In the event of a crisis, will it be business as usual?

Do you have a business continuity plan in place in the event of a crisis?

Businesses must always be prepared, should the worst happen.

Some businesses are already feeling the heat.

But the current situation has made it all too clear that having a business continuity plan is imperative.  Businesses must be able to implement measures in the event of government issued advice due to an escalating situation, a cyber-attack taking place or a weather-related incident.

So, what do you need to do?

Identify the risks

External factors affect the workforce and the business’ ability to operate normally.  Look at the potential risks and how likely they are to impact the everyday activities that take place.

Understand and define the purpose of the plan

Depending on the nature of the business and the number of sites it has, more than one plan may be necessary. Define what the purpose of the plan is so everyone understands what the objectives are, and why the plan needs to be implemented.

Include the necessary temporary measures

Each risk should be accompanied with a set of measures or solutions that ensure the business is still able to operate as normal.  Employees having access to the technology they need to have in order to be able to work remotely and securely is an example of one of those measure that should be included.

Identify the main priorities

The main priorities are usually technology related and rightly so.  Once phone lines, network systems, servers and applications are affected, the business operations are severely impacted.  Have the capability to always be able to operate the business from anywhere, eliminating the risk should the office itself be unavailable.  For example, log me in is an invaluable solution that allows employees to be able to access and manage computers remotely.

Allocate responsibilities

Appoint a person or persons to be in charge of the implementation, should it be necessary.  If you’re within a larger organisation, more than one person could have responsibility.  You may already have someone who is responsible for sourcing IT systems, IT equipment and telecoms services and this may be the best person to be in charge of that plan.

When a crisis hits, ensure you’re able to react to the situation in the best way possible.

Adopt the capability to minimise the identified risks.

Have the ability to implement the plan at a moment’s notice.

At the end of the day, customers must still be able to use your services and have access to your company and employees must still be able to do their job.

The company also needs to protect its reputation and come out of the crisis intact.

Need assistance?

We’re here to help you have a solid plan in place and have the right technology to implement the correct measures.