Crisis Planning and Business Continuity
March 18th, 2020 by admin
The coronavirus situation reminds businesses everywhere that employees, financial operations, supply chains, and customer relations can all be affected. That's why every business needs a plan to meet disruption with clarity, confidence, and relative calm.
At ICX, we have resiliency protocols as well as tools and support to assist your business. We're here to help. Use this week's blog to assess your crisis response strategy and let us know how we can help fill in any gaps you may find.
A good plan requires an assessment of the following:
- What–systems and processes will be affected?
- Who–must be notified?
- When–do specific actions need to be taken, in order of priority?
- Where–will your business operate?
- How–will circumstances change the way employees do their work?
Communication
To make your plan effective, you'll need clear and thorough communication with employees, vendors, and customers.
- Name specific roles and actions for your emergency chain of command.
- Assign a team to handle the immediate response and employee safety.
- Extend communication to include customers, vendors, banking institutions, and public agencies.
- Run training and Q&A sessions. Incentivize participation.
- Practice your plan in a tabletop simulation.
- Regularly update emergency and contact information and make sure it's accessible to everyone through the cloud/shared online server.
Post-Disruption
- Even after the business has returned to relative normalcy, you need to stay diligent.
- Touch base with banking services and payroll to ensure order.
- Stay alert. Cybercriminals and fraudsters may attempt to take advantage of sensitive times.
- Be empathetic to emotional needs. In some cases, employees may need access to support resources.
No matter the disruption, remember, you're not in this alone. ICX is committed to you and your business. Reach out to our team at support@icxmsp.com if you need assistance.