We are continuing to look at how businesses that operated within the Rubicon prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, are adjusting to a new working from home structure. This week we spoke with Frank Fleming, founder of Verifish, on how he and his employees have adjusted to working from home during this pandemic.
Frank has extensive experience within the seafood industry, bringing over 30 years of knowledge to the business. Prior to setting up Verifish (originally called Marine Applications) Frank had worked as a commercial fisherman. The company has developed over the years and has established itself as a key provider of SaaS (software as a service) and advisory services to the seafood sector. The company operates from within the Rubicon Centre but they have also established a virtual office in Rhode Island in order to assist with a client in the United States. Verifish pride themselves on their client focused approach and work to ensure that their cutting edge technology assists their clients to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and food safety.
Verifish have been utilising online platforms to ensure that communication is maintained while the business operates through this global pandemic. Regular team meetings ensure that everyone is on the same page on what needs to be done and allows for people to voice their thoughts and raise any issues they may have during this time. Frank admits that initially they operated in a way that assumed they would be back to normal in a shorter period of time. Due to this their collaborative approach to working originally lagged but once they changed the mindset that this was not just going to be a short term issue they divided into smaller teams promoting collaboration similar to the way they would work in the office. Since changing the way in which they previously approached the working from home mindset they have made great progress, especially in terms of product development.
Working from home can be challenging but it also makes way for other issues to be addressed that were often difficult to make time for in the office. Frank confirms this by mentioning that they now have more time to focus on new product development and look at planning for the future direction of the business. Prior to the pandemic it was harder to find the time to allocate to these tasks due to the ongoing demands that existed daily in the business. While these are positives, there are also some negative impacts from the ongoing crisis. It is difficult to acquire new customers as due to the nature of this crisis there has been a slowing down within the industry and face to face meetings with new prospects are not possible. For Verifish this will potentially lead to challenges with the continuity of income in the future.
Keeping a team on the same course and maintaining morale is important for Verifish. There are daily meetings held in the morning to ensure that everyone is aware of developments in the business. While it is important to focus on business progression, they also make time to talk about current affairs and what’s happening in the world around us. By having the ability to discuss non work-related things, Frank says it helps to keep the team motivated.
Verifish pride themselves on their customer focused approach. During this time some of their customers are really feeling the effects of the pandemic. Clients that operate in the food service sector are badly affected by the closure of hotels, restaurants, cafes and canteens. One client has seen their business lose 80% of their turnover in a matter of weeks. On the flipside clients servicing the retail sector have seen increases in sales, however, these are often on tighter margins. Independent fresh fish businesses are performing well considering the circumstances. Supermarkets have seen growth in skin packed products and across frozen and tinned fish offerings. Finding new customers for Verifish is difficult right now as many of these potential clients find themselves fighting to keep their respective businesses on track in the short term.
In times as uncertain as these it is important to focus on the positives. Verifish is lucky that some of the projects they are working on have long delivery dates. This means that they can continue to work on them for the next year. One of their key technology products brings the story of the food that customers purchase in retail and food service outlets to consumers on their mobile phones. The company believes that there will be an increased demand for this following the pandemic as people are becoming more involved with learning about supply chains and where the food they are buying is coming from. While this was an emerging trend prior to the pandemic, it will be further driven due to the nature of the pandemic and how it has led to a change in purchasing behaviours.
As previously mentioned, Verifish operates on a customer centric approach. During this time online conferencing facilities have been invaluable in maintaining communication. This has provided a learning opportunity for the business, and they now see that they can provide the same service without the need for as much travel as they previously did. This pandemic has provided Verifish with a unique learning opportunity. They have identified that they can conduct initial meetings with clients to show them the product they offer and then conduct further meetings remotely. This will reduce the amount of travel they previously undertook, enabling the business to become more sustainable. When it comes to working from home, Frank and his employees have learned that they can deliver value to their clients while working remotely. Looking to the future Frank believes that this will open opportunities for flexible working in the future and will allow for more people to be employed by the company to work on a remote basis. While the pandemic has turned the world as we knew it upside down, for Verifish the lessons they are learning now will ensure the success of their business into the future.
For further information about Verifish and their products check out Verifish.
