Organisations have been urged to make sure they have strong
electronic communication links in place, as London faces potential
disruption from protests during the G20 meeting in Canary Wharf,
says the
Continuity Forum.
These systems include software for connecting remote workers to
the corporate network, diverting phone calls to alternative
locations, monitoring police alerts, and sending text messages to
staff.
Organisations need to be proactive about ensuring systems are in
place and working, said
Russell Price, Continuity Forum chairman.
The Continuity Forum has been working with organisations in the
City ahead of the G20 meeting and has advised them to encourage
staff to work from home wherever possible.
"This is not practical for every role such as financial traders,
but most other people should be able to avoid the City this week,"
said Price
As disruptions caused by snow earlier this year showed,
organisations that had planned for remote access to corporate
systems experienced the least disruption to business.
"Organisations can easily switch calls to staff wherever they
are working if they have put the necessary software in place," said
Price.
Well-prepared organisations will be monitoring police alerts
this week and have systems in place to contact staff to warn them
not to come in to work if necessary.
"Communications are often overlooked and can be difficult simply
because contact numbers are not updated regularly," said Price.
The ability to gather and disseminate information is 90% of the
battle in ensuring business continuity and managing potential
disruptions, he said.
This includes communicating with outsourced security staff about
exactly what the business expects of them in different
circumstances.
During the G20 meeting, Price said organisations should follow
the police example of increasing visibility to project presence and
authority of internal security staff.