In our haste to mobilise the remote workforce, what did we miss?
20/5/20, 2:00 pm
Traditionally, recovery planning for disasters have been relatively easier because the spectrum of events are well known. Floods, fires and adverse weather are familiar, albeit infrequent events. Recovery for COVID-19 has illustrated that planning will be very different. Recovery planning needs to be future scenario based, providing alternative revival pathways based on sets of changing conditions.
The speed at which COVID-19 spread caught most organisations off guard. Many scrambled to activate their business continuity plans. The pace which organisations moved meant that many tactical decisions were made.
Amongst NEC’s own client base, the most common actions to support distributed workforces and client interactions were:
Communication
Ensuring that telecommunication links could be scaled up to the appropriate capacity
Collaboration
Collaboration platforms were in place and scaled out across each organisation’s ecosystem
Mobilisation
Mobilisation of distributed customer contact centres.
Now the dust has settled and organisations are operating in a new form of business as usual, planning for recovery is essential. Now is the time to be systematic about navigating through the disruption and setting the organisation up for changed economic and business conditions.
Dealing with Covid-19 Infographic (pdf)
Planning for recovery
The current environment is directing organisations to start to think about reopening their business with a staged recovery.
Planning for business recovery requires forward thinking and ongoing management. The recovery plan needs to be efficient and organised, ensuring further disruption is avoided during the recovery execution. NEC can help you assess and develop your plans for continuity and recovery, ensuring they are relevant to the changed business and operating environment.
Contact us now for an assessment.
Con Polkinghorne
Principal Consultant, Business Technology Architecture
con.polkinghorne@nec.com.au