Temperature Screenings

Experts anticipate COVID-19 will linger through the summer and require ongoing mitigation efforts to prevent another spike and national or regional shut down. As the economy reopens, employees will want an assurance it is safe to return to work. We believe that temperature screening will expand across all facets of the private sector, both essential and non-essential businesses, as a new aspect of access control in the post-pandemic \'new normal.\' Before implementing temperature screening at your organization, there are several important factors to take into consideration, including legal regulations, medical privacy, effective training and personnel protection.

The Future of Retail 

In 1964, you couldn\'t pump gas yourself. Every gas station was full service. But that year a man named John Roscoe took a gamble and installed technology that allowed self-service at one of his stations. Customers adopted this new technology, but the alternative service model didn\'t proliferate at the time because of the up-front installation cost and legislative roadblocks prohibiting self-service. Over the next five years, legislation changed, but it wasn\'t until the OPEC oil embargo of 1973, and its 4-hour plus lines for gas, that self-service became the new norm. By the end of the 70s, almost all gas stations had converted to self-service.

So what do gas stations have to do with the future of retail and this current pandemic? Even though the COVID-19 virus may be new, the effect of a crisis on the industry is not. By looking back at past crises, we can see they produce major shifts in industry and society.

With the OPEC crisis, we see that technology coupled with the oil crisis created a \"new norm.\" It will be the same with COVID-19. The innovations that have come before this moment (frictionless checkout, omnichannel, self-checkout, robots in the supply chain, BOPIS) combined with the current crisis, will produce the \"new norm\" for retail going forward. We are already seeing an acceleration in the adoption of existing technologies throughout society as retailers work to mitigate the spread of the virus through \"contactless\" checkouts. What we will see in the future, as we did with 9/11 and the security industry, are new technologies and new uses for existing technologies. 

What Retailers Must Do Now

Retail leadership must manage this crisis, being proactive instead of reactive. Right now, we are in the first stage of crisis management, which is mitigating risk. From plexiglass cashier shields to curb-side pickups, retailers are pivoting to reduce the spread of the virus at their stores. 

What comes next may very well determine which retailers survive this crisis. In this second stage, retailers need to gather as much information as possible from vendors, customers, employees, stores and legislative arms of government to try to see around the corner. Those who can look ahead will spot both opportunities and potential pitfalls. Getting ahead of what\'s coming allows companies to iterate and measure so they position themselves to meet the demands of the \"new norm.\" Those who leverage technology will speed up these iterations.

Learning from the past is critical to the industry\'s future. Retailers who put a solid plan in place for today\'s crisis will have a roadmap to guide them through the next pandemic, national disaster or economic disruption. If the past is a good indicator, 

by 2029, the retail landscape may look completely different due to COVID-19. But as with past crises, we as a society and as humans will figure out how to adapt and overcome.

How can I keep my people safe during these uncertain times?
For most of us, COVID-19 and the ensuing quarantines have not only caught us off guard and led to uncertainty around our businesses, but also for our lives, those of our families, colleagues and employees. Nothing is more uncertain than a pandemic that even our country is scrambling to deal with. Uncertainty leads to fear, which has a tendency to spiral. As such, it needs to be addressed quickly, directly and aggressively.
Brosnan wants to make sure you are prepared and can respond in these times. While we are here for you anytime, to help with any issue, we want to offer some thoughts and suggestions for dealing with the current situation; helping you and your staff to not only get through this, but hopefully establish stronger and more resilient bonds for the future. This is a time for us to come together! America strong!!!
Suggestions:
The key in dealing with the situation is strong leadership, communications and safety. As such, we offer the following suggestions and thoughts as you navigate. Remember, it's never too late to do any of this. People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. People will never forget how you made them feel.