COVID-19 & AEP Activity

Signa, 18 april 2020 - As a general statement AEP Ticketing Solutions (AEP) has always continued its business activities and is planning to do so. Our activities are listed among those allowed by the Italian government as we contribute to essential public services (public transport).
We do continue giving support to our Customers in Italy and abroad and also to develop running project  in order to allow our  Customers to be ready when this situation will come to an end.
Well in advance with respect to institutional advices we at AEP have put in place an internal “Covid19 committee” in which managers and representatives of workers have been involved; this committee is now meeting virtually twice a week to monitor the situation and plan needed activities.
Well before the end of February AEP started a strong push toward remote working for all its employees,  only employees which are obliged to use company physical resources  (as specific test beds etc.) are present in the office and we take care of rotating them according to their functions in order to keep separation among people. No external people are allowed to enter the company since end of February; personnel allowed to be at the company seats are using personal healthcare protecting tools (masks and gloves) and thermometers are used to scan body temperature of people blocking everyone showing a temperature of more than 37,5°C. Since mid-March more than 85% of people works from home using remote protected connections to the company servers.
We have intensified company cleaning activities with daily sanitization and random ozone disinfection during week-ends.
We have been able, and we plan to continue to do so, to supply our Customers with same level services and hardware deliveries through our supply chain which is working without prejudice.
Some of our services have been reduces as a consequence of Covid 19: sales, finance and administration are running around 50% of their normal level as the business development with Customers and suppliers is reduced. Anyhow our sales people are fully contactable on their mobiles or via mail and they take care quickly of Customers’ requirements.
AEP current plan is to continue working  in this way for the whole month of April, probably until mid-May or even longer depending on the development of the current Covid 19 situation. For the time being we do not foresee any need for lowering business activities levels.
Our turnover is currently lower than expected but sustainable with the planned arrangements, given the difficulties from Customers for payments we are increasing our credit lines in order to continue business as usual: AEP’s financial standing and rating are such that we face no problems to do so waiting for the official funding measures for the companies which are to be put in place by the governments.

AEP  is also carrying on as usual its activities towards Customers demanding for proposals and/or offers; our specialists are working from remote using tools like MS TEAMS in order to meet and work together. AEP capability to support Customers for RFPs or tender processes or normal business activities is unchanged, the only limitation as today is the inability to travel for making face to face meetings. Difficult to predict when travel limitation will be released in order to be able to visit Customers in Italy or abroad; we tend to believe this will be possible during the month of May.