Adaptivity and Alpha CRC.
How the pandemic changed Alpha CRC. And how it didn’t.

From the very beginning, Alpha has had adaptive, global-first-ready principles and we continue to strive towards that goal both for clients and with our own company philosophy. With bespoke solutions for enterprise companies and start-ups alike, Alpha CRC adapts, and recent events are a testament to that.

Pandemic practicality

When the global pandemic hit, and it became clear changes needed to be made at a rapid pace, Alpha CRC took it in stride. With online events giving sales a place to communicate and network, and a community to rally and learn from, and a renewed focus on digital marketing, Alpha’s industry presence – both online and in-the-flesh – has not been taken for granted, nor will it be.

First and foremost, Alpha’s concerns were with our staff and their wellbeing. We implemented a Work from Home (WFH) policy as soon as it was a requirement in each country and ensured anyone unable to do so, either for technical and confidentiality or personal reasons, had a safe office environment that followed guidelines to the letter. Staff who needed equipment were provided for and, as restrictions ease, many are voluntarily returning to office life.

Whether the teams are at home or onsite, widely dispersed or two minutes away, work has always continued. Some areas saw a fall in action, as to be expected, but many of Alpha’s divisions saw an increase in workload as companies all over the world rushed to adapt themselves for lockdowns; localized digital presence, eCommerce and the constant sharing of information had suddenly become a top priority for survival.

“We have worked very effectively during the pandemic, actually increasing output and productivity, giving us the confidence that we have a solid platform to build on should we be in similar circumstances in future.”

– Charlotte Virgoe, Strategic Account Director

Alpha is, by nature, an international company so many of our teams communicate digitally anyway. The changes meant some aspects of habitual communication continued, both internally and with clients and vendors – just with different backgrounds. Team and 1-to-1 meetings and check-ins increased, and support was readily available to anyone who was struggling.

Division decisions

Alpha CRC as a company has had to make some fairly dramatic changes since the pandemic, and each of our divisions – each of which deal with a different sector/client/product type – has a unique strategy that needed to be adapted, too. By keeping up with technology, such as a special VPN for remote working and enhanced conferencing capabilities, plus brand style and relevance, and staying ahead of that ever undulant curve, Alpha is constantly striving to accurately reflect the global support, expertise and flexibility our partners require. Here are some updates from the heads of some of Alpha’s divisions:

• The Digital Experiences and Technologies (DXT) teams are based in the US, the UK and China, working with IT and software clients of all kinds, including app developers and cloud-based platforms.During COVID, their strategy was adapted on many levels, including less – if not completely absent – onsite meetings and more distanced coffee and lunch or virtual meet-ups. They have had to adapt to less formally-structured sales and client management, and adopted more virtual and flexible communication.

  “As with any big change, there are pros and cons; while we have missed the feel and the opportunities that in-person meetings and events offer, the quick readiness of digital connection (starting with the ever-present Zoom) has allowed for quicker and easier connections across time and space. We have learned to take advantage of these changes and to be comfortable and open to a new, more hybrid standard.”

  – Manuela Furtado, Director of Localization and Globalization

  Issues with resource availability and unpredictability came with COVID restrictions but, because DXT are involved in high-tech app software development and digital B2B ecommerce, they have actually seen an increase in requests for expanding programs, adding more volume with current clients, and new business growth.

  Alpha performed well during the pandemic due to in-house resources on mobile web technology utilization, allowing the flexibility to continue working at the same or even, in some cases, an increased pace and/or volume.

  “What we’ve learned from the pandemic is that we have a capable remote force option that we can expand on to increase our capacity and manage risk going forward, if a similar situation to COVID arises.”

  – William Schwartz, Business Director, North America

• Cambridge-based Alpha Financial have adapted their strategy by focusing on digital presence, providing more information about specific fintech and finance expertise.“With decades of experience working with partners from this industry, we have collected a great wealth of knowledge to support key pillars for the industry such as trust, UX and innovation localization across languages and markets…”

  – Daniel Jiménez, Head of Alpha Financial

  The team have also strengthened connections with current and potential clients, leveraging different video-conferencing solutions, social media and electronic communications.
  
  

• Alpha Games operations, shared between Spain, the UK and Japan among others, changed with the rest of the world to a WFH structure. This was easy enough to roll out, but they needed to increase the frequency of formal meetings as the office chats were no longer happening. Sales and account management needed a more drastic change. The plan was to travel to events for networking and selling, but they had to move to a digital structure with online event attendance only. More recently, events have reopened and the team is attending every one they can.

• Changes for the Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA) team also included working from home, with a few exceptions. Where in-office testing is required, such as due to IP whitelist when assisting the Games team, the office was transformed into a COVID-friendly environment that did not put staff at risk. It was ensured everyone had private computers and those who didn’t were provided for.

Being Global-Ready isn’t just about recovering from crisis, or having the resources to cope, it’s also about supporting staff and ensuring work continues at the same, if not higher, standard during problematic times. Localization will give you the world, but an effective human strategy will keep spirits high, and eyes on bigger and better things.