How has AP Companies navigated the restrictions imposed by global lockdowns and the effects this has had on assistance operations?
AP Companies stopped international travel for its workforce and started a work from home scheme immediately for its employees after the WHO announced the pandemic and gave its recommendations.
Our comprehensive BCP plan has allowed us to guarantee a smooth transition to home office working and we did not face any major problems. Our employees felt they were still part of the team due to regular team meetings in Webex and good team communication between different departments. We are quite proud that we were able to face this unprecedented situation in the best possible way with no impact on the level of our services. Moreover, we managed to make a lot of progress on different projects.
How will AP Companies approach post pandemic times? When will your offices reopen?
There is much to consider when deciding when and how to invite employees to return to their offices following the Covid-19 pandemic. Though timing and specifics of reintegration plans will vary based upon the geography of our offices and the unique needs of the company in this or that location, AP Companies has developed a holistic approach to this matter.
In the absence of a vaccine, aspects of our workplaces will change and this will involve a mixture of different measures, including:
- Reducing the number of staff in the office at any one time in order to provide social distancing
- Flexible schedules, where the employees will start and finish their working day at different times and not all be in the office at once, in order to avoid crowded doors and elevators
- Hygiene will be put at the heart of planning any meetings and activities
- Rotating days (some employees will work from home on Mondays and Wednesdays, others on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
- Temperature checks
- Sanitizers available at each table
We will be beginning with those who have the greatest need to be office-based;
for example our customer services teams, which need to work on the phone the majority of the time, so good connection and no outside noise are important considerations that otherwise impact our customers’ experience.
Looking to the future, what is the main business focus going to be for AP Companies?
AP Companies’ future aspirations are to:
- Keep creating enduring long-term relationships with our existing customers and providers built on trust, integrity, feasibility and relentless pursuit of excellence.
- Keep extending globally via developing and strengthening our worldwide network.
- Keep developing our leads and gain new important IPMI accounts, along with new travel insurance clients, and create new products for professionals of different kinds.
- Deliver cost control with maximum efficiency ensuring reasonable and customary pricing to our clients.
