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WEB-BASED PLANNING:
The Internet is the fastest and easiest way to obtain information on almost any topic and has become the preferred vehicle for information seekers. Just about everyone who uses a computer uses the Internet. Business people rely on the Internet to keep abreast of the latest news regarding services, products, and publications, as well as topics of personal interest. Given the comfort level of employees and Internet usage, many businesses are incorporating web-based products into their daily regimen. Web-based planning tools are being used more and more for managing business continuity plans because of the convenience of accessing plans anytime, anywhere. A web-based planning approach also enables plans to stay up-to-date, cuts maintenance and installation costs, and eliminates the need for end-user workstation setups. In addition to these convenient and cost-effective characteristics, web-based planning allows the opportunity to create a business continuity planning Intranet site – something many organizations overlook. Because a business continuity planning (BCP) manager has a number of responsibilities-creating awareness of the need for a BCP, training employees in the company’s BCP practices, coordinating all plans in regions both nationwide and worldwide, etc. – having an Intranet homepage site can assist in enhancing productivity, as well as strengthen BCP programs enterprise-wide. Having a BCP Intranet site for your company not only supports the contingency planners, but also keeps the entire company knowledgeable and involved in continuity planning. GETTING ENTERPRISEWIDE INVOLVEMENT Another option to consider is dedicating a section of your Intranet site to news. Interesting facts and updates will draw employees in and keep them coming back to the site to view the latest weather conditions and recovery operations. Including links to other BCP or disaster news sites will provide insight on how other companies think about and execute their plans. Because most BCP program participants are volunteering their time, you may consider a reward system posted on your site. When a creative and cost-effective recovery strategy is produced or a new plan is developed on time, reward your employees with an honor or prize. Having a place where individuals can be rewarded publicly is a great way to secure and gain talented participants, as well as increase the use of your site. When designing your BCP homepage, it is important to pay close attention to which information areas are appropriate for the BCP practitioners and which are suitable for enterprise employees. By keeping the "technical side" of contingency planning narrowed to one section, those who aren’t familiar with contingency planning will stay interested and won’t feel frustrated sorting through BCP details. A WEALTH OF INFORMATION Does your company conduct classes on BCP topics? If so, then use your Intranet site to display class locations, times, dates, and curricula. Collect registrations and display the number of seats still available in each class. You can also handle registrations for commercial conferences or one-time seminars, and possibly offer a discount for group attendees to encourage BCP education. If your company uses CEUs (continuing education units) for tracking topic currency or certification, then you could use the site to record CEUs awarded to BCP program participants. The key to maintaining efficient and reliable plans is executing a number of practice exercises. Dedicate an area of your site to the BCP program’s expectations for the range and number of exercises to be performed, (see Figure 2). Use charts showing the estimated time duration, type of exercise, and the level of exercise taking place. Range the exercises from minor to major, and have employees trade challenging scenarios to promote more cooperative and complex exercises. Another idea is to post examples of disasters that affected other companies so employees can see what kind of disasters may strike and how they were handled In order to learn from mistakes or reward successful exercises, create a place on your Intranet site where you can post the outcomes of the exercises. Generate a summary of each exercise stating how it went and what lessons were learned. A self-rating scale can be used to record achievements as well as any problems that might have occurred. What are the pros and cons of your current methodology for progress and status reporting? Your new BCP site might be able to assist you in improving that methodology, (see Figure 3). Consider what information is needed to execute the program and the level of summarization needed to report to senior management. As a program manager, you might want comprehensive project plans from each unit showing advancement against milestones and emphasizing problem areas. In contrast, senior management may require a simple indicator for each unit or the program as a whole. Ideally, the home page segment should be able to accomplish both reporting goals at the same time; however, that depends on the type and number of projects occurring at any one time. If the information you need cannot be easily condensed to charted data points, a BCP site may not be the best way to accomplish this. KEEP THEM INTERESTED WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU? With a little practice, your organization will soon be confident that it can withstand any interruption, large or small. About the Author |