There’s disruption. And then there’s disruption.

The disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in our time—and, of course, the health and safety of our families and communities are the highest priority.

In parallel, we must continue to focus on business success. How can we capture the opportunity to not only maintain, but emerge stronger?

While some countries are starting to reopen, others are facing new or renewed restrictions. The pandemic is an important lesson of how communities, organizations and nations can work together to address challenges.

It’s important that we remain steadfast in our commitment to lead together through this disruption. At IBM, we are prepared and able to help you and your clients emerge smarter and stronger. I’d like to share three immediate ways we want to participate in the journey with you.

1. To help our Business Partners and clients respond, IBM developed an action guide called, Beyond the Great Lockdown: Emerging stronger to a different normal—to support executives in navigating their own plans. We realize that wherever you are in the world, reopening will be a thoughtful process that requires patience and flexibility; this guide can help you.
2. In addition, IBM is sharing The “IBM Return to Workplace Playbook” that offers practical information to employees, partners and clients on IBM’s initial phases of returning to workplaces.
3. An essential component to successful reopening will be trust and confidence. The way we work is being reimagined at every level—from where, to how, to what we do. To make informed decisions about your people, buildings and spaces you’ll will need the right data and insights. The IBM Return-to-Workplace Advisor and Watson Works solutions are designed to assist you deploy what you identify as essential insights to protect the health and safety of your people in your facilities and help you create a workplace that keeps them safe, confident and secure.

“The historic challenge for leaders is to manage the crisis while building the future.” —Henry Kissinger1

Yes, we do believe that we can emerge smarter and stronger, and having a vision for what that looks like is important—for the upcoming business quarters and beyond. The changes we are experiencing are both propelling us toward a vision of tomorrow while preparing us for future disruptions. What comes next is up to us.

As companies emerge from the crisis and progress recovery, resiliency is critical. Using technology, we can operate, plan and respond in ways that were never possible before. The ability to refocus the organization on the future and where we are headed must outpace the realities of today.

The opportunity for 2H 2020 is real and it’s up to all of us to define how we restart, reengage and reinvent. Equipped with the right knowledge and proper planning, we will all emerge smarter and more successful in the months ahead.

We look forward to our continued collaboration and a strong third quarter.

1 Henry A. Kissinger, “The coronavirus pandemic will forever alter the world order,” Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2020.