Footprint Planning And Location Strategy In Light Of The Pandemic

There are a multitude of factors that affect a company’s ability to successfully transition to this new model of work, and a future-thinking corporate location strategy is paramount.

The Covid-19 pandemic is changing how people work, and companies, based on their specific operations, may need to make location decisions to align their real estate footprint with their future work models. Going forward, a fully remote workforce deployment model is unlikely to be adopted by most large corporations, but a hybrid model may be a reality, with a percentage of the workforce working remote permanently and the remaining managing alternative work arrangements. Furthermore, employees’ level of comfort with returning to offices and the potential for increased surveillance such as antibody testing, temperature screening and contact tracing should be considered. There are a multitude of factors that affect a company’s ability to successfully transition to this new model of work, and a future-thinking corporate location strategy is paramount.

Manufacturing facilities: The Covid-19 pandemic provides an opportunity for manufacturers to reconsider their supply chain resiliency and decentralize their manufacturing capabilities to multiple regional facilities to reduce dependency on a single geography. Although this approach may contradict recent centralization trends, in the wake of this pandemic, companies that have continued to thrive are likely ones with geographically diverse manufacturing footprints. These companies can ramp up operations in locations not heavily impacted by the virus and dial back or shut down in locales that have outbreak concerns.

Corporate offices: For organizations that depend on in-office interactions to maintain productivity, leadership will need to determine and implement clear policies and procedures prior to returning to the workplace to ensure the health and safety of their teams. Organizations that have more flexibility to adjust to a long-term increase in remote work can explore reducing and repurposing their physical office space as well as renegotiating leases. Corporate leaders should also consider longer-term deployment implications, including potentially rebalancing footprints between urban core and suburban locations to mitigate any future issues with high-density facilities, such as elevator capacities and multi-tenancy.

Distribution and logistics centers: Distribution and logistics centers are becoming increasingly important, as consumers have adopted new purchasing habits during the Covid-19 pandemic. Organizations reliant on distribution and logistics centers need to evaluate their facilities networks and confirm that their facility locations are optimized to mitigate business disruption impacts and ensure efficient delivery while protecting the health and safety of employees.

Data centers: To support the growing digital commerce and logistics demand, data center location strategy and maintenance will be an area of ongoing capital investment across a number of industries. Now more than ever, organizations are looking for secure and reliable data storage infrastructure to ensure seamless and secure data access to maintain business continuity and mitigate productivity losses. For some organizations, owning and operating captive cloud-enabled data centers will empower effective management of their entire data-connectivity pipeline, and site selection to help optimize for weather, energy, maintenance and connectivity is critical.

The breadth and depth of impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have yet to be fully realized; however, one component that could set companies apart is the willingness to make capital investments in facilities to increase operational footprint resiliency and mitigate business continuity risks.


MORE LIKE THIS

  • Get the CEO Briefing

    Sign up today to get weekly access to the latest issues affecting CEOs in every industry
  • upcoming events

    Roundtable

    Strategic Planning Workshop

    1:00 - 5:00 pm

    Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

    Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

    1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
    2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
    3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

     

    Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

    Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

    2:00 - 5:00 pm

    Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

    Limited space available.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

    Golf Outing

    10:30 - 5:00 pm
    General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
    Sponsored by UBS

    General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

    The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.