Data Systems International Boosts Employee Wellness During COVID
Data Systems International (DSI®), a supply chain management software developer based in Kansas City, Missouri, has been rapidly adapting to the needs of its employees during the coronavirus pandemic. Since many of the employees and their families live in or around Kansas City, DSI has been expanding their Health & Wellness Program to have a positive impact on those employees stuck at home resulting in an overall positive impact on their communities as well.
DSI’s has become a high priority over the past several years. It has been about more than getting people in shape and getting them to the gym to workout. The heart of the program revolves around creating a culture that encourages people to be the best they can be — physically, mentally, and emotionally. When Mark Goode was named the new CEO in 2018, he immediately got to work on the Health & Wellness Program. Building a culture of wellness has laid the foundation for challenges arising such as the current pandemic. As a result, the DSI team has been pulling through in strong fashion in all facets of their lives, both professionally and personally as well as financially.
“This program, in conjunction with the medical and financial benefits we’ve established, we’re all well designed to help employees through a crisis like the current one at hand. We’ve taken these benefits a step further, expanding our offerings to include additional services, like direct personal support from DSI’s Health & Wellness Manager, Nick Markowski, that are specifically tailored to getting people through this pandemic,” Goode explained.
Nick Markowski, who joined DSI in September 2018, has created a process to personally reach out to each of DSI’s employees around the globe, and discusses with them how they are doing and any special challenges they may be facing as they work from home. The topics he discusses with them range from physical health, to diet, to how people are coping while working from home, and then directs them to other services DSI has available to its employees that they may not know about or may not have used yet. For example, someone suffering from overwhelming stress or anxiety as a direct result of COVID-19 would have the opportunity to be connected with a counselor free of charge through DSI’s Employee Assistance Program. Through that same program, DSI’s employees have access to inpatient therapy as well as treatment options as recommended.
While Markowski has constantly been acknowledging the impact of the pandemic, he has also encouraged people to look for the positives in the situation. “This pandemic has disrupted our daily lives,” Markowski said. “While it’s been challenging, it’s also given me the opportunity to learn even more about the DSI team. Simply allowing my colleagues to talk about their concerns and emotions really helps. It’s also important to remind people that the crisis will end — and that in the meantime, they can turn the challenges they are facing into new and incredible opportunities.”
On top of the support he provides, Markowski also performs live virtual workout sessions with employees, including cycling classes, daily stretches, and travel bag gym sessions. He has arranged to rent stationary cycles and personally deliver them to employees’ homes in and around Kansas City while employees are unable to enjoy in-person spin classes. He has also recorded numerous workout sessions and put them online for DSI employees who cannot virtually attend one of his live sessions.
Due to a background in training and an educational background in Corporate Wellness, Nick Markowski has been able to truly help DSI’s Executive Management team drive a performance culture at DSI, which includes a healthy body and a healthy mind for every employee.
“While it’s important for our employees to care about DSI, it’s even more important they care about themselves. We’ve invested a lot of time, effort, and money into this program over the years. Fortunately, it has paid huge dividends in helping our employees cope with the current challenges of working from home and the stress of dealing with this pandemic and its ramifications,” Goode explained about the program.
DSI adjusted its business plans swiftly and appropriately to reflect an increasingly difficult economy as COVID-19 first began to spread around the world. Since the company had the infrastructure in place to work from home, employees experienced an easy transition to DSI’s work from home policy, which was implemented in mid-March. Over these past months, DSI has continued to perform generously from a financial standpoint — retaining current customers, developing and supporting products, and expanding DSI’s services to new clients like DocuSign.
“We aren’t just surviving this pandemic — we’re thriving. We have never been more purpose driven. Our employees are excited about the work we’re doing on a daily basis, and we truly have a great future ahead. It’s a great time to be part of Team DSI,” Goode was happy to report.
About DSI
DSI’s Cloud Inventory® and mobile-first applications empower organizations with real-time inventory visibility at all points in the supply chain, from the warehouse to the field. Based in Kansas City, their global team has the supply chain knowledge and mobile-first development expertise to deliver solutions that solve today’s business challenges. Visit www.dsiglobal.com to learn more.
Originally published at https://patch.com on June 23, 2020.
