July_2021 - 8

UPTIME FROM THE EDITORS
Lessons learned post-pandemic
Takeaways as we progress through the 'after times' of the pandemic.
" The only constant is change. " It's a phrase
I often repeat to myself and has been a working
mantra when it comes to handling unanticipated
or unexpected events.
I sometimes cringe when I hear some process
By Erica
Schueller
Editorial
Director
or change occurring in the post-pandemic world
referred to as " the new normal. " The fact is, we're
constantly operating under new circumstances-and
we always have-it's just that the solutions
developed to address a set of challenges
had been accelerated due to a significant event
that happened to all of us at the same time.
Collectively then, we could all relate to our " old
normal " morphing into something different.
@CV_ESchueller
All about balance
Over the last year-and-a-half, it's been a whirlwind
of change. There have been changes to
our group and our brand with an organizational
restructure in February 2020 to form the
Endeavor Commercial Vehicle Group. While
managing those changes, we were all figuring
out how to operate during a global a pandemic-adjusting
schedules, plans, and processes
both personally and professionally.
This meant creating a patchwork of working
hours while balancing out family needs.
Canceling flights, rescheduling meetings
remotely, and figuring out how to get a fiveyear-old
through kindergarten using group
video chats and connecting remotely with
teachers were all new challenges.
I, like my son and so many others, am over
Zoom. Video conferencing fatigue is real.
However, it played a very necessary role at the
height of the pandemic when we were unable
to connect in person.
Thankfully, kindergarten graduation was in
person, and now it's official that I'll see many
of you in person again soon too.
I've booked my first flight since February
of 2020. How fitting that this one is for the
American Trucking Associations' Technology
& Maintenance (TMC) fall meeting and exhibition,
considering my last attended event before
the pandemic was the TMC 2020 spring meeting
and exhibition.
Like many, I will be rusty at this whole travel
thing. Now, I risk overpacking (carrying on
for a five-day trip used to be a piece of cake;
now I don't know what to bring) and mis-timing
airport arrivals and departures (I could
usually arrive at the gate consistently within
10 minutes of boarding, coffee in hand.).
Live events will be a welcome change when
it comes to educational sessions and product
announcements. Meeting in person allows us
to see and touch new products on the show
floor, ask questions of product managers, make
8 Fleet Maintenance | July 2021
» Live events will be a welcome change post-pandemic. But it's all about finding balance.
113664734 | Anyaberkut | Dreamstime.com
Like many, I will
be rusty at this
whole travel thing.
connections for future stories and content. That
happens more organically face-to-face, and
through making more meaningful connections
with industry experts and colleagues.
But just like the overwhelming feeling of
being on the road three out of four weeks in a
month, it's truly about balance. Now that I've
experienced both ends of the spectrum, I'm
looking forward to having the ability to optimize
my schedule with a mix of both remote
and in-person events.
There is no doubt that coming out on the
other side of this pandemic has fundamentally
changed our approach to conducting business.
When it comes to remote conferences, meetings,
and training, it's important to recognize
the tools, products, and technology developed
to make those connections happen more seamlessly.
Companies have worked to foster greater
engagement through new technologies like
virtual reality and augmented reality. The ability
to connect with someone remotely when
and where it makes sense can help to further
optimize employee training. It saves time and
money to not take technicians away from the
bays longer than they need to be.
Read more about how VR and AR technologies
are helping to further improve and optimize
the technician training experience on page 18.
More data, greater
responsibility
With all of the technological advancements,
digitization, and remote communication
comes one more sticking point that has
been further highlighted-the need for more
comprehensive cybersecurity efforts to mitigate
data breaches and the risk of hackers
holding information for ransom.
This has become an increasing concern
with the move to many employees working
remotely, which can increasingly compromise
data security. But even for those who work
on location or in an office setting, fleets must
ensure employees are trained to keep information
secure and to have a playbook in the
event there is a data breach.
Check out page 28 for more on how to better
prepare your fleet to help reduce the chances of
a cybercrime occurring in your business, and
what you can do to better plan in the event of
a cyberattack on your operations.
As things continually change, it's worthwhile
to reflect on how things once were,
and how they are now; but also to acknowledge
that things will inevitably be different
in the future. The first step is acknowledging
that change is inevitable. The next is being
prepared to handle that change.
As we all make our way out of our collective
shells, eyes blinking into the sun,
I
look forward to reconnecting with industry
colleagues and meeting some of you for the
first time. I am excited to catch up with each
and every one of you during an upcoming
in-person event. See you soon.

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July_2021

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