Covid 19 response – plan for the worst, hope for the best

 

This section of the digital case study web-site provides a time-line of the businesses’ response to te evolving Covid situation. This is captured through:

 

· Video diaries

· Documents used and/or issued by the business

· Communications sent by the business

· BBC News items

 

 

Following the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID19 pandemic, managing director Sandy Fraser is faced with a series of difficult decisions regarding the business. The video diary discussions between Sandy and Ron Livingstone cover some of the key considerations which had to be made in response to the unexpected crisis.

 

This is an evolving part of the overall digital case-study web-site (as at June 2020) and may well continue through to the summer 2021, since the current possible scenario is that all main parts of the business will be mothballed until spring 2021 (having been closed from 23rd March 2020 at the direction of the Government).

 

This section of the web-site is currently structured into four chronological parts:

 

1. Uncertainty as to what is going to happen:

Pre-lockdown: January/February and up to March 22nd 2020

 

2. Reactive - Frantic first five weeks / emergency actions:

First month of lockdown: March 23rd to end of April 2020

 

3. Proactive - Planning for the worst, hoping for the best:

May, June and part of July

 

4. Pause for thought at the beginning of July 2020 – the move from lock down to open up

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5. Planning for the future restart of the business - but not business as usual?

3rd July to 31st December 2020

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6. Timeline and general information on how the Covid-19 pandemic situation evolved

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Two quotes from Sandy Fraser which sum up these unprecedented times for the business:

 

“Having spent over 40 years building up our businesses we are now pushed to the brink of fighting for our very survival. We are at the cliff edge.”

 

“The situation is moving so fast, with so many unknowns, in fact nobody knows for certain what is happening or going to happen. For sure the hospitality and tourism industry is one of the hardest hit, along with maybe the aviation industry; and all we can do is plan for the worst and hope for the best”.

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