# Power Out: How to Prevent your Supply Chain from Diving
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2019-03-28
Category: INSURANCE
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/insurance
Meta Title: Protect Your Business from Disasters: Mitigation Tips
Meta Description: Learn how to identify high risk areas, share important information, protect digital assets, maintain critical communication, and train employees for smoother
URL: https://financedigest.com/power-out-how-to-prevent-your-supply-chain-from-divinghtml

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_By **Alex Balcomb** e at_ [_Harris Balcombe_](https://www.harrisbalcombe.com/)

Flights grounded. Trains cancelled. Internet down. Power out. From floods, fires and acts of God through to political decisions and hacking/malicious attacks on your software, a business-halting incident or disaster could happen to your business [operations at any time](https://www.financedigest.com/coca-cola-hbc-flags-one-time-195-million-hit-from-russian-operations.html "Coca-Cola HBC flags one-time 5 million hit from Russian operations"). This is often not preventable from a business perspective, and said incident can heavily impact your [supply chain](https://www.financedigest.com/minimising-supply-chain-cyber-risks-by-asking-the-right-questions.html "MINIMISING SUPPLY CHAIN CYBER RISKS BY ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS").

![Alex Balcombe at Harris Balcombe](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/harris-balcombe-450x450-1736839085507-compressed.jpg)

Alex Balcombe at Harris Balcombe

While you cannot prevent the incident, you can take steps to minimise the downtime and ensure your operations [keep running](https://www.financedigest.com/explainer-could-germany-keep-its-nuclear-plants-running.html "Explainer-Could Germany keep its nuclear plants running?") smoothly.

[**Identify High Risk Areas**](https://www.financedigest.com/identifying-areas-of-vulnerability-why-cybersecurity-shouldnt-be-an-afterthought-for-financial-organisations.html "Identifying areas of vulnerability: Why cybersecurity shouldn’t be an afterthought for financial organisations")

By identifying the high risk areas, you can implement mitigation strategies to support should you suffer from an incident. For example, the Land Registry has a [Flood Risk Indicator](https://eservices.landregistry.gov.uk/eservices/FindAProperty/view/Info.do?page=floodrisk_one&id=p_indicator_link) service which is helpful for all businesses as it can provide you with a specific report of flood risks depending on your exact property.

If you are at risk, consider storing [important and confidential information](https://www.financedigest.com/the-importance-of-information-security-in-a-post-pandemic-hybrid-working-world.html "The importance of information security in a post-pandemic hybrid working world") in high places, and having a second copy of all confidential or secret information. [Move your company](https://www.financedigest.com/wait-and-see-u-s-companies-curb-investment-as-they-await-fed-moves.html "Wait and see: U.S. companies curb investment as they await Fed moves") cars to higher grounds if possible, and place any freezers or refrigerators on plinths if you think that they are at risk. Most importantly, stay aware. You can’t predict the weather, but if a [weather warning](https://www.financedigest.com/europe-unveils-hi-tech-satellite-to-speed-up-extreme-weather-warnings.html "Europe unveils hi-tech satellite to speed up extreme weather warnings") is issued in your area, take the necessary precautions.

**Share** [Important Information](https://www.financedigest.com/software-to-display-your-businesss-important-information.html "Software to Display Your Business’s Important Information")

Take a regular inventory of your stock, and make sure that everybody who [needs](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-and-russia-what-you-need-to-know-right-now-3.html "Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now") to know relevant information knows it, should the worst happen. As mentioned above, any [product or inventory information](https://www.financedigest.com/golf-apparel-market-key-players-and-production-information-analysis-with-forecast-2031.html "Golf Apparel Market: Key Players and Production Information Analysis with Forecast 2031") should be duplicated, to prevent it from being erased should there be a fire. Whether it’s a [top](https://www.financedigest.com/the-future-of-finance-how-to-defend-against-the-top-threats-to-cloud-security.html "The Future of Finance: How to defend against the top threats to cloud security") secret recipe for a sauce or a password for a financial document, you should still keep it in a different, trusted location just to be safe. You’ll thank yourself in the long run, as it will speed up your reaction time.

