ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, November 29th, 2013 - “BCM [or Business Continuity Management] is the lifeline to continuing operations in the fastest possible time when disaster strikes. Business Continuity plans are an extension of Disaster Recovery Plans,” says Sophia Cupid, Human Resources Manager with the BVI Ports Authority.
Ms. Cupid and other managers from the BVI Ports Authority were recently certified Business Continuity Managers after taking the course, „Effective Business Continuity Management?, in September. The course was offered by the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. The other managers certified are: Mrs. Bibi Chand, Administration Manager; Ms. Shakira Skelton, Information Technology Manager; Mr. Akeem Pickering, Operations Manager; and Mr. Dave Smith, Security Manager.
According to the Business Continuity Institute Online, business continuity “is about taking responsibility for your business and enabling it to stay on course whatever storms it is forced to weather”.
To Akeem Pickering, BCM means “[being] prepared for any disaster, being able to survive the worst disaster and to recover all operations or at least the most critical operations as quickly as possible after a disaster.”
Mr. Pickering described his experience with the course, stating, “I learned that a business or home should be prepared for all possible disasters. This is not limited to only natural disasters, but could also include personnel disasters such as loss of staff or family. It is about being prepared so that you can recover critical components to your business as quickly as possible to continue service to your clients.”
Bibi Chand said she was unaware as to how important it was to have a detailed plan in the event of a disruption, like a disaster. In emphasising the importance of a BCM plan, Ms. Chand further stated, “The services of the Authority are critical to the BVI’s sustainability, thus any disruption can have dire consequences.” Ms. Chand also said since the training course, she now has a new appreciation for the Department of Disaster Management and its related organisations. In terms of benefits to the organisation and the wider community, Ms. Cupid explains, “BCM is beneficial to our suppliers, vendors and just about anyone in the community, as our clientele is so vast. It would be good for them to know that we are prepared to deal with any disaster.
We are now better equipped to get business going in the shortest possible downtime.” The human resources manager said that it is her responsibility to pull the staff together and get all hands on deck in the event of a disaster. This, she said, is to minimise any time lost in resuming operations. Commenting on the recent certification of the Authority’s managers, Managing Director Mr. Claude Skelton Cline said, “Now that we have certified managers on board, I am very confident that the BVI Ports Authority can continue to serve this community, and many of our stakeholders through any disaster. Because of our renewed focus on growth, this training was essential to further the Authority’s plans in staying ahead of the game.” The BVI Ports Authority is charged with facilitating the safe, efficient and effective operation of the related cargoes and passengers transiting the BVI’s seaports.
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British Virgin Islands News