Ensuring Continuity - business continuity release - April '07

Masterlease passes crisis management test with flying colours

What does a large fleet operator do in the event of a major incident affecting its premises? Carry on as normal, if that company happens to be Masterlease, that last week carried out its annual business continuity exercise at a specially chosen emergency office.

The exercise saw 60 members of staff from Masterlease’s European headquarters near Birmingham International Airport, doing their jobs as normal from a specialist recovery site in Coventry.

The building in Coventry acts as an alternative operating site for Masterlease in case the main office should be affected by an emergency, such as fire, flood or denial of access. The exercise took place ahead of the European Business Continuity Awareness Week at the end of March.

Masterlease’s business continuity manager Steve Lyth said it was vital for Masterlease to be able to demonstrate that its business continuity plans are robust and to assure customers that service will continue unaffected in a crisis.

He said: “Everyone had to continue with their daily work activities and support customers as normal. We came through it with flying colours. Other people’s businesses are, in many cases, depending on our ability to manage their fleets around the clock, so it’s important that we can demonstrate that we are adequately prepared for major-scale events.

“It is also well worth considering what you would do if half an employer’s workforce was unable to come into work – what if there was an Avian Flu pandemic, for example? The show must go on and employers must have tested and resilient plans in place to ensure that happens when the success of other companies depends on your ability to function flawlessly no matter what, you have to be able to demonstrate that you have allowed for every eventuality.”

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For further details please contact Beth Heaney at IAS SMARTS on 0121 456 3199 or email: beth.heaney@iassmarts.co.uk