Winter is Coming…

As the nights roll in and the weather turns, we face unique challenges over the winter period. Despite facing these challenges every year, they still cause us operational headaches which can lead to significant business disruption. Extreme weather events, increased staff absence resulting from the cold and flu period, and power loss are all known risks. Yet, each year many businesses are caught out by these issues, leading to lost time, revenue and customer confidence.

Let us look at power loss, both planned and unplanned, as an example. As a child growing up in a rural area I got used to the regular loss of power during storms and for the most part, we managed them with ease. The candles were lit, the fire went on and the board games came out for entertainment. Fast forward thirty years and we now live in a society which is far more reliant upon continuous power, with even small power outages causing disruption, frustration, anxiety and for businesses, an operational nightmare.

For most businesses the idea of managing a loss of power can be a daunting task. For some, on the face of it, it may be seen as a simple and easy risk to manage due to the now common hybrid/home working arrangements. However, in reality it is a complex and difficult risk to manage, especially for those businesses operating a work from home arrangement. Arguably, businesses operating from office locations have it easier when it comes to planning for large scale power loss. It is relatively easy to come up with such plans for single site businesses by utilising tried and tested methods e.g., generators, uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) etc. However, how do you manage this with a workforce dispersed over large areas of a country, continent, or the world?

For me, this is a far more complex issue to manage. For example, as a home worker I’m entirely reliant on power at my home for communication. Without power, I do not have a working internet connection, without a working internet connection I do not have a mobile phone signal (I live in a rural area with no coverage). I can easily remedy this by installing the already mentioned mitigation methods at home.

However, how do you manage this across an entire organisation. Is it feasible to provide every home worker with a generator and/or UPS for their home? Probably not, therefore the analysis and planning around this is far more complex than simply planning for power loss at one location.

Some reading this may already have robust business continuity plans in place to manage this issue, as well as the other issues mentioned in the first paragraph. If you’re in this boat, that’s great news. However, as with anything business continuity related, have the plans been tested, trained and tested again? Is everyone aware of the plan and how to respond? Are your customers, suppliers and other interested partied aware of your plans and the impact on them? These are just a few simple questions that we need to consider, there are sure to be many more.

These challenges are just another example of the need to be resilient in an ever-changing business environment. If the last few years has taught us anything, it’s that there are some things we cannot prevent. Therefore, planning and preparation is key in reducing the impact of these events. This is where we excel at CMCS, so feel free to get in touch if you need guidance or support on building resilience within your organisation.