Coronavirus (COVID-19) HAGS Update

Our hearts go out to anyone in your organisation and around the globe affected by the coronavirus. The global spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought considerable disruption impacting travel, personal lives and business. 

Like you, HAGS have been monitoring developments since the outbreak began, considering the potential impact on you, our clients, suppliers, employees and business operations.

Since February we have been monitoring staff absence and the reasons for them more closely than usual. This allows us to pick up potential Coronavirus related issues promptly. 

Our partnership with you is of paramount importance to us. We know you are counting on us and we take very seriously our obligation to deliver the highest quality products to you, on-time and in-full. In that spirit, we will communicate with you proactively as always. 

Our assessment

The HAGS Business Continuity Team is responsible for planning mitigation in the event of a relevant incident. They have considered the issues that the Coronavirus may have on customers, suppliers and employees.

Customers 

We have anticipated disruption of client meetings as a result of the Coronavirus. We have appropriate videoconferencing (e.g. Microsoft Teams) technology and conference telephony systems to minimise the impact of an inability to travel If we can offer any technological assistance to you (e g., setting up video calls for import meetings), please just ask and we'd be delighted to help in whatever way we can. 

Manufacturing Operations & Supply Chain

We have not experienced any material lead time delays in our manufacturing plants. We have not experienced any material disruptions in in our supply chain and we are in frequent contact with our suppliers. 

Employees 

Our office and non-production staff are following the guidance of healthcare leaders and working remotely wherever possible but with full computer, phone and video-conferencing capability. Inside of our facilities, we are following the best available guidance on Social Distancing and Workplace Hygiene.

Should self-isolation become necessary as a result of a pandemic, the ability of large sections of our business: sales, design and contracts department to work remotely remains robust. 

We have tested our technology and infrastructure (any external access to our information uses an encrypted VPN) and are happy that It allows this for the following teams with little or no service degradation or interruption.

Our Premises 

Internally, we are following all guidelines with regards to preventative measures, restricting any unnecessary visitors to our site and ensuring the safety of our staff. We have intensified the level of disinfection and cleaning performed by our cleaning contractors in all our locations.

Summary 

For the time being, there has been no impact on our operations. We continue to monitor the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on our customers, colleagues, facilities and services and take appropriate actions to take account of what may be a fast-changing situation.

We believe that our business continuity planning provides robust mitigation against the risks highlighted and specifically how they may impact our industry and our organisation. 

That said, we are not complacent. We have brought forward testing of key systems, issued remote working instructions, we are monitoring the well-being of the Team and we continue to review the advice of both Government and Healthcare professionals daily, to help mitigate the risks Coronavirus poses. 

Our job is to serve your needs so that you can service your communities with full confidence. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us to discuss your specific circumstances. 

Mark Grace

HAGS UK Managing Director