Italy was one of the fi rst European countries to be ravaged by Covid-19 at a time when the virus was relatively unknown. The Italian BAR International Associate T.I.S. managed to pull together, ride out the crisis and adapt to the new normal and is now looking forward to the future as vaccines are rolled out.
The restrictions imposed by governments across the world in response to the virus meant that T.I.S., like many other companies, had to adopt new systems to survive. New technologies that had, until recently, been “known but not yet applied” (such as video surveying) protected both the company and its customers through social distancing. The organisation of virtual conferences and other meetings enabled T.I.S. to maintain contact with its agents and to share, even at a distance, useful information and procedures to help others in the sector. The safety standards, meanwhile, allowed T.I.S. to operate in a safe and professional environment while protecting staff and customers at all times. “The pandemic brought out the strength of character of the whole team at T.I.S.,” commented Sales and Operations Manager Marie-France Gaudet, “as it became more important than ever that our staff continued to work to high ethical and work quality standards.”
The cost of Covid-19
The robust response to Covid-19 and adoption of smart working practices in the international transport and removals industry made it possible to overcome grave diffi culties and to protect many jobs and the families depending on them. However Marie-France and her colleagues are extremely aware of the extent to which the pandemic and the restrictions imposed have changed the world we live in. “In Italy,” she explained, “as a Latin people, the much-needed element of human contact in day-to-day life in particular has been sorely missed.”
T.I.S. and the BAR
The pressures caused by Covid-19 and Brexit have reiterated the value of BAR membership as an International Associate and Marie-France told R&S that the BAR has been an “invaluable source of information during the pandemic and whose frequent updates allowed all of us (including our customers) to continue to operate with confi dence.” The updates on Brexit regulations have likewise been crucial to T.I.S. while BAR membership also enables the company to develop and maintain important relationships with reliable business agents and provides dependable mutual assistance whenever required.
Looking to the future
“The team at T.I.S. are born fi ghters who will continue to fi ght for the survival of the company,” said Marie-France, “and I believe that after emerging from this global health crisis, T.I.S. will have grown a thicker skin, become more resilient, stronger and wiser.” While 2020 was a challenging year, T.I.S. is now looking forward to brighter times ahead as the vaccine is rolled out in many countries across the world and will hopefully bring the pandemic to a screeching halt in 2021
“I believe that after emerging from this global health crisis, T.I.S. will have grown a thicker skin, become more resilient, stronger and wiser.”
Marie-France Gaudet, Sales & Operations Manager, T.I.S srl.
