations’ abilities to respond to crises.
  • Automation. Thanks to the use of AI and machine learning, many cloud communications platforms allow users to automate a good number of tasks. This helps to eliminate the risk of error or mistake and helps to improve efficiency.
  • Insight. With improved insight due to data collection and analysis, cloud-based communications can give organisations the ability to pre-empt and plan for challenges they may face. Customer and employee analytics give organisations insight, allowing them to enhance their customer (CX) and employee experience (EX) in response.

With an ensemble of abilities, cloud communications allow any organisation to respond to future challenges. And, in the midst of a crisis, they allow them to turn the ship around, revert course, and prevent future problems.

Above all else, enterprise-wide systems—such as the communication tools that every staff member needs to work and collaborate—are the ones that benefit the most from being hosted in the cloud. They need to be able to operate across sites and national borders, and to preserve the business continuity everyone—from the front to back office—needs to communicate.

To learn more about the current permacrisis and how cloud-based communications can help, download 8x8’s Permacrisis: A View from the IT Frontline report.