Landing On Your Feet: Being Prepared in the 21st Century

Current and Emerging Trends in Business Continuity Since 2000, our world has seen dramatic changes that have caused an evolution in business continuity thinking. It used to be that recovery-minded organizations focused on preventing and avoiding disasters. Today, it seems inevitable that nearly everyone will be faced with unexpected “bumps” in the terrain from time… Continue reading Landing On Your Feet: Being Prepared in the 21st Century

Business Interruption Insurance

Coverage Could be the Difference Between ‘Staying in Business’ and ‘Out of Business’ A fire rages through a restaurant, destroying the structure and leaving employees with no work and the business owner with no income. A property insurance policy will cover the rebuilding of the structure, but will the business survive to occupy the new… Continue reading Business Interruption Insurance

Partnerships Help Ease Tough Times

Insurance companies spend an increasing amount of time helping companies reduce potential business interruption. The reason: it’s a win-win strategy for all parties involved. At least 50 percent of the money commercial insurance companies take in from business interruption claims is actually paid back out to clients. The faster you mitigate a loss, the faster… Continue reading Partnerships Help Ease Tough Times

Insurance Coverage Alone Does Not Guarantee Complete Protection

In early July of 2001, George Richter, president of leading U.S. meat producer, Farmland Foods Inc., was in the midst of leading his company in the expansion and renovation of its 650,000 square-foot processing facility in Albert Lea, Minn. Company progress at the time was very strong and the upgrade of the massive plant was… Continue reading Insurance Coverage Alone Does Not Guarantee Complete Protection

The Crisis Facing American Business: Businesses Technology Shortcomings Leave Companies Vulnerable

The results of a recently-conducted Harris Poll show there is a significant difference between perception and reality regarding the disaster preparation of the nation’s largest companies. While C-suite executives at Fortune 1000 companies tout their ability to access critical information when faced with power outages, hackers, viruses, and natural disasters, study results show they are… Continue reading The Crisis Facing American Business: Businesses Technology Shortcomings Leave Companies Vulnerable

Terrific Table-Top Tips: For a Crisis Management Exercise

Do the words “exercise” or “test” frighten you? If you are new to the industry and/or do not have much experience in this area, then fright would be a natural emotion. However, practice makes perfect. This information should serve as a helpful tool for the novice, as well as the experienced, in conducting a crisis… Continue reading Terrific Table-Top Tips: For a Crisis Management Exercise

Hurricane-Ravaged Businesses Maintain Critical Communications

A natural disaster is just that – a disaster. But one redeeming factor about hurricanes is that unlike an earthquake or fire, there is advance notice of the impending onslaught. Although meteorologists cannot pinpoint exactly where or just how powerful a hurricane may be, residents and businesses are at least aware of the potential for… Continue reading Hurricane-Ravaged Businesses Maintain Critical Communications

The Time Has Come For DRP Metrics

I’ve been in the disaster recovery planning (DRP) arena for more than 25 years. By some measures it should be considered a mature discipline. That would include accepted process procedures, policies and guidelines, clear best practice, regular accountability reporting, etc. In reality, at least from what I see, most companies have been more willing to… Continue reading The Time Has Come For DRP Metrics

More than Just Window Dressing

What is the worst position to be in as a recovery planner? Unemployed, underpaid or overworked? I suppose we would all have our opinions of the most undesirable position. My sympathy goes out to any planner asked to create a recovery strategy simply to satisfy legal, regulatory, or contractual requirements. I’m sure there are individuals… Continue reading More than Just Window Dressing

The Fusion of Intelligence and Emergency Management

The bipartisan report “National Commission On Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States” has spent an enormous amount of time, energy and financial resources attempting to discover whether there existed systematic intelligence, as well as emergency planning and response inadequacies that contributed to our governments’ failure to prevent and better prepare for the catastrophic events of… Continue reading The Fusion of Intelligence and Emergency Management