Disaster Recovery Journal Spring 2024

potential cyber threats, enabling proac tive responses to emerging vulnerabilities. Ongoing comprehensive data protection training for employees is vital to safeguard supply chain operations against cyber vul nerabilities and ensure uninterrupted busi ness continuity. In addition to cybersecurity, physical security measures are also essential. This includes securing warehouses, transpor tation modes, and supply chain nodes against theft, tampering, and physical damage. Implementing surveillance sys tems, access controls, and security proto cols are keys to protecting physical assets throughout the supply chain. Another essential component is the creation of supply chain continuity play books. These playbooks should outline specific actions for various disruption sce narios, including identifying alternative suppliers, transportation routes, and meth ods for rapid adjustments. Stockpiling critical components or raw materials may also be considered as a buffer against dis ruptions. Effective collaboration across indus tries is crucial, balanced with the need to protect proprietary and sensitive business information. This collaborative approach can help businesses collectively navigate supply chain challenges more effectively. By proactively addressing these chal lenges and having detailed playbooks in place, organizations can enhance their preparedness and response to supply chain disruptions, ensuring a more robust and reliable supply chain. In today’s inter connected and rapidly evolving business environment, such resilience is key to maintaining competitive advantage and operational stability. 5. Dynamic Training & Exercise The final resolution for 2024 empha sizes moving beyond theoretical plans to actualize business continuity strategies in the face of significant emergencies, major incidents, or crises. This involves a shift toward dynamic training and practical exercises which foster higher engagement levels and real-world preparedness. For businesses in the technology sector or those focusing on testing their support

technologies, virtual and hybrid exercises are particularly effective. These exercises can simulate a wide range of scenarios, including cyber-attack simulations, data breach scenarios, and coordinated disas ter response, all within a virtual or par tially virtual environment. This approach is invaluable for rigorously testing IT infrastructures and response protocols, providing a safe and controlled setting to identify and address potential vulnerabili ties, thereby ensuring technological resil ience against various digital threats and challenges. In contrast, industries where physical operations play a crucial role benefit more from in-person exercises. These include tabletop exercises for team discussions and role-playing specific scenarios, as well as full-scale drills which simulate real-life emergency situations, including business recovery and restoration strategies. The “crawl, walk, run” methodology is particularly effective in structuring these exercises. It begins with basic, fundamen tal exercises (crawl) to build foundational understanding and skills. This progresses to more complex scenarios (walk), where teams can apply their skills in more chal lenging situations, and ultimately culmi nates in full-scale, realistic simulations (run) which test the organization’s full range of response capabilities. Involving various levels of the organi zation in these exercises is crucial, from front-line response teams to top manage ment. Tailoring exercises to specific roles and responsibilities and conducting them at different levels, such as corporate, regional, or local, ensures comprehensive coverage and relevance. This approach ensures everyone understands their role during an event and how to execute the crisis management and business continu ity plans effectively. Regularly updating these training programs to reflect the latest threats and best practices is also vital in maintaining organizational preparedness and resilience. Conclusion As we navigate through 2024, busi ness continuity practitioners and leaders are encouraged to consider integrating

resolutions such as exercising proactive vigilance, navigating geopolitical risks, strengthening climate defenses, fortifying supply chains, and investing in dynamic training and competency development into their strategic approach to business continuity. These resolutions, or others more closely aligned with specific busi ness needs, are pivotal in cultivating a pro active stance, ensuring preparedness for current challenges, and strategic position ing for future uncertainties. Adopting such tailored strategies tran scends mere goal achievement; it’s about instilling a commitment from top manage ment and a culture of resilience throughout every aspect of organizational operations. This approach embeds resilience not just as an objective but as a core element of the organizational ethos, influencing every decision and action. In doing so, organi zations can transform potential challenges into opportunities for growth and innova tion, leading to a more robust and resilient organization. Reflecting on these considerations, what resolutions could you or your orga nization adopt to enhance strategic resil ience? Tailoring these resolutions to address specific challenges and opportu nities reinforces the commitment to resil ience, making it a fundamental principle driving innovation and sustained success in your organization. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of West Pharmaceutical Services. v able medications and healthcare products. In this role, he is instrumental in ensuring the continuity and resilience of West’s operations worldwide, a critical aspect of the com pany’s commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare solutions. With more than 20 years of experience, he has adeptly led complex preparedness, continuity, and recov ery initiatives across various regulated sectors, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, research, and U.S. government operations. Recognized as a key opinion leader in organizational resilience, he holds the esteemed title of Fellow of the Business Continuity Institute. Keith Frederick, FBCI, CBCP, is the director of global business continuity and resilience at West Pharmaceutical Services, a lead ing manufacturer specializing in packaging components and delivery systems for inject

22 DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | SPRING 2024