Maintaining Operations during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Harnath Babu, Chief Information Officer at KPMG India
In the face of the current global crisis, KPMG in India has taken significant strides to digitalize its workspace and ensure long-term resilience. Harnath Babu, the Chief Information Officer at KPMG in India, has been instrumental in leading these efforts.
To keep employees connected, KPMG in India is leveraging cloud-based collaboration tools. Harnath emphasizes the importance of these platforms for employee connectivity, regardless of location.
Security is a top priority for KPMG in India. The team is constantly updating endpoints with the latest security patches to ensure confidential data and intellectual property remain safe and secure. Companies must provide a secure Virtual Private Network, deploy firewalls, and update security patches regularly.
Harnath Babu stresses the importance of organisations revisiting and redesigning remote working policies for wider application. Companies should identify the necessary tools, create well-defined processes, and ensure employee productivity is not hampered in remote work.
As part of their Business Continuity Plans (BCP), KPMG in India has scaled its infrastructure to support staff Pan-India, provided round-the-clock IT support, and enhanced internet bandwidth and VPN licences. The firm has also provided audio and video conferencing tools for remote collaboration.
KPMG in India's IT support team and centralized team are enabled to work remotely and support users. The team is also constantly monitoring tools deployed on-premise and cloud for efficient operations 24x7.
Technology can indeed simplify teamwork and make work less about location and more about tasks. Harnath Babu emphasizes the importance of leaders staying vigilant, keeping best practices handy, and deploying a modern, cloud-centric architecture for proactive IT management.
Equal support is required from HR, leadership, and business to rethink working models and embrace change. Harnath Babu believes that having business continuity plans helps reduce the impact of crises.
By providing tools and technologies for remote work without disruption, KPMG in India is demonstrating its commitment to adapting to the new normal and ensuring the safety and productivity of its employees. Technology can indeed be a powerful tool in fostering resilience and driving growth in challenging times.
