Technology Adaptation & Development post Covid in the Retail Development Space
From the onset of the pandemic, adaptation and growth has been made a priority within the retail development industry; revamping process and it’s use of technology to better communicate and fasten processes as a whole.
A once face-to-face industry has had to make consistent changes to stay on schedule with increasing demand while also safeguarding staff and public against the virus running rampant.When Covid broke out virtually no systems were in place to accommodate the slow grinding halt that occurred in the bureaucracy. Tenants and business owners began thinking on their feet.
Zoom, digital meetings, WFH & file sharing services like dropbox & WeTransfer have become commonplace in this post COVID-19 landscape within the development world.
Like any great evolutionary change it took effort from the cities, before this way of doing things became upended & a newer more efficient way took effect.
It might seem a little backwards but before; the departments had strict regulations on the documents that needed to be submitted; like submitting a minimum amount of physical pages per document. After Covid each document had to be quarantined for 24hr period, efficiency was not top of mind when this set of regulations was created. It took a while but regulations relaxed and things shifted more toward the digital landscape.
Communication efficiency has always been key in this industry, and a push toward online global advancements mean a faster rate of return and better service.
“Before the pandemic, applicants were limited to conducting business Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when city hall was physically open to the public. During the pandemic, when we transitioned to an online and digital environment, interactions with applicants moved to a 24/7 cycle, allowing for greater interaction with staff.” said Martha Guzman-Hurtado, communications and legislative affairs manager for the city of El Segundo, California.
As we continue to watch this space for more developments and adaptions, one thing is clear. Technology is here to stay + continually make our lives just a little bit easier.
-Buyers Realty
Information from https://www.icsc.com/news-and-views/icsc-exchange/what-technology-has-done-for-retail-development-during-the-pandemic
http://buyersrealtymiami.com/