VAA Virginia Asphalt Fall/Winter 2020

26 FALL/WINTER 2020 David T. Lee, P.E., Vice President, Virginia Asphalt Association FROM THE FRONTLINES Lessons Learned During the Pandemic Anybody Home? Entering a typical asphalt company’s main office, one commonly finds a modern, relatively conventional place of business. Once a bustling place of significant activity, these facilities are now nearly silent throughout the almost empty halls. Today, only a handful of staff members typically occupy these relatively large buildings designed for far more, causing us to ask ourselves, “Is this the new normal?” Fortunately for the construction industry, work has continued through the pandemic and, while certainly not without some COVID-19 related challenges, for the most part, work has progressed with limited direct impact. Teleworking Works Most will have to admit that much of the construction industry considered teleworking, a term relegated to other sectors. This work arrangement was seldom applied to this industry. From the beginning of the pandemic, the asphalt industry quickly learned that, to successfully function through these trying times, the ability to embrace this “new” working arrangement was critical. While an adjustment period was necessary for everyone to figure out how to best implement these changes, once in place, not only did the industry find that work continued, but in some cases, efficiency actually improved. Clearly, managers could trust their employees to accomplish their work without hovering over their shoulders. Jerry Short, President of W-L Construction and Paving, stated it well when he said, “One thing we have learned from the pandemic is a lot of the administrative office staff are getting work accomplished more efficiently because they don’t have the sideline interruptions typically found in an office atmosphere.” Lines of Communication Change The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an inevitable surge in digital technologies due to the social distancing norms and nationwide lockdowns. In the not so distant past, each one of us may have been off to another meeting in Richmond, our staff asking, “What time will you be back?” and you responding with something along the lines of “early evening at best.” Openly complaining about traveling 6 to 7 hours round trip for what would likely only be a one to two-hour meeting, we often thought, “There must be a better way!” Well, some might say this pandemic has helped businesses find that “better way.” Instead of traveling those long hours to and from meeting sites, employees now walk to a computer and join a GoToMeeting or sign in to Zoom. Even conferences and training sessions are attended in a virtual environment. While most will agree that these meeting formats are far from perfect and cannot completely replace face-to-face meetings in the future, without question, they have increased productivity. Doing business differently and using these formats will undoubtedly be a part of the “new norm.” Furthermore, rather than walking down the hall or driving out to a project, communication becomes more reliant on phone calls, Before e-ticketing. After e-ticketing.