NEWS
Multinational NI Supports Economic Reactivation of Costa Rican Local Suppliers
• National Instrument’s COVID-19 crisis response plan includes help to ventures, keeping supply contracts, and free access to training programs and education licenses, among other measures.
San José, May 25, 2020. National Instruments Corporation (NI) has deployed a series of actions as part of its COVID-19 pandemic response strategy aimed at supporting the economic reactivation of the network of local providers in Lagunilla, Heredia, where the company has been operating in Costa Rica for nine years.
As part of the adopted protection plan, the company will focus resources on protecting and ensuring the sustainability of the supply chains developed, such as small food business, cleaning, and security services, as well as other providers.
“Companies do not operate isolated; we are part of a living and integrated company. We know that many ventures depend on us and we consider it essential to contribute to the economic reactivation efforts”, Carlos Ríos, General Manager at NI Costa Rica.
Some of these cases include small cafeterias or family businesses that provide the foodservice that employees receive as part of the benefits of working at NI. By sending all staff to work from home since early March, these suppliers saw their sales decline by up to 80%. Thus, the company is paying 100% of what they were billing monthly before the emergency.
The company will support these ventures for three months. The transfer corresponding to March and April was made in the first week of May.
"We hope that between June and July the sanitary measures and the situation in the country will allow gradual return from lockdown. At that time, we will reassess the context, both internally in our organization and externally in the country, to proceed with a new update, "added Ríos.
Plan in progress
NI develops an action plan based on three strategic axes: people, the country, and the community.
Collaborators
● 100% of employees are working from home - even before the official request was made - and there have been no contract suspensions or layoffs.
● Wellness program: it was extended beyond the collaborators, including weekly dynamics and activities that allow the quality of life-balance for the collaborators and their families.
● Follow-up and attention to all staff to ensure everyone is well and attended.
Community and vendors
● To minimize the impact on supply chains, purchasing plans have been analyzed so the company can maintain the commercial relationship and, in the process, motivate the collaborators. For example, coffee purchases for consumption at the company's facilities during March and April were delivered by courier service to each of the employees, so that they could continue enjoying it, but now from home.
● Small food stores that sold food to NI collaborators receive a monthly compensation that allows them to guarantee the income of those food dishes that they will not sell while the employees are working remotely.
● Security and cleaning contracts are kept regularly, and transportation and food are provided to people who provide these services to keep them safe during the crisis.
● Donations of around US$ 25,000 have been made for COVID-19 detection kits and humanitarian aid to eleven non-governmental organizations that serve populations at risk or vulnerability.
Support for the country's education and development
● The company opened its training plans and some certifications free of charge to promote the development of technological solutions that help to attend to the emergency from various fields.
● Access to simulation programs and licenses has been opened so that students can continue their learning processes while the university laboratories are closed.
