Remote working plan supports RSA flu pandemic strategy

RSA is devising a remote working plan

Over the past three years, RSA – formerly Royal & Sun Alliance – has dedicated resources to testing and preparing for pandemic flu scenarios. The planning work highlighted the need for a comprehensive remote working plan.

The model is currently being assessed and the company is now considering how best to deploy the system, intended to meet client demands for a robust continuity plan.

“As an insurance company we advise our clients on how best to protect their organisations from all types of risk, so it’s critical that we ourselves are seen to exercise best practice business continuity management,” said Ian Houghton, manager of continuity and technology at RSA UK.

“The focus of our global risk management practice is to maximise shareholder value by fostering an environment where the management of risk becomes second nature,” said Houghton.

“For that to occur, the businesses must ultimately own the programmes that affect their operations. Centrally, we can help them establish best practices and monitor to ensure programmes are in place, but with operations around the world, each with different requirements, local responsibility for the programmes is crucial,” he said.

RSA started looking closely at its business continuity setup, which was established in the wake of the 1996 bomb explosion in Manchester that severely damaged one of its major sites. Operations had to be relocated to a SunGard recovery centre.

In another episode in 2004, a fire broke out in a BT tunnel, also in Manchester. As communication in the north west was cut off, the firm needed to move more than 800 staff to the supplier’s facilities once again.

The facilities provide an alternative location from which a business can operate at times when it is impossible to have staff working from the office.

Currently, RSA employs SunGard’s services for critical business functions in the UK, US, Canada and Malaysia. Both firms regularly run dress rehearsals at facilities across the UK.

It is never pleasant when trouble strikes, but the insurer claims the experiences of the past helped it to strengthen its overall continuity plan.

“We learned something different from every incident we deal with. We know full well the importance of having a flexible plan in place that can adapt to every conceivable situation,” said Houghton.