Flood, fire or flu: continuity in crisis

As the last month has shown, unexpected events can have a serious impact on individuals, organizations and areas. Despite the range of events and disasters over the years many organizations are still underprepared.

Companies that didn’t have plans might be developing one now, in light of the severe flooding in Calgary and the recent flash floods in Toronto, Humber business continuity instructor Cheryl MacNeil said.

“It’s really unfortunate but it’s human nature – we don’t want to hear about it until it happens. It really is too late in the midst of an emergency to start planning. The horse is out of the barn and you’re getting further and further behind,” MacNeil said.

Communicating, training, awareness and testing are all key elements of business continuity program. It could be as simple as asking “What would you do if?”

“A business continuity plan is a key part of risk management. It keeps your employees productive and maintains essential business operations and customer satisfaction during any kind of interruption,” Michael Murphy, vice-president and country manager of Citrix Canada, said. “By planning in advance, businesses can take a comprehensive approach to management and testing to ensure they can handle both expected and unexpected business disruptions.”

According to IDC statistics from 2011 just 44% of large companies had a business continuity plan, with 20% saying at the time that they would launch a plan by the end of 2012. At best that leaves more than a third of large companies vulnerable in case of disaster, but even more small and medium companies are unprepared.

Small companies were much more likely to go bankrupt after a disaster, Royal Roads emergency management instructor Laurie Pearce said.

“People don’t get the importance of taking even basic steps to answer “What if?” They don’t know who to call to help clean up or what resources they can access,” Pearce said. “It’s not even just a big disaster that can do this. It could be theft or a fire or your business could be physically fine but you can’t get to it because roads are blocked off.”

On Page 2: The HR takeaways.

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HR Takeaways

• Communication
  Often the first casualty of an emergency so having the right processes in place are key to recovery and continuation, Pearce said. Make sure you have contact information available offsite, whether through a high tech option such as a flash drive that automatically updates when connected, or a low tech solution such as a hard copy of company contacts.
• Accessible information
  If your employees are used to accessing information offsite, it will be easier for them to remain productive and informed in an emergency. Murphy said mobile works options could be key to the success of a business continuity plan because the ability to work from anywhere, on any type of device meant employees were prepared to continue their roles with minimal impact during a disruption.
• Plan for impact, not event
  “If you can’t get to your business or do your business it’s not about what caused it, it’s about what you can do about it,” MacNeil said. “A lot of the plans you put in place will be applicable in any situation. If you plan for loss of key personnel it could be relevant in a pandemic or when the commuter trains are down. It’s more about the impact than planning for any specific cause.”
• Ask key questions
  Look at all the steps of your operation and identify risks and hazards along your supply chain, production and shipping.
  “It’s really about knowing your business intricately and understanding what you’re dependent on. It’s about knowing your risks and what risks you can accept and what you really need to protect against,” MacNeil said.
• Commitment at all levels
  To develop a plan requires a commitment from the top of the chain – the owner, president or board. Many company leaders were focused  on  running the business day to day and may not feel they have the time and resources. Make sure your employees are also familiar and comfortable with the plan by having a collaborative process where they help in the development stages.
• Know your resources
  If your organization can’t afford to employ someone to help develop a plan, call your local emergency coordinator or provincial government office to discuss the most likely local hazards and what kind of community planning and resources are in place.