Steps to a Business Continuity Plan that Keeps Employees Safe and Operational
No one knows what the impact of coronavirus COVID-19 will be in middle Tennessee, but most experts agree that schools and businesses will close. In order to keep your employees safe, and keep your operations as seamless as possible, we recommend taking some time to review how your business would respond to a short or long-term closure.
Our own office was damaged by the tornado and because of our thorough contingency plan, we were operational by 8:30 the next morning. We are living proof that it is worth the few hours to plan ahead.
In order to prepare for full or partial remote work for your company, here are a few items to consider for creating (or improving) your practical and actionable business continuity plan:
1. Create (or review) your list of people who are currently able to work remotely. Consider who should be added to that list in case your office is closed for an extended period of time.
2. Ensure remote workers test their remote connections to the office and open a helpdesk ticket if there are any issues.
3. Ensure your VPN licenses cover the number of people that will be connected to your network at the same time. If you are unsure, or need additional licenses, contact Concept Technology and we will happily assist.
4. Update your employee contact list with mobile and home phone numbers.
5. Check that remote web conferencing tools are licensed and useable. Microsoft Office 365 offers the use of Microsoft Teams for live collaboration and communication. If you have a current 365 subscription, this may be a viable option for conferencing and communication during remote work.
6. If employees do not have laptops, consider purchasing those for key personnel. Do not compromise your network by allowing VPN connections from personal devices. New technology purchases may be impacted by coronavirus supply chain delays, so consider purchasing critical technology now, if able.
7. Be aware of potential scams related to pandemic response. Contact us with questions about any suspicious email or request.
8. Talk to your team about your plan of action, how to respond and react to illness in the workplace, and the importance of sanitizing the workspace regularly.
Our goal is to make sure you are as prepared as possible for business continuity in the event of a disaster or emergency situation. And for further reading, the CDC has updated their recommendations, which can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html
For your convenience, we have made a printable checklist that you can use to make sure your business continuity plan is where it needs to be and that your employees are ready to start working remotely. You can view and download it here.
Continue to follow us on LinkedIn for more up-to-date information on keeping your business and employees protected during these challenging times.
