Can your business recover from a Pandemic?

If the recent COVID-19 global outbreak has your organisation wondering if your business continuity plans are enough to sustain your business, you’re not alone – we’ve been answering the same question for our own operations and for a range of medium and large enterprises. As employee absences increase, there’s much more to think about than just the temporary unavailability of your people as the wider societal consequences affected so many areas on which businesses rely. Some key questions to consider:

Have you identified and implemented a management structure and deputies who will lead your pandemic plan and response?

Has your organisation set clear communication protocols on how urgent messages would be issued to the entire workforce?

Do your arrangements cater for concurrent risks such as a cyber incident, loss of building or supplier failure during the pandemic?

Have you thought about how demand for your products or services might change due to a local, regional, or wide-spread outbreak?

Can your critical business functions be maintained with 25% absenteeism for up to 8 weeks — or longer?

Have your arrangements and worst case planning assumptions been stress tested, validated and trained with your personnel?

Key tips:

Embed your existing horizon scanning Crisis Management arrangements now and prepare to sustain these for weeks-months

Implement precautions now following Government advice and empower staff with accurate information

Revisit your Business Continuity & Crisis arrangements and stress test against specific Government and internal planning assumptions

Ensure reporting arrangements for absence and business impact are established and accessible remotely

Validate response arrangements through Exercise(s) and awareness sessions

Measures we are taking include:

  • Identifying a process for managing a case presenting in the work place.
  • Implemented Staff, Supplier & Customer facing updates regarding our planning
  • Reinforced workplace hygiene and augmented with specific resources for suspected case(s)
  • Reviewed resourcing for commitments and overmatching to maintain resilience and meeting commitments
  • Completed short to Medium term cash flow planning based upon potential for project deliverables and deadlines to move
  • Dedicate a specific location for suspected case(s) to self isolate with initial medical pack and resources available
  • Up-skilling team members on specific continuity scenarios and cross training on specific areas of specialism
  • Diversified projects and sales activity across additional sectors which are less impacted by events currently/less time critical