Business Continuity For Dummies

Considering an Exercise Scenario

In this section, we provide an exercise called ‘Autumn Grey’.

You get much more value if you customise this exercise to include the real circumstances of your business, local geography and actual risks.

Introductory comments

[Add your own facilitator’s comments.]

Stage 1: 10 November

The I.C. Day clothing company is working hard in the run-up to the important Christmas period. Major roadworks are taking place in the areas of I.C. Day’s Boghollow warehouses, causing minor delays. Staffing absences are 10 per cent higher than normal because an unusually severe flu is going round. Weather forecasters are predicting heavy rain and strong winds across the country in the next week.

Questions

1. What are our main priorities at this time of year?

2. Can any of these issues be a cause for concern for our business continuity?

3. What can we do to reduce the likelihood and impact of possible disruptions in our department?

Stage 2: 13 November

The predicted bad weather starts to arrive with a lot of surface water on roads and the wind is gusting to 100 kilometres per hour (60 miles per hour) in places. Storm damage to I.C. Day’s main building means that offices/workshops on the north side are leaking and taking in water. They can’t be used. Other parts of the region have suffered power outages (but not here). The main car park is under 15 centimetres (6 inches) ...