OPINION: Has the Pandemic Improved Workplace Efficiency?

Henry: There is no doubt that COVID-19 has been detrimental to everyone. With more than 60,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, people have been extremely apprehensive about the virus; however, the pandemic has unknowingly brought forth technological advancements and conveniences that should have been implemented in the first place. 

For me, one of the most significant conveniences that was introduced as a result of the pandemic was online DMV services. In the pre-COVID world, I had to wait in line for hours at the DMV to do things as simple as renewing my car registration. Inside the DMV was even worse: I’d have to wait for the slow-moving government workers to look over my documents and process them. No big deal, it just took 5 hours.

The pandemic forced the DMV to move many things online, such as registration, license renewal, and license plate requests. For services that must be completed in person, such as written tests, the pandemic also forced the DMV to introduce a more intuitive appointment feature. All of these features made doing mundane DMV paperwork a lot quicker and more efficient.

What other technological advancements had the pandemic unknowingly presented? Feel free to comment below.