Since the Covid-19 outbreak at the beginning of the year, our lives and the world have seen change like never before. Work-from-home means dining tables becoming work stations while in-room meeting sessions are replaced with video calls. Most businesses have adjusted their sales tactics to build good rapport with customers.
Being responsive to the unexpected circumstances and rapid changes is compulsory in the current business climate. At 3M, we are committed to our mission to deliver PPE for medical professionals as public health is our priority regardless of difficulties encountered.
In the past two-three months, 3M has learned to handle change with fast moves and turn crises into opportunities to implement better management and business conduct.
No sole solution
The inadequate allocation of N95 among global corporations has become severe as ongoing demand continues to rise and impact industries. In response, 3M has increased production capacity to meet the demand in the medical arena as well as working in collaboration with the government and state agencies to establish priorities and screening targets, and distribute products to groups in need.
In addition, 3M sets out partnerships with many other organisations to innovate solutions to protect frontline medical professionals from contamination. Deriving from our “thinking outside the box” principles, N95 for industrial use, usually for preventing small dust particles, are selected to replace medical N95 certified by WHO.
This has proven there is always another solution to a problem. 3M has joined forces with other partners and works closely with public sectors in Thailand to screen the best face masks from all product categories to substitute for medical ones. The screening process involves expert advice from the Medical Device Solutions Department and Personal Safety Department at 3M in collaboration with the Public Health Organisations and Professionals to deliver the best solutions for medical use.
High demand must be met
As 3M has been working closely with physicians, nurses, and public health professionals for many months, 3M learned that actual demand was out of synch with supplies during the pandemic. The medical professionals therefore decided to extend the use of limited resources while protecting themselves with precautions as they go about their medical duties. 3M and other manufacturers have expended much effort to increase production capacity and continuity under the pressure of resource constraints to deliver N95 face masks to their hands and assure them confidence in safety.
Amid risks and unclear issues, 3M has launched campaigns to spread knowledge and answer questions regarding working in Covid-19 jeopardising surroundings as well as providing guidelines for safe equipment sterilisation and N95 cleansing. An online platform is also provided to reply to questions from medical professionals and give advice on types of face mask suitable for their mission.
Even Thailand has the least Covid-19 infection cases in Asia, PPE and N95 facemasks are in constant demand. 3M is committed to handling and managing the impacts of Covid-19 on all fronts and continues to collaborate with other sectors to meet the needs of all.