Continuity is crucial for construction

HERE in the UK, approaches to business continuity are becoming far more holistic. However, in the North East the association with business continuity and IT is still incredibly strong.

This may go some way to explaining why some businesses in the construction industry have not been able to reap the benefits of investing in an effective business continuity management system (BCMS).

Tender documents from the public sector increasingly ask businesses to offer evidence of a business continuity plan and statements from the coalition Government have suggested that this will only become more prominent.

The Conservatives had gone so far as to make pre-election statements indicating that businesses will need to be certified to BS 25999, the business continuity standard, in order to win Government procurement contracts.

So what are the implications for the construction industry?

Many of the more bureaucratic elements of construction have been able to embrace IT continuity and business continuity wholeheartedly. Admittedly, it is possible to relocate office staff, IT and similar functions to a well-equipped workplace recovery suite; the working environment of a construction site does not afford this luxury.

This may be why some construction businesses are unsure how to approach business continuity, distracted by its close connection with IT and feeling a sense that it’s not as relevant for their industry.

However, simply because the primary service of a business is not carried out in the manageable and imitable surroundings of an office, it does not mean that business continuity management systems should be seen as unachievable or any less valuable.

Business continuity planning is focused on managing the impact and recovery effort following an incident that causes disruption to a business. It is the reaction which can be considered, planned and rehearsed before an incident occurs and which will keep damage to the business’ reputation, productivity and profits to a minimum.

BCMS should include plans for handling an incident with firm instructions for action and supporting information to guide decision making.

ZebraHosts works with businesses to develop plans that support the crucial ‘golden hour’ after an incident as well as the continuity phase and recovery effort.

The North East construction industry’s commitment to quality has been a regular feature of this column. Effective BCMS should be part of a commitment that not only promotes stability to clients and prospects but that demonstrates to staff and suppliers that high quality service delivery underpins every element of the business.

For more information on Constructing Excellence in the North East, please contact chief executive, Catriona Lingwood, on 0191 374 0233 or catriona@cene.org.uk.