McColl’s Preparation for COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
McColl’s has been reviewing the potential impact of the increasing spread of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus). We have started taking action to try to reduce the potential impact of the virus on our and our customers’ businesses.
As a business we have implemented a series of measures designed to ensure service levels and to maintain a flexible response to issues as they arise. We are expecting changes in the business environment due to the virus itself and in terms of the governments’ response (local lockdowns and travel restrictions etc).
These actions include:
Office environment:
Implementing appropriate hygiene protocols within the offices to restrict the spread of any infections;
Working with the local health authorities to manage and monitor any local health issues as they arise;
Implementing an immediate self-quarantine for anyone with relevant symptoms or anyone who returns from overseas;
Minimising meetings of any kind;
Reducing staff travel between sites;
Where possible implementing capability for staff to work from home in isolation if required.
Customer service and load planning
Ensuring where possible that McColl’s retains a capability to continue to service customers, i.e. duplicating operations management capability at different sites;
Ensuring that any impact on service levels is raised and managed during the daily and weekly operations reviews;
Communications
Ensuring that if McColl’s has any impact to customers as a result of the current virus outbreak that any issues and work-arounds are clearly communicated.
Trucks and drivers
Drivers spend most of their working days isolated as part of their job routine;
We are rolling out hygiene reminders as part of our regular toolbox program;
We have asked drivers to undertake extra precautions including end-of-shift cleaning inside the truck;
Overall we have asked people to change their behaviors. If our people ask to change face to face meetings into video conferences or phone calls, if they bow a greeting rather than shaking hands or if they cancel travel plans, please understand that this is part of our effort to reduce the impact of the virus on all of our businesses.
McColl’s will continue to deliver the service to you, our customer. This task will be made easier if we have as much notice as possible regarding operational changes to your business. We also ask that you tell us of any new restrictions that you are making in your activities (avoiding meetings, new shift patterns, new site hygiene protocols) so that we can update our staff.
We understand that you also will have plans running to manage in this new environment and we would welcome the chance to work together in developing the best solutions for all.
We have asked Andrew Thompson to step in as the main point of contact for our customers on this project. Andrew will make sure that your special operational requirements get to wherever they need to go in the McColl’s organisation.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Andrew.
Kind regards
Simon Thornton
