The Excellence Group’s attention and focus has been on the creation, understanding and implementation of a new normal.
With a global pandemic, a nationwide lockdown and the constant uncertainty of the future, it is difficult to stay positive and focused. And yet, weirdly enough, it seems as if we learnt so much in our home offices over those weeks. We learnt to celebrate the ‘small’ successes, we learnt to operate our business digitally but most importantly, we learnt to appreciate each other more than ever, which in turn made our TEG team one tight-knit unit… and this unit has come back stronger than ever!
The Excellence Group comprises luxury-kitchen designers Valcucine, Italian kitchen designers and importers Eurocasa, local joinery (Cape Town) company Spotlight Joinery, engineered surfacing experts Infin8 Surfacing, and wood craftsmen Craft Furniture. If anything, our focus has sharpened under the economic pressure that comes with enduring the ravages of a pandemic like the coronavirus. The battle (and consequences) with COVID-19 is far from over, but The Excellence Group is resilient and we are forging ahead – stronger and better. Work is coming in and things are looking up, but that is because we take our processes, client experience, financial stability, product quality and being an employer of choice so seriously.
The success of our group depends on the commitment of all five companies to delivering home design solutions par excellence. The belief in our products, businesses and people is what kept us going during lockdown. And we were motivated by the fact that we knew we had excellent companies to return to.
The people we work with and who work for us have kept us alive, so to speak, together with constantly finding new and innovative ways to get through lockdown, to improve the business and to cope with how things had ‘changed’ when we returned to work.
And so, our journey continues and we will keep providing bespoke solutions to luxury-living requirements for our clients. There is only one reason for this and that is the ongoing commitment to our Five Pillars of Excellence.
Design Process
Our process is more important than ever, not only from an operational perspective but also from the safety aspect as far as managing COVID-19 regulations is concerned. Innovation has played an essential role in adapting our ‘original’ process to move into our ‘new normal’ effectively.
Client Experience
We’ve entered a new dimension with the introduction of a more intensive digital client experience. We are accustomed to the power of the immersive experience, but today we have to rely even more on sight rather than touch and smell. When we do host on-site or in-office meetings, the health and safety of our clients is paramount and we take all prescribed precautions to adhere to the required protocols.
Financial Stability
The global pandemic continues to pose extreme challenges for everybody. The construction industry has taken a hard hit and, with no manufacturing possible, there has been no income. However, The Excellence Group is positive that our advantage in being able to share resources and knowledge will stand us in good stead as we continue to customise beautiful, functional and enduring interiors for our clients.
Product Quality
COVID-19 has not directly affected product quality although manufacturing may take slightly longer due to hygiene regulations such as social distancing, sanitisation requirements, and so on. As a core Group focus, we refuse to let quality slip.
Employer of Choice
We have maintained an open and transparent line of communication with employees during lockdown, keeping relationships alive (digitally) and channelling inspiration and creativity. Staying busy and motivated has been key to ensuring that the business survives COVID-19 with firm foundations still intact. Part of this was organising a safe work space in which to welcome back our staff.
