The ISO Show: Episode 49 – How EMCOR is Embedding Business Continuity
Today’s guest is Alex Street,
from EMCOR UK a world leading Facilities Management Company. EMCOR are the
epitome of high standards, in fact EMCOR are certified to 8, yes 8 ISO
Standards, which is pretty impressive. Though
we are just going to focus on one in particular that is extremely topical at
the moment – Business Continuity. Mel
first met Alex when EMCOR engaged in our services to implement the Information
Security standard and also ISO 22301 the business continuity standard 4 years
ago. The company has gone from strength
to strength over the years, so Alex is joining us today to discuss ISO 22301
and how the system is helping them to not just survive, but thrive during these
difficult times.
Some
highlights:
EMCOR adopted the early BS 25999 and later
migrated to ISO 22301 after drive from customers as well as natural progression
to the updated version
Recognized the benefits of having a robust
Business Continuity Management system in place
Went through the process of a Gap Analysis and
Business Impact Analysis to identify where the system needed to be addressed
and built on. This led to the review of objectives and business continuity
plans in accordance with 22301’s more detailed requirements.
A key focus should be training and awareness for
all staff once plans have been agreed – so that everyone knows what their role
is in any given situation.
Keep up with testing and auditing of the
Business Continuity plans to ensure they run smoothly and are still applicable
in execution
EMCOR had been monitoring the COVID-19 situation
as early as December and since February 2020 – had been having meetings with
Executive teams (Gold and Silver) to discuss next steps. Thanks to ISO 22301,
they’d already had tested processes in place for moving towards remote working.
A consistent approach to all areas of Operation
is key – from ground level to executive
Communication and collaboration with supply
chain and customers – ask them if you could be doing anything more to help
Support your own supply chain – Taking the
current situation into account, everyone is in the same boat so help where you
can
It can take a live incident to fully test a
Business Continuity plan – take lessons learned from live events forward.
Actively work to continually improve your system.
Alex’s helpful tip: ‘Don’t get caught out’
– The standard is there to help but you need to put the work and effort in to
make it work for you. ‘The benefits far outweigh the risks of not having
an effective Business continuity management system in place’
Further resources:
To Learn more about EMCOR, visit their website HERE
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