Operations @ Optima – March 2020 Update
These are unprecedented times. The business community globally, in Canada, and in Ontario is being impacted by the current crisis. In response, both the Canadian and the Ontario Governments have announced certain measures that directly impact our operations.
With this update we want to share with you some of the main actions we are taking to ensure the safety of our employees, customers, partners, and our suppliers. We have adapted our way of carrying out our business activities.
Safety First
In line with our “Safety First” principle, we are following the guidelines issued by our local health authorities. This includes making sure that we continue to operate in accordance with all updated protocols and daily advisories. To protect our employees, we have issued a set of simple guidelines relating to social distancing and hygiene, as well as HR procedures for quarantine and sick leave.
Essential Services
Optima has been deemed a critical supplier. As a provider of telecom infrastructure components, our products perform key aspects in monitoring some of Canada’s largest telecom networks. Given our role in provisioning, maintaining or repairing telecom services, Optima has been designated an essential services business under government definitions.
Remaining Engaged
Our employees are now working remotely from home. Staffing at the office has been reduced to the absolute minimum to guarantee essential operations. However, our entire team remains engaged using telecommuting and telepresence services. These measures have been put in place to enable us to work full time on all new projects.
Technical Support
Optima continues to provide technical support services. For the time being, these will be restricted to electronic delivery means only. Customers are asked to send all requests to our main Optima Support e-mail: [email protected].
Those subscribing to our 24/7 phone support service have been given a special after-hours contact number to be used. Otherwise, customers must leave a voice mail message when calling our regular Optima Support phone line for assistance. Messages will be processed in the order they are received.
RMA Procedures
All RMA requests must be sent to [email protected]. Optima will be prioritizing requests. Only those deemed critical will be accepted and processed at this stage. We are currently asking customers to restrict RMA requests to those cases that impact the delivery of essential services. We will provide individual estimates about the expected turn-around times when RMA numbers are issued.
Orders & Shipments
Our team has been pushing hard to complete any orders already in house in the shortest amount of time possible. We ran extended hours to process and ship the bulk of our customer’s orders. All of the processed orders have been delivered or are scheduled to be delivered before the end of March 2020.
Outlook
We understand and share many of the concerns our customers have. Optima will continue to adapt responsibly to the needs of our customers and employees. We pledge to enhance our processes as the situation demands. Rest assured that we are monitoring conditions closely. We will issue appropriate updates as soon as we are able to quantify the ways in which our operations are affected.
Ralf Doewich
Optima Tele.com, Inc.