On 6 May 2020, staff in Strategic Business Insights' Menlo Park, California; Croydon, England; and Tokyo, Japan, offices discussed and analyzed more than 100 developments and events that relate to the coronavirus and coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19), identifying societal, political, commercial, industrial, and technological implications of the covid-19 pandemic and its effects. As a result, this month's Scan set—Scan™ in the Time of Covid-19—features 18 pandemic-related issues and implications that will help decision makers navigate the uncertainties of the years ahead. (Also see July 2020's A Further Look at Covid-19's Impact.)

Scan Framework

The framework arranges this month's Signals of Change and Patterns on a scale of urgency (short to long term), and reflects the degree of uncertainty (low to high) surrounding the topic. Each item's color highlights which aspect of decision-making the topic is most likely to affect.

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Signals of Change

SoC1161 — Scanning: The Pandemic and Its Implications

The occurrence of the covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic slowdown were not unforeseeable.

SoC1162 — Pandemic Rise of the New HR

Plausibly, the coronavirus and the covid-19 pandemic will lead to long-lasting changes in human-resources (HR) practices.

SoC1163 — Technologies' Roles and the Pandemic

A look at technologies' roles during the pandemic could provide cues about the technologies' uses when the pandemic ends.

SoC1164 — The Pandemic's Impacts across Industries

A growing economic crisis is challenging businesses and creating great uncertainty going forward.

SoC1165 — Reshuffling Societal and Budgetary Priorities?

Policy makers will reconsider societal priorities and the allocation of financial resources.

SoC1166 — Scenario Planning for the Pandemic's Aftermath

Custom scenario-planning efforts can help decision makers move from gaining awareness of a changing world to preparing for such a world.

Patterns

(Results of the Scan™ Meeting on 6 May 2020)

P1501 — Misinformation Pandemic

Like the current pandemic, a wave of misinformation and disinformation has spread around the world.

P1502 — Vulnerability and Inequality during the Pandemic

The pandemic will not only have a large death toll but also put a spotlight on polarized societies. A significant proportion of students lack home access to computers and the internet.

P1503 — The Great Working-from-Home Experiment

People are working from home and learning online on a scale that almost no organization planned for.

P1504 — The Tech Giants and the Pandemic

Although uncertainties exist, the pandemic could increase the tech giants' influence on digital life.

P1505 — No-Contact Services

The pandemic is creating opportunities for companies that are operating under the current social-distancing conditions.

P1506 — The New Homebodies

The pandemic's forcing many people to stay at home is resulting in a variety of behavior changes, some of which may be permanent.

P1507 — Disease and Cure: A Balancing Act

Determining which responses to the pandemic best balanced medical needs and economic considerations will take years.

P1508 — Medical Monitoring and Surveillance Technologies

Governments and organizations are using monitoring and surveillance technologies to help manage the spread of the coronavirus.

P1509 — The Pandemic's Effects on Business Models

The pandemic could change some business models permanently.

P1510 — The Ascent of Robots during the Pandemic

Current lockdown and social-distancing measures are expanding opportunities for service robots.

P1511 — The Pandemic's Push: Global versus Tribal

Many reasons exist for increasing global collaboration during the pandemic; however, the opposite might happen.

P1512 — Supply-Chain Resilience?

The early stages of the pandemic highlight the strengths and weaknesses of current-generation global supply chains.