Is your BCP/DRP prepared for the swine flu?

Companies have to prepare for emergencies, and with the possible threat of a swine flu epidemic it is a good time to review your company Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans. Threat to health and life aside (extremely important but not the focus of this entry) the impact to your business has to be assessed. In Mexico, for example, companies have had to close their doors some by order of the government, some by necessity because suppliers can’t deliver parts.

Review your BC/DR plans and identify if at least some of the most probable scenarios that you may experience are covered. The most generic examples are:

1. A significant portion of your employees or key employees get sick – do you have appointed employee backups? Are they up to date?
2. Families get sick or need assistance – what if schools get closed (like in Mexico)? Are you prepared to have your workforce working from home? What about emergency day care?
3. Your customers get sick or are afraid of getting sick (like in the case of restaurants, movie theaters, etc) – restaurants in Mexico are closed because the government won’t allow them to provide service, Hotels in Cancun are experiencing thousands of cancellations, same with airlines. Are you prepared to weather that storm?
4. Your building or installations get quarantined or need to be closed for sterilization after an outbreak - are you prepared to have your workforce working from home? What about backup installations?
5. Your suppliers can’t deliver components or services – do you have backups in place? Last minute negotiations will cost you in time and money.
6. Your employees can’t leave or can’t return to the country – some countries have already closed their borders to Mexican flights, while cruise ships sit outside of Mexico waiting to be redirected. How may your operations be affected by this?

Your plan needs to reflect the realities of a pandemic – maybe you are prepared and your plan contemplates everything that may affect you. But if you are not, it is a good time to review and decide what your next steps should be.