To flatten the curve, shared-service company Asticom came up with
various measures and programs that allowed them to shift to an almost fully digital
workspace. But more than the technicalities of working from home, the company
created ways for its employees to thrive.

Rising to the Challenge, Flattening the Curve
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a sharp divide in societies all across the world.
It’s evident not just on the level of government, but also in the institutions and
organizations that bear a responsibility toward the individuals they serve. This divide is
defined by institutional readiness.

For corporate organizations, this readiness determines how fast a company can
change—in terms of adaptability to the dramatically shifting economic and business
environment, as well as to its internal environment. But how much it can stay the
same—how it can consistently provide a rich, stable environment for its employees—is
just as important a measure.

Crisis and Critical Response to Flattening the Curve
For companies built on the business of service such as Asticom, the task of rising to the
challenges presented by COVID-19 has demanded quick pivots. They had to adapt a
wide range of key internal and external processes to the limitations of the pandemic.
They also had to maintain the health, safety, security, and well-being of thousands of
employees.

Early on in the pandemic, flattening the curve became a key mission in Asticom’s
response. It swiftly shifted the majority of its workforce to a work-from-home setup. It
also carefully cultivated health and safety practices for those who had to be on the
field. Moreover, Asticom promised total commitment to recovery for those infected by
COVID-19.

Indeed, the company’s preventive and assistive health programs displayed a powerful
commitment to managing the pandemic within its bounds. Employees reported their
daily health status via Daily Health Check-Ins using QR codes. They also coursed
medical queries through the telehealth platform KonsultaMD and received physical
Care Kits.

Going Beyond Health
But Asticom went beyond health and safety programs that focused on flattening the
curve. The company quickly undertook measures that addressed another equally
important challenge: that of maintaining the well-being and morale of thousands of
employees—collectively and affectionately called Astifam.
To keep the organization’s family spirit alive entailed pushing past the usual Zoom
meetings and social platforms. A suite of digital platforms, tools, and programs was
needed to ensured access, connectivity, and support, no matter where each individual
was.

For Asticom, this meant an all-in-one Asti App that provided access to HR services. It
also installed a separate service desk and support channel called i-Serve.
The company also covered small but significant essentials. In-house delivery service
BRAD, for instance, allowed employees to obtain food, medicine, parcels, and other
essentials smoothly and conveniently. It also offered continuous digital programs
devoted to providing tips and training on physical and mental health to every member
of the Astifam.

The management had quickly recognized that transitioning an entire workforce into an
environment that was almost completely digital and remote was a challenge that was
entirely separate from the health component. It didn’t just require following basic rules
of hygiene, distancing, and isolation. It required technological know-how, a digitally
capable backend, and equally digitally responsive users. Finally, it required
unprecedented speed. The business as well as the livelihood of thousands depended
on it.

Family First, Family Lasts
For Asticom, pivoting in the pandemic did not mean changing the way it did business.
Rather, it created incredible new ways to keep its business—and its people—well.
The winning formula, it seems, lies in the spirit of family itself. The Astifam saw
themselves as both givers of support as well as receivers of knowledge and know-how.
They were providers as well as adapters. The idea of a connected, collaborative, and
committed family lay at the heart of the organization’s success—and indeed, its health
and happiness throughout the continuing pandemic, and indeed, beyond.