The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has challenged every sector in society in recent months. Despite the severity of the situation, the business sector has refused to bow down. All enterprises have been trying to adjust themselves to COVID-19 impacts so as to keep their business going. At SCG Packaging Committee on COVID-19 situation has played a vital role in managing the crisis. Members of humankind have reckoned that COVID-19 is “the toughest crisis they have ever seen.”

Structure of the Committee on COVID-19 Situation

            This committee is composed of representatives from all lines of SCG Packaging, including overseas-based units. These representatives have come together to formulate the best guideline and communicate it to staff in their teams, business partners, and customers for the goal of ensuring business continuity.

            Mr. Twatchai Wongpaisarn serves as the chair of the Committee. According to him, SCG Packaging has set up Business Continuity Management (BCM) system since 2011 so as to boost preparedness to deal with possible crises such as natural disasters, terrorism, and disruptive political demonstration. In the past, crises affected just specific areas. But this time, COVID-19 outbreak has spread all over the world.

            “Since the onset of the outbreak, our CEO has issued a clear direction that People Come First,” Mr. Twatchai reveals.

“People” are Top Priority

            Since 2011, BCM system has established the Business Management Team (BMT) and Local Management Teams (LMT) to make necessary preparations and conduct exercises every year.

            “Because we have a clear-cut system in place, we only need to activate it during COVID-19 crisis,” Mr. Opart Rakkulchon says.

            “When our assessment suggested our people at our business place in Jakarta had a high risk of contracting the disease, we recalled them to ensure their safety. And thanks to IT support, we can still keep our business running.”

Rules of “4Cs”

            “The first C is Care. We care for our employees, business partners, society, communities, customers, and stakeholders. The second C is Control. We prescribe clear measures to control the situation and manage risks. The third C is Contingency. It is about assessing the situation and planning to deal with what will be coming in advance in order for our businesses to go ahead. The last C is Communication. Leaders must act like ones especially in unusual situations. When you manage a crisis, you need the sense of urgency with care,” says Mr. Twatchai.

            He explains that with clear directions, local leaders at over 40 work sites of SCG Packaging can apply the rules to their context with support from his work panel for business continuity.

Great Factors

            During such crisis, SCG Packaging has learnt that the following three factors are very important:

            1. Fact and Data: Mr. Thanathorn Sitthipol reveals that an internal alert was issued ever since COVID-19 started spreading in Wuhan. When the outbreak in Wuhan widened, more meetings were held to assess the situation and roll out necessary measures such as screenings of people going into/out of the firm’s buildings, guidelines on how to transport persons suspected of having COVID-19, alternative shifts at offices for staff, and work systems over virtual private networks (VPNs). SCG Packaging ranks among the first companies to have implemented “Work from Home” mode.

            2. System: Thanks to great infrastructure and solid IT support, SCG Packaging has successfully introduced work system over VPN during the crisis. Because there is a clear system of what to do, the firm can just activate the system to swing into action.

            3. Collaboration: As all factories gave full cooperation, preparations for SCG Packaging to secure business continuity during the COVID-19 crisis took just one week. Mr. Thanachai Phuthanadee says that the quick preparations impressively underline SCG Packaging’s strengths.

            Ms. Lamai Chintananusorn says leaders’ emphasis on BCM is also behind such impressive results.

**Box**

Mr. Twatchai Wongpaisarn

Director – Sustainability Productivity & Innovation Management

“It is important to set clear direction and walk the talk. This way, team members will get the message and move toward the same direction.”

Mr. Opart Rakkulchon

Corporate Human Resources Director

“Before COVID-19, we used to believe that our people were well ready for any situation. But this pandemic has made us realize that there is still room for improvements. The good thing is that our people are now stronger, more flexible, and more prepared to deal with whatever will come.”

Mr. Thanachai Phuthanadee

Information Technology Manager

“We need to look ahead and make preparations. If we are not prepared, we will be in trouble when a crisis strikes.”

Mr. Thanathorn Sitthipol

Assistant Manager – Emergency Response Management

“We are fortunate to have had great teams. For example, our HR team takes good care of staff’s health. Our engineering team gives useful advice on ventilation system. Our R&D team advises on UV disinfection and has developed paper-based personal protective equipment for medical workers too. Together, we will go a long way.”

Ms. Lamai Chintananusorn

Assistant Manager – Business Continuity Management

“We have strong leadership at local levels. Backed by our system, our local leaders can act fast. Some might think we were panicked. But in fact, we have handled BCM very professionally. You must lead in a crisis, not just react to it, to ensure business continuity.”