Fictiv’s global manufacturing ecosystem connects a network of manufacturing partners through its cloud platform. Fictiv’s manufacturing platform, which has been compared to AirBnB and AWS, offers manufacturing agility and speed through a portfolio of optimized manufacturing processes. Customer orders for parts are strategically and quickly routed to the best suited manufacturing partners for the job.
Manufacturing solutions to help with COVID-19 challenges[1]
The current COVID-19 crisis in the U.S. has challenged all manufacturing companies, Fictiv included. Fictiv has focused its operations on several key areas around the crisis:
- Fictiv’s global manufacturing ecosystem has the capacity to help healthcare companies develop and rapidly deliver products that meet urgent public needs.
- Fictiv’s content resources, including its weekly “Supply Chain Bunker” webinar series, keep mechanical engineers and supply chain managers updated on the latest trends and solutions.
- Fictiv is paying for the up-front tooling costs of a newly designed tool to produce millions of protective face shields in the fight against COVID-19. The company is making the shields available to healthcare agencies at cost.
Pivoting to fully remote work with new tools
Fictiv has offices in San Francisco and China, so the company had already made a regular practice of depending on remote work and had developed a company philosophy around remote working. Desiree Therianos, Fictiv’s Head of People, says establishing a sense of accountability among employees is particularly important to the success of remote teams.
“It’s important to leverage team managers to drive accountability in remote environments,” says Therianos.“When you know others are relying on you, you have clear goals, and you feel a part of one team. You want to work hard, so you don’t let anyone down. This sense of accountability to one another, as well as the business, is a big part of our culture, but it takes sustained effort to foster this sense of accountability and maintain it over time.”
Therefore, when Fictiv announced on March 13th that it would implement a work-from-home policy for all non-essential Fictiv employees in the U.S., the company was prepared for the transition. It focused immediately on maintaining its culture during the mid-March transition.
“To maintain a connected culture, we proactively host a range of remote-friendly gatherings,” Therianos says, adding that the company encourages video participation when employees join gatherings remotely, so everyone can see faces.
Among the remote events Fictiv employees can depend on are:
- Company-wide Monday morning stand-ups.
- Friday “Demos & Kudos” sessions.
- Quarterly AMA (Ask Me Anything) panels with our executive leadership team.
- Virtual Pet Meet-Ups, where anyone can join and bring their pet for a meet and greet.
Fictiv has been leveraging tools during the Covid-19 crisis that include:
- Brightday, a company that provides AI resources around Ergonomics. “This has been a tool that our internal teams have really enjoyed using,” says Therianos.
- Zoom for video calls, remote team meetings, All Hands meetings, and Team Demos.
- Slack, an internal communications tool, to help keep teams connected.
Maintaining healthy individual habits when working remotely
In terms of the daily practices that keep her on the ball when working from home, Therianos underlines the importance of developing habits and sticking with them.
“Waking up early, working out, prioritizing goals for the day, and setting an intention are habits that help me thrive, no matter the environment,” she says.
Therianos also thinks that it’s important to intentionally step away from the computer several times a day to maintain a healthy balance of mind and body.
“For example, take fifteen or twenty minutes to take a walk and call a colleague or direct report and connect in a different way,” she says.
The future of remote teams and manufacturing
Fictiv’s enterprising and innovative spirit has enabled the company to course-correct in the face of an international crisis. The company has pivoted to a remote work plan without losing momentum, at a time when many businesses are still reeling.
Forward-thinking companies that can adapt to change and embrace new ways of working will set the tone for the workplaces of the future.
