SPEAKERS CORNER - insight and commentary
Category Business Continuity Management Articles
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Please find below a range of articles from the Continuity Forum and our partners covering a wide variety of topics.
If you would like to have an article featured on these pages please do contact us directly
John Sharp - are Local Authorities ready to cope?
Following the range of disasters that have struck communities across the UK over recent years it was recognised by the Government that there was a need to build greater resilience into those commercial, public and voluntary organisations that are part of local communities. Unless these organisations are able to quickly return to normal following a disaster then the economic and social life of a community can be seriously affected.
The Civil Contingencies Act (CCA), which came into force on the 15 March 2005, requires local authorities to provide advice and assistance to those undertaking commercial activities and to voluntary organisations in relation to business continuity management (BCM) in the event of emergencies. More...
John Sharp - Coping with the Chaos
2005 will be remembered for the power of nature and its ability to destroy what man has made. The Indian Ocean tsunami, hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the earthquake in Kashmir have provided demonstrations of how fragile communities are when faced by such disasters.
The first call is to save life and to provide food and shelter for those who are made homeless. This responsibility falls to the local and government authorities, working with NGOs and voluntary organisations. In such major disasters as a tsunamis or earthquake, international aid and assistance is also essential. Such disasters however also destroy the economic life of the community and without the ability to work and gain reward these communities will continue to suffer into the future. There is a duty therefore on the authorities to ensure that economic stability is regained as soon as possible. More...
John Sharp - Taking Centre Stage
John Sharp reads between the lines of the new Civil Contingencies Act
November 18 2004 saw the first Act in the UK relating to business continuity management being given Royal Assent and the initial Regulations and Draft Guidance have been published. The various directors now have an opportunity to comment on the guidance before they must stage their own productions in 2005. Time will tell if their delivery is a success. However for these organisations to stage effective business continuity management then the casting of the players and initial work must start now. More ...
John Sharp - Dealing with Disaster
Nature has a way of reminding us that the unexpected will always happen. Earthquakes, forest fires, avalanches, tsunamis, disease and flooding are some of the events that have disastrous outcomes and continue to surprise the world when they occur. How we cope with the effects of such events is determined by the willingness and capabilities of governments, NGOs and individuals.
Whilst unable to predict precisely when and what will occur experience has taught society that preparation and planning at all levels leads to a greater level of resilience for communities. This resilience however is dependent upon the capabilities of the authorities, voluntary organisations and businesses to respond at the time. More ...
Economic Consequences of a Pandemic
At the time of this writing H5N1, known as Avian Flu, is spreading throughout Asia with one of the highest mortality rates of any flu virus of the previous century. Even the Influenza (Spanish Flu) of 1918 did not have as high a morbidity and mortality rate as H5N1 (Avian Flu). We are seeing almost daily some revelation from the World Health Organization (WHO) or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the popular media. In this extensive piece Geary W. Sikich covers in detail many of the considerations we all BCM professionals should be aware of. MORE ...
BCM and SME's - Advice on getting started ...
The terrorist attacks of September 11th should have been a wake call for the business community in Britain and across the world. However, nearly four years on, national surveys show nearly 49% of all UK businesses lack plans to keep the wheels turning if the unthinkable happens. Astonishingly, that number has only improved by 5% since the 9/11 attacks. Where there are plans – mostly among the larger and more regulated businesses – one fifth have never been tested.
Why has business been so slow to get its act together? More ...
BCM and the Supply Chain who do YOU depend on?
Like a heart-attack victim felled by poor circulation, companies who suffer a sudden blockage in their flow of products to consumers face a long road to recovery, says Vinod Singhal, professor of operations management at Georgia Tech College of Management.
“Disruptions in the supply chain devastate corporate performance,” says Singhal, who recently conducted several related studies of supply-chain failure in collaboration with Kevin Hendricks, associate professor of operations management at the University of Western Ontario. Their research shows that disruptions do long-lasting damage to companies’ stock prices and profitability. More ...
In government and business, there continues to be more discussion than doing in the realm of disaster recovery and business continuity. One hears a lot of talk about "10/12" - the next 9/11 - which everyone from the familiar crepe hangers and doomsayers to the most heads-in-the-clouds pollyannas agrees is more or less inevitable.
Yet, 50 percent of respondents to just about every survey taken about disaster preparedness report that they have no DR or BC plan whatsoever. And, of those who say they do have a capability, 30 to 50 percent report that they have never tested their plans - which is tantamount to having no plans at all. MORE...
Risk Scenarios ... how well are we prepared?
Avian flu kills millions, London is evacuated as terrorists strike, climate chaos leaves East Anglia under water... No, not apocalyptic visions, but real possibilities.
This feature investigates the biggest risks facing Britain " and whether we're prepared for the worst Bus and Tube suicide bombings in London; oil at nearly $60 a barrel; Arctic sea ice at a record low; 200 pieces of anti-terrorism legislation on the statute books and more to come; three dead in floods that hit Carlisle in January; a 130mph whirlwind in Birmingham in July; fears that bird flu is creeping towards Western Europe... More ...
Decontamination - impact and ramifications of a CBR Event
The planning for business continuity and disaster recovery post CBR chemical biological radiological is often ignored or even potentially worse, incorrectly assessed. This assessment can be assimilated as that of a hazard assessment when the risk manager doesn’t know of combined or symbiotic effects. Post CBR planning may be difficult to assess due to limited knowledge, experience or facts but various information is available on which to assert assumptions. More...
7/7 - Mobiles and Communications Explaination and Advice
Following the explosions on the morning of 7th July hundreds of thousands of people used their mobile phones to contact their families and work colleagues. The networks were not damaged by the attacks, but many have complained about eh communications failure on the day. David Sutton explains what exactly happened and why More ...
Changing landscape for Risk Management
Companies today face a rapidly shifting landscape when it comes to risk. The threat of a terrorist attack on an important location, ever more burdensome regulation and the trend towards moving operations to lower cost areas of the world are all shaping the risks that companies face. More ...
When the tide is high ... Water and Flood damage management
Water damage is often believed to be a static effect of primary damage where the visual effects of contact and adsorption are a measure of damage. The reality is that water damage is dynamic, continuingly expanding it’s effects and is capable of developing far reaching secondary damage in minutes or days after the initial effects. More ...
BCM in Adverse Weather ... a consideration of some of the effects
The recent meteorological office alert that Britain may face the coldest winter in 40 years should alert business planners to the possible ramifications. The first concern should be the tandem warning from the electricity supply industry that, following the Met Office warning recognised the potential additional loading on the National Grid. More ...
The little company that could ... Katrina Crisis Management
Melvin Wilson, 46, a marketing manager for Mississippi Power, was reviewing next year's advertising campaign when Hurricane Katrina turned toward Mississippi.
A day later, the marketing man was "director of storm logistics," responsible for feeding and housing 11,000 repairmen from 24 states and Canada. (Photo gallery: Power struggle in Mississippi)
He needed nurses, beds, meals, tetanus shots, laundry service, showers, toilets and much more — and he needed them now. And he needed double the quantities called for in the company's "worst-case scenario." And he needed them in places that had no electricity, no plumbing, no phones, few road signs and sporadic looting. MORE...
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In a lighter vein Peter Power of Visor Consultants provides us with another perspective though his series of Tall Stories that provide a more humorous take on issues in the difficult world of Business Continuity. MORE...
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We welcome contributions and suggestions for articles. If would like yours to reach a much bigger audience please do contact us directly via the link below.
Creating Continuity ... Building Resilience ...
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