Kathy Gibson is at Fujitsu ActivateNow – As Covid-19 and resultant lockdowns swept across the world, business leaders had to quickly transform business and work styles in a world of uncertainty.

Mars Petcare recognised early in March that it needed to switch to a work-from-home environment, says CIO Miao Song. But that was just the start of how the business had to change.

“We had some challenges with remote working in the beginning, but after just one week it went smoothly. Our infrastructure and collaboration tools helped people to work seamlessly and continue operations in all the countries we operate in.”

Mars Petcare quickly realised that it also had to change its business models to support customers caught up in lockdowns and unable to get to stores or veterinary clinics.

Using an agile approach, it was able to offer its Royal Canin petfood product directly to consumers in several markets around the world. It also enabled online medicine capabilities to connect pet owners with animal doctors.

“It is important to reimagine consumer behaviours, business models and the future – and act quickly in an agile fashion, driving digital transformation at scale,” Song says.