Find out below the steps to creating a system of prevention and recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
🔃 Updated on March 18th —
But first of all, here are the questions you should ask yourself:
- Does your current Business Continuity Plan address a pandemic event?
- How would your business operate on a significantly reduced staff of up to 40 percent?
- How would you deal with supply chain interruptions and significant delays?
- What about insurance coverage? Have you reviewed your policies, do you know what is covered and what is not?
- What about communication, IT/network capabilities?
- How will you protect your staff and minimize the impact on your operation?
- Have you considered vendors or services that may be able to restore certain functions or provide equipment to allow a business to continue?
- Who should lead your pandemic plan?
Formal steps in setting up a BCP
It is likely that you will not have time to go through a formal BCP setup (phases are just listed for a quick check).
PHASE I: Program Initiation
- Plan the scope and assumptions for your plan
- Identify a program leader
- Outline and define the plan, consider the questions above when developing your plan
PHASE II: Program Analysis
- Create a pandemic business impact analysis
- Assess your business risks
- Identify mitigation steps or processes
PHASE III: Strategy Development
- Develop your operational strategy
- Develop vendor and supply chain strategy
- Develop an IT and communications strategy
- Develop your pandemic policies
PHASE IV: Plan Development
- Develop an alert procedure
- Develop a pandemic incident response plan
- Integration into the existing business continuity plan
PHASE V: Implementation
- Workforce orientation and communication
- Personnel training
- Resource and vendor acquisition
- Monitoring activation
If no formal BPC: Focus on Risk identification and mitigation
Identify key risk sand list mitigation actions.
People and organization
Risk
→ Create a “map” of the entire organization that shows:
- key responsibilities/key skills
- dependencies between business functions
- for each function, a list of key roles and individuals holding (or capable of holding) those roles should be developed and for each function, the degree of actual and potential ‘operational autonomy’ should be evaluated.
The goal of such a map would be to identify potential “key people” risks in the current organization and to highlight where mitigating actions, such as staff transfers and increased decision-making delegation would be beneficial.
Mitigation
- Identify a shadow for each key people
- List required actions in order to activate shadow (decision-making delegation, systems access (internal, and external -bank, …-)
Process
Risk
→ a map of all major ‘end-to-end processes’ including :
- key operations performed in each process
- potential bottlenecks
- internal and external dependencies.
Mitigation
- Improve process documentation
- Make sure that shadow knows about the processes and dependencies
Systems
Risk
→ “map” of all major systems including :
- key technical attributes
- dependencies on human intervention,
Do not forget external systems: Bank, Payroll management, Accounting, …
The goal of such a map would be to identify potential “key systems” risks, such as where a large degree of human intervention is needed to access information to operate the business and to highlight where mitigating actions can be performed.
Mitigation
- Provide backup access to all systems (use a central password management solution -lastpass, dashlane, …)
- Provide backup access for physical access to IT facilities, and other facilities (badge readers)
- Remote access / VPN access for all related staff
- Shadow for each key role (including physical and digital access)
Telecommunications
Risk
- Any private telecommunications network supporting the organization?
- Risk on un-availability of wired telecom network
Mitigation
- Duplicate VPN access/process in order to activate backup staff access to all key systems
- Provision 4G keys/modems in case of landline internet disruption
- Provision dual 4G lines for key staff
Supply chain and outsourcing risks
Risk
→ List all outsourcing and supply chain dependencies across the organization that should be evaluated from an operational risk perspective:
- contractual agreements;
- check their Business Continuity Plan
- vulnerability of the supplier/outsourcer to disruption;
- vulnerability of the firm to non-performance by the supplier/outsourcer.
The goal of such an analysis would be to identify potential “key external” risks in current arrangements and to highlight where mitigation actions, such as the reduction in dependencies, would be beneficial.
Mitigation
- Make sure that you have backup contacts for key roles
Plan
Team members
List of the personnel responsible for managing the responses during all phases of the pandemic.
Critical business functions
What you want to focus on.
Communication strategy
Key stakeholders that will need to receive information:
- Team leaders and alternative team leaders
- Key suppliers
- Key customers
Templates
Risk Assessment Matrix
- Identify Risk
- Per risk identify Risk Severity and Risk Likelihood)
- Risk Rating Calculation and requirement for action will be automatically filled out
- List Mitigations / Warnings / Remedies
Classification:
Review of your BCP
Tips for reviewing your Business Continuity Plan to help you to prepare your team and your business to minimize any disruption from the Coronavirus.
Computers for home working
- Ensure that staff has laptops of computers at home, with an appropriate Antivirus
- Ensure VPN access for remote server access/access backup to the VPN access point
- Ensure that your staff has agreed in advance to your BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy if they will be using their own computer as it would be accessing business data.
Laptops
- Staff should take their laptops home each evening
- Laptops should have the appropriate levels of encryption and device management enabled
- Files that are confidential are not stored locally on the computer; move files to the server, or your cloud-based file-sharing system.
Internet Connection
- Provide 4G cards/modems in case of landline internet disruption for key staff
- Check that 4G data subscription are high enough for key staff
- Provide dual lines for key staff
Appoint an Incident Manager
- Consider appointing a dedicated incident manager that will take the lead on coordinating staff and resources in the event you need to invoke alternative working arrangements or update a business process in an emergency
- This person should be the single point of contact for staff queries and any risk assessments which need to be carried out, in conjunction with the relevant department.
Update your staff records
- Make sure HR records are up-to-date
- Share home address, phone number and mobile numbers for all staff and emergency contact details for next of kin
- Ensure this information is accessible to the Incident Manager and key personnel.
Telephones
- Telephone cascade set up in case you need to update staff outside of working hours
- Permission from staff to share personal and home numbers across the team for use in the event of home-working arrangement
- Considering softphones (usually an app available from your VoIP provider) on laptops
- If you have a VoIP system, you may want to consider diverting numbers to key staff mobiles
- In case of IVR, make sure that there is a default route to cell phones.
Dealing with suppliers
- If your business is reliant on key suppliers, ask them what they are doing about their own business continuity plans
- Make sure they can continue to meet your requirements and if not; otherwise, what alternative arrangements cn you make with them?
- Ask about emergency contact numbers for the key people you deal with
- Do deliveries need to be diverted to alternative locations?
- Anticipate stock-level (increasing or decreasing)
Informing your customers
If you can and it’s appropriate to do so, let your customers know what arrangements you are making for Business Continuity.
Keeping customers informed about any potential impacts and how you’ll deal with them will give them confidence about your preparations and the ability to minimize disruption.
If you can and it’s appropriate to do so, let your customers know what arrangements you are making for Business Continuity.
Keeping customers informed about any potential impacts and how you’ll deal with them will give them confidence about your preparations and the ability to minimize disruption.
Communicating with your teams while working remotely
- Make sure you have more than one e-meeting solution setup (at least one backup) with a voice channel included (expect internet disruption)
- If you’re already using services like Slack or Teams for instant messaging, create channels for the Business Continuity team, or updates.
Written by Pascal Petit
Please feel free to share of all your questions, opinions, and information in the comment section below ;)
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