Business Resiliency - what's your plan?

If there is one thing that Covid-19 has demonstrated it is that our connected world is increasingly susceptible to the rapid spread of illness and that organisations lacking a decisive and timely plan will struggle to effectively manage the negative impacts from the pandemic. While Covid-19 as a generic event does not make it into the top 5 most concerning threats that lead to business disruptions it’s effects and outcomes are evident in the top 11 as the virus impacts availability of staff, supply chain disruption and health and safety incidents (FMLink.com)

• Cyber Attacks

• Data Breach

• Unplanned IT & Telecom outages

• Acts of Terrorism

• Security Incident

• Interruption to Utility Supply

• Supply Chain Disruption

• Adverse Weather

• Availability of Talent/Key skills

• Health and Safety Incident

• Fire

The pandemic is already being exploited through phishing attacks seeking to leverage people’s concerns and vulnerability, which in turn has the potential to realise the top 2 threats of Cyber Attacks and Data Breach in the list above.

A repeating theme from the GFC, floods, recent bushfires, and now the Coronavirus pandemic, is that organisations which plan and invest in their business resiliency are better equipped to ride out significant events and return to normal operation as quickly as possible. Leaders and Executives need to ensure the various constituents of their Business Continuity Plan include items such as:

• Employee safety policies and procedures

• Emergency Response Plan

• Communications Plan

• Disaster Recovery Plan

• Alternate Site Procedures (including work from home/telecommuting)

• Risk Management Plan

And essential to the effectiveness of these plans is the repeated and ongoing review, testing, and renewal of these plans and staff training in this area.

Please contact me directly on 0409285045 or owenflynn@zenitil.com.au If you would like to speak further on how to bolster your business resilience or for assistance in major incident management for your organisation.