In just one short week everything has changed.
There have been a few defining events in modern history, like 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, that have shaped people and businesses. They have made us ask questions like how do we come together in a time of crisis? How do businesses support their employees and communities while also driving their business forward?
We are in the midst of perhaps the defining moment of our times with the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) that has affected just about everything and everyone.
In order to help flatten the curve and reduce the spread of the virus we have seen, in just a matter of days: schools have closed, sports leagues have been suspended, businesses of every shape and size have been forced to close their doors, policies like social distancing and shelter in place orders have been implemented across the country.
We are all learning to adjust and adapt to this new world and help one another however we can.
At Quickbase we have been in awe of how our customers have used our platform beyond our wildest imaginations.
Businesses are quickly seeking new ways to adapt and work through disruption. They need fast and creative solutions to help businesses keep critical services up and running, and to keep the channels of communication open. That’s where we want to support any customer who needs help.
In just these last few days we have already seen businesses, state and local governments, and individuals step up and rise to the challenge to serve their communities.
Here are some examples of how customers are using Quickbase to quickly create solutions. We hope these examples will help guide other businesses or organizations in navigating this new reality.
Tracking Cases
Coronavirus cases have been identified in all 50 states, with the number of cases increasing daily. In Louisiana, as of March 19, there have been 347 confirmed cases. Orleans Parish, which houses New Orleans, currently leads the state with 231 cases.
Since the start of the spread of the virus, Orleans Parish Communication District (New Orleans 9-1-1/3-1-1), has seen a massive spike in residents seeking resources as well as the need for tracking cases that required new, digital processes.
The team developed a series of applications to manage the city’s changing needs, including a self-quarantine registry, citizen request form for critical resources and additional reporting applications.
“With many of our city’s residents being impacted by the spread of COVID-19, we needed to be able to quickly respond to a high volume of requests and meet the needs of our most vulnerable populations,” said Tyrell T. Morris, MBA, CPE, Executive Director of the Orleans Parish Communication District (New Orleans 9-1-1/3-1-1). “We were able to quickly create a series of applications using Quickbase to manage our changing needs, and to date, we’ve been able to help thousands of citizens, visitors and business owners with their concerns.”
Connecting Residents with Medical Professionals
As the number of cases started to spike in the United States, people unsure about their symptoms were instructed to call their health care provider to find out if they qualified for a coronavirus test.
But for those without a healthcare provider, many concerned people began reaching out to local government health departments. One local government reached out to a non-profit physician group with an urgent request to create a hotline for people inquiring about symptoms.
The non-profit group immediately thought of Quickbase. Builders quickly created an application, that tied directly to the CDC, with form templates so that as residents called in, they could go through an initial assessment about any symptoms. The application also stored all notes and data for easy access.
Once initial assessments were completed and logged into Quickbase, callers were then referred to internal physicians, the city’s new mobile testing centers or the emergency room.
Communicating with Clients
A global association management company that advises a variety of companies found that an immediate impact to their business, and clients, was around events.
In the last few weeks, as federal officials have recommended no gatherings of more than 50 people in the next two months, major events from across the world, like Austin’s South by Southwest, global conferences hosted by major companies like Google and Facebook, and sporting events and concerts have been cancelled.
This company turned to Quickbase to help respond to various clients about the impact of event cancellations.
Helping Students
Building applications that have an impact aren’t isolated to just our amazing customers.
One Quickbase employee was watching the news and noticed that with school closures across the country there was a need to get meals to children who rely on school for breakfast and lunch.
He used Quickbase built an application to help school faculty manage the data of children who rely on schools for breakfast and lunch while schools are closed and then potentially manage deliveries to children’s residence.
