The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how businesses operate, with a significant shift in consumer behavior and the widespread normalization of remote work. This shift is now a key trend, with estimates suggesting that 20-30% of full-time employees will work remotely post-pandemic, compared to just 5% before. At Bahtera, this disruption aligns with our broader business transformation, which began in 2019.

As part of our company-wide overhaul into a more agile, technology-driven business, Bahtera has spent the last two years rethinking how we operate. Grounded in our updated vision to become an inspiration in creating a globally recognized upstream supply chain through increased productivity and effectiveness, we started this transformation internally. A major focus was revamping our corporate structure and processes to serve as the foundation for our operations. This is especially critical, considering that 26% of transformations fail, and the inability to execute the transformation is a major contributing factor to these failures.

A Three-Pronged Approach to Operational Transformation

Our operational transformation follows a three-pronged approach. First, we ensure that our new purpose is integrated into our company culture. One of the most common reasons for transformation failure is the lack of clear vision and poor communication. At Bahtera, we have a well-defined purpose, vision, and mission based on the current realities of the industry. The next step is ensuring that everyone in the company understands these through intensive training and culture development.

Second, we focus on developing technological capabilities to support our people in adjusting to new processes under our technological transformation. The success of digital transformation depends largely on the preparedness of our people. To facilitate this, we provide extensive training and set up a helpdesk to address any concerns or questions from any department, bridging knowledge gaps immediately. We're also investing in our infrastructure by upgrading our tools and equipment to meet new technological demands.

The third focus is operational streamlining. To align with our agile and digital vision, we need to completely rethink how the organization works. This involves an overhaul of our organizational structure, workflows, and employee capabilities. Drawing inspiration from Six Sigma’s DMAIC method, we started by identifying the areas that require change.

Employee Empowerment and Continuous Monitoring

Over the past year, with the help of professional consultants, we have defined, measured, and analyzed our areas of improvement and executed them through the development of extensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). However, these are just written guidelines. The real change lies in empowering our people. We are doing this by investing in talent development, facilitating coordination with digital infrastructure, and creating more agile workflows. The next step is to ensure these changes lead to the desired outcomes by conducting regular evaluations and implementing continuous improvements.

Although our operational transformation is still in its early stages, the pandemic has significantly accelerated its progress. The shift from offline to online work has forced the company and our employees to become more efficient, adaptive, and resilient. Surprisingly, remote work has actually enhanced efficiency and productivity. This is consistent with global trends, as 49% of CEOs have reported improved productivity amid the rise of remote working. This experience provides valuable insights as we continue our transformation journey.