Preparing for Uncertainty With Business Continuity Planning
27.03.20
During periods of uncertainty, it is essential to understand the contingencies between your people, processes and technology. Business continuity planning (BCP) strategies are essential for preparing for these scenarios.
We know that many of our clients and partners are attempting to deal with an unprecedented situation. As they adjust to the environment of government-enforced lockdowns and remote working arrangements, their attention turns to facilitating a new normal for their business.
While few could have predicted the current situation, Infinet is here to help our clients adapt with solutions that align with their business continuity planning (BCP) strategy. Most organisations will have risk management and disaster recovery plans, however, BCP strategies are growing in popularity because of their value in disruptive scenarios such as these.
Although every organisation and industry are different, we believe the best BCP strategies involve the following steps:
1. Analyse your processes – This involves creating a blueprint of each critical process within your business. What are the interdependencies between people, processes, and technology? What would be the consequences if any component of each process was disrupted?
2. Develop a strategy – For each dependency within your business, you need to create contingencies that indicate actions and responsibilities in the event of a disruption. This ensures you can quickly make decisions during a period of disruption.
3. Implement your strategy – Many of the contingencies required for a BCP strategy will require organisations to put people and technology in place ahead of time. While BCP strategies are often considered “break in case of emergency”, proactive implementation is valuable when possible.
4. Testing and review – This phase involves implementing contingencies and training your workforce to create a level of comfort with these processes. During implementation and testing, many lessons are learnt that will prove valuable in the event of a disruption.
At Infinet, we have been working closely with many of our clients to ensure their people and processes are complemented by the right technology for business continuity. In a period of such unprecedented disruption, we know how essential it is for organisations to have the right solutions for keeping their workforce connected, so they can continue serving their customers and clients.
Through our partnership with HP, we’re able to bridge the current technology gaps many organisations may be facing. With a new remote workforce who need secure access to powerful applications and systems, the HP EliteBook range of devices provide mobility and performance to convert homes into home offices.
Security is also essential for ensuring business continuity, and with employees now attempting to get their work done from home or outdoors in the park there is increasing concern around protecting visual privacy. With HP Sure View installed across the EliteBook range, employees can instantly protect against visual hacking with the integrated privacy screen, featuring 3M privacy technology. At the touch of a button, an employee’s screen appears dark to those around them while they see their content clearly.
For ongoing meetings with clients and your remote workforce, HP Elite Slice G2 with Teams for Meeting Rooms and Zoom Rooms, powered by 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 processors, can simplify your Teams/Zoom Room deployment with a compute device pre-imaged with Windows iOT Customised to Teams and Zoom Room software. Packaged with a moveable 12.3-inch diagonal Centre of Room Control display, HDMI adapters, and a port cover, this is the next-gen solution for keeping your teams connected and engaged.
Whether our clients are engaged in essential services during the next few weeks, or if they’re using the opportunity to prepare continuity plans for the future, Infinet is here to support you as you develop your own BCP strategy.