 Baltimore, Maryland March 7-9, 2006 www.MaintenanceSolutionsExpo.com |
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The biggest challenge maintenance and engineering managers face when preparing a business continuity/disaster recovery strategy is figuring out facilities’ needs so the department knows how to prepare. A disaster can severely impact an organization’s ability to perform critical functions and, therefore, to continue normal business operations. In order to ensure the most likely business continuity scenario, managers need to assess the organization’s readiness in crucial functional areas. A business impact analysis, or business continuity audit, is the tool that can help managers figure it all out.
The first step is to identify key business processes and assess the impact of each on normal customer or member service levels. What would happen to operations if one or more of these processes were unavailable for a period of time? The following three elements will help managers identify potential risks, their likelihood, and their probable impact on day-to-day operations:
Service Interruption Time-Bands. Identify the time limits for the ability to do without key business processes, including those that are outsourced to a third-party vendor or organization. Use a range of time periods — less than 2 hours, 2-24 hours, 24-48 hours, 2-5 days, more than five days — and identify the critical time band for each key process. For example, how long could the department do without a web site or e-mail system before normal service levels and continued viability are affected?
Emergency Incident Assessment. To determine the types of disruptive events that are most likely to affect normal business processes, review plans, policies, and procedures relating to the areas under investigation — evacuation plans, building management documentation, backup procedures, etc. Consider any unique operational risks of the business. Ex-amine each potential disruption, and develop a list of consequences for each threat. Determine the likelihood of each threat — very low, low, medium, high, very high — and its possible impact — irritating, controllable, critical, devastating, terminal.
Operational Impact. Overlaying the service-interruption time bands and the emergency incident assessment will help establish areas of significant impact on normal operations. Significant impact represents a level where members’ service levels will be negatively affected. This overlay will guide the development and help prioritize the elements of a business continuity plan.
Bob Mellinger is the president of Attainium Corp., a business continuity consulting firm in Gainesville, Va. He will present “Business Continuity Planning: Expect the Unexpected” at the NFM&T 2006 conference on Tuesday, March 7 and again on Thursday, March 9.
Attendees at the Maintenance Solutions Expo (MS Expo) and National Facilities Management & Technology (NFM&T) Conference will be able to track their participation in the education sessions via a new online reporting system that will debut at the 2006 event in Baltimore.
“We’re pleased to offer this enhancement at our conference,” says Wendy Loerch, director of education for NFM&T and MS Expo. “Automated attendance tracking is more convenient and offers greater flexibility to those attendees who maintain certifications.”
Attendees wishing to record their attendance will have their badges scanned upon entering an educational session. At the conclusion of the conference, attendees will use the registration number printed on their badges to access their attendance records via the Attendance Tracker area on www.MaintenanceSolutionsExpo.com. From there, attendees can print records of attendance for the conference sessions they attended in 2006. Attendees then can submit these records to a variety of national, state and local organizations and associations.
Says Loerch, “While NFM&T and MS Expo has provided the opportunity to earn CEUs for IFMA, BOMI Institute, AFE and AIA in the past, this new process will enable attendees to provide proof of attendance to a broader array of certifying organizations.”
Travelers’ Aid
Special room rates are in effect for Maintenance Solutions Expo (MS Expo) and National Facilities Management & Technology (NFM&T) Conference at the selected Baltimore Inner Harbor hotels. All are within walking distance of the Baltimore Convention Center. Be sure to mention the group name — NFM&T/MS Expo — to get the discount rate. Rooms are subject to availability. Make room reservations by Feb. 2 to qualify for show rates.
Days Inn Inner Harbor
Holiday Inn Inner Harbor
Sheraton Inner Harbor
Hyatt Regency Baltimore
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel
Airline reservations
Car rental |
