Your BCP and 2015

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported President Benigno Aquino III as stating, the Philippine economy could lose 23.3B pesos next year due to the threat of severe power shortage. If this shortage is not addressed soon, households and businesses should expect at least five hours of daily rotating power interruptions for three months. Government has been asking Congress for temporary emergency powers designed to arrest the situation before the dry, summer months arrive. But, because of political bickering, this has been stalled; leaving consumers hanging on to their hats in anticipation of the worst. Trusting politicians to do the right thing is currently not an option. When the health of your business and interests of your clients are at stake, you should start taking action.

BCP is Continuity

Businesses, at this time, should be preparing for contingency plans ahead of time in order to negate, or at least, minimize the effects of the looming power crisis. Business Continuity Plans should be reviewed, tested, and refined to cope with the challenge. If you do not have a BCP in place, you still have enough time to brainstorm and come-up with one. A BCP is doubly crucial for Small and Medium Enterprises. Normally, small and medium sized operations tend to be more vulnerable. If a crisis scenario lasts for several weeks, it could prove fatal.

Acquire Alternative Sources of Power

Operations in prime locations usually have one less thing to worry about. Most buildings in major business districts have powerful back-up generators that can sustain the power needs of their tenants. If your building does not, try to consider several options; including moving to an alternative location, before March 2015. Another thing you should consider is acquiring power generators that can support your operations when there is an interruption. You can find several businesses online who sell or lease-out power generator sets.

Challenges in Commuting

Consider also the commute of your employees. If you think the metro traffic can’t get any worse, think again. Traffic lights and the Metro trains are powered by electricity. If these facilities go, expect traffic chaos and anarchy to erupt. Tardiness and attendance issues will fluctuate over time, and could adversely affect productivity. Make sure your employees are aware of the impending crisis and tell them to try alternate routes as early as now. Any continuity plans should enjoy the support and cooperation of each employee.

Alternative Locations

Big businesses have multiple locations, and each location has the capacity compensate for the loss of productivity at other sites. Others have established temporary locations to house the most crucial parts of their operations in case of disaster scenarios. Another alternative would be allowing some of your employees to work from home. You should look at web-based programs and cloud computing that would allow employees to access systems and information from their homes or nearby locations.

Your customers won’t care much about disasters or crisis. It is your duty to make sure someone will answer the phone, respond to emails, and deliver goods and services. That is why you should prepare your business to face the challenge.