The need for any organization to have an effective crisis management program is imperative.  When a crisis hits, an organization must still be able to execute the reason for its very existence - to take care of customers or clients.  A "crisis" can come in many forms, including bomb threats, fires, water damage, a violent employee or visitor, or disruption of a data system.  The Intelligence Group assists companies in developing their response to such crisis situations.  

An effective crisis management program is comprised of two primary components, the Incident Response Plan and Disaster Recovery Plan.  The Incident Response Plan should focus on five integral functions: 

·       Initial response procedures  

·       Mitigation of damage    

·       Public relations response

·       Determining how it occurred    

·       Identifying what, if anything, went wrong 

The second part of a crisis management program is the Disaster Recovery Plan.  The Disaster Recovery plan considers short and long-term business continuity strategies that will enable a business to function in the hours, days and weeks following the crisis.  At a minimum, an effective Disaster Recovery Plan should take into account the following potential needs: 

·       Workplace Location  

·       Workplace Assets  

·       Data Replication

·       Customer / Client Communications  

Depending upon the effects of the specific crisis, firms may need to incorporate interim solutions while they complete the recovery process.  A well-planned and thought-out business continuity strategy is critical to functioning well during the disaster recovery period.  The Intelligence Group has significant experience helping our clients design, refine and update their crisis management programs.