To
our clients and friends:
The need for any business to have an effective crisis management program is imperative. In addition to the potential for loss, when a crisis hits you must still be able to execute the reason for your very existence - to take care of your customers or clients.
It is important to note that a "crisis" does not have to be of the magnitude of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Crises come in many forms including bomb threats, fires, water damage, a violent employee or visitor, or disruption of a data system.
An
effective crisis management program is comprised of two
primary components, the Incident Response Plan and
Disaster Recovery Plan.
The Incident Response Plan typically
considers five integral functions:
- Initial
response procedures
- Response
to the incident to mitigate damage
- The
public relations response to the incident
- Response
to the incident to investigate 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 takes
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.
Unfortunately, as shown by the events of September 11th, it is no longer prudent to have an “it can never happen to us” mentality. And, in the days and weeks after the tragedy, the companies coping most effectively both emotionally and strategically are those that had an effective crisis management program in place.
The Intelligence Group has significant experience helping our clients design, refine and update their crisis management programs. For assistance with your program, please contact us.
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