Crisis Management Feature
One of the foremost consequences of the
pandemic is that, going forward, people will need
to work in different ways
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lower range options for offices and
gyms, etc. Air filtration systems can be
installed and provide extra health
benefits. Additionally, greater access
control, regular deep cleans, reception
and meeting barriers and ‘working
bubbles’ can also assist in building a
multi-defence environment within
what’s deemed a sensible budget.
Trustworthy intelligence
Threat intelligence and effective
communication can help when it comes
to maintaining business continuity
during uncertainty. Reliable, fact-checked
data can assist employers in
identifying trends through indicators
and warnings, enabling them to respond
accordingly. At Priavo Security, we
monitor information from multiple
sources and report on all incidents
which may have an impact on a given
organisation’s people or business
activities. Experienced analysts process
information into intelligence through
collation, evaluation, analysis,
integration and, finally, interpretation.
In practice, all of that affords the
monitored business complete control
over the dissemination of authentic
intelligence. This in itself is paramount
for keeping calm and carrying on.
Overnight, remote working has
transitioned from being a mark of
flexibility in the workplace to nothing
other than a business necessity. Faced
with few alternatives, organisations
initiated remote working for those
employees able to do so in a bid to
endure the crisis as best as possible.
While most organisations had just a
few days or, at most, weeks to move
employees to the home environment at
the onset of COVID-19, business leaders
must now take care to ensure the right
work-from-home strategies are in place
with a view towards maintaining a
positive and productive approach for
months – and, possibly, years – to come.
It has been very widely publicised that
the shift towards remote working has led
to an increase in employee loneliness
and isolation often exacerbated by
growing concerns around the rise of
social instability. If the physical presence
of an office-based community is no
longer available, regular check-ins,
welfare updates and general team
comradeship all demand due
consideration on the part of the
employer. It’s all about Duty of Care.
Effective communication with all
employees is essential for companies to
operate successfully, ensure business
continuity, disseminate authentic
intelligence and, if transacting at the
multinational level, keep an eye on the
pulse of the organisation from a global
standpoint. On that note, bespoke and
dedicated incident management and
communication platforms can provide
clear lines of communication and
reporting to a remote workforce.
In addition to its application for
critical event management, technology is
now also being adopted very
successfully to strengthen team
communications, increase
responsiveness, fine-tune the planning
process, monitor employee well-being
on an ongoing basis and also – and
importantly – drive performance.
Ability to adapt
In one way or another, all of us have
quickly adapted our way of working
with the myriad challenges that
COVID-19 has posed. Challenges that,
when seen from many angles, we’ve
never before experienced in our lifetime.
The whole world is now battling with an
issue of such immense scale and, that
being the case, it’s particularly important
that we all continue to communicate
and look out for each other.
Rebuilding the economy through
business continuity is clearly going to be
a priority for the foreseeable future. One
of the foremost consequences of the
pandemic is that, going forward, people
will need to work in different ways.
Technology and how we use it to drive
productivity will facilitate this change.
As stated, there are now fundamental
changes afoot in terms of the way in
which businesses operate,
predominantly around the whole home
working piece, but at the same time
there are many employees who
desperately want to revert to what they
know and welcome in order to transact
their daily tasks. In short, a safe and
secure office environment.
Undoubtedly, risk management is an
increasingly important consideration for
all companies harbouring national and
international operations. As a business,
we work closely with our clients to
identify and mitigate risks and maintain
a safe environment, in turn enabling
continuity during pandemics, periods of
social unrest, the outbreak of natural
hazards and the emergence of other
threats that must be faced.
At the end of the day, global cohesion
and collaboration will ultimately assist
us all to fight the present uncertainties
and then begin to construct our future.
Pete Murphy is CEO of Priavo Security
(www.priavosecurity.com)
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