**Protect your** [Digital Assets](https://www.financedigest.com/how-financial-services-organisations-can-address-the-vulnerability-lag-and-safeguard-their-most-important-digital-assets.html "How financial services organisations can address the ‘Vulnerability Lag’ and safeguard their most important digital assets")

As technology becomes more and more sophisticated, hackers are always [developing their skills to break into the abundance of personal and business](https://www.financedigest.com/dan-hodgson-joins-verasity-as-director-of-business-development.html "Dan Hodgson joins Verasity as Director of Business Development") data that we hold. Protecting yourself against [cyber](https://www.financedigest.com/modern-data-protection-how-organisations-can-protect-against-cyber-attacks.html "Modern Data Protection: How organisations can protect against cyber attacks") theft is just as important as protecting your house from a burglary. Have a prevention plan in place, consult an IT specialist, and install the relevant network [security to protect your digital](https://www.financedigest.com/taming-the-new-wild-west-how-biometrics-can-help-the-ecb-deliver-a-secure-digital-euro.html "Taming the ‘new wild west’: how biometrics can help the ECB deliver a secure digital euro") assets.

[**Critical Communication**](https://www.financedigest.com/marketing-communications-is-a-business-critical-pillar-now-and-in-a-post-pandemic-future.html "Marketing Communications is a business-critical pillar now – and in a post pandemic future")

External [communications in the event of business](https://www.financedigest.com/business-texting-an-essential-communication-tool.html "Business Texting: An Essential Communication Tool") interruption cannot be underestimated. Many [businesses focus on recovering systems and products](https://www.financedigest.com/fortified-dairy-products-market-outlook-cover-new-business-strategy-with-upcoming-opportunity-2022-to-2032.html "Fortified Dairy Products Market Outlook Cover New Business Strategy with Upcoming Opportunity 2022 to 2032"), but forget to communicate to their employees and to the public what is going on, among all the pressure. Designate someone to be in charge of communicating a message to the press should you be [forced to close or change](https://www.financedigest.com/apple-forced-to-change-charger-in-europe-as-eu-approves-overhaul.html "Apple forced to change charger in Europe as EU approves overhaul") operations. It [relieves the pressure](https://www.financedigest.com/the-heel-pressure-injury-relieving-devices-market-to-imbibe-healthy-growth-by-innovation.html "The Heel Pressure Injury Relieving Devices Market to imbibe healthy growth by innovation") off your hands in the moment, and also salvages your company’s reputation. Make sure you have a consistent message across all [social and media](https://www.financedigest.com/top-social-media-growth-companies-in-the-uk.html "Top Social Media Growth Companies in the UK") channels to prevent any scrutiny.

**Train your Employees on Prevention and Reaction**

Internal communications is important, and is perhaps the most crucial for a smooth recovery. Employees should know how to respond, who to contact, where to be and any other crucial elements should an [incident happen and no senior management](https://www.financedigest.com/on-demand-healthcare-to-bolster-the-incident-emergency-management-market.html "On-demand healthcare to bolster the Incident Emergency Management Market") is there.

It’s also a good idea to annually train your employees on what they should do should an [incident](https://www.financedigest.com/london-stock-exchange-sees-first-trading-halt-in-4-years-blue-chips-spared.html) occur. Just as you have a proper fire procedure, you should have a disaster recovery procedure which everyone is aware of. Which brings us onto…

**Insure Yourselves**

While building [insurance will cover](https://www.financedigest.com/understanding-the-different-types-of-car-insurance-covers.html "Understanding The Different Types Of Car Insurance Covers") the costs for any physical damage, it does not cover against losses of income that the business would otherwise have made had the conditions been normal and the [incident](https://www.financedigest.com/london-stock-exchange-sees-first-trading-halt-in-4-years-blue-chips-spared.html) not occured. For instance, After [Storm St Jude hit Britain](https://www.financedigest.com/for-britains-chicken-farmers-brexit-and-covid-brew-a-perfect-storm.html "For Britain’s chicken farmers, Brexit and COVID brew a perfect storm") in 2013, more than 600,000 properties were without power. Hotels had to [move guests away](https://www.financedigest.com/ifrs-15-moving-away-from-short-term-fixes-is-vital-for-effective-compliance.html "IFRS 15: Moving away from short-term fixes is vital for effective compliance") and restaurants had to close in areas at the end of the energy line who were last to have their network restored. These businesses should have been able to claim for business interruption from their [insurers](https://www.financedigest.com/different-countries-different-insurance-cultures-how-insurers-can-adapt-their-products.html "insurers"). However it’s not always that simple…

**Get a Specialist Support Team**

The claims process is lengthy. It includes reviewing your company’s historic performance and anything else that could have influenced your trade. Performance of closely locating or otherwise relevant [businesses in your market](https://www.financedigest.com/global-sulfate-free-body-wash-market-business-opportunities-current-trends-growth-market-forecast-global-industry-analysis-by-2029.html "Global Sulfate Free Body Wash Market: Business Opportunities, Current Trends, Growth, Market Forecast & Global Industry Analysis By 2029") will also be examined. They will scrutinise your circumstances to, put simply, try to pay you as little as possible, [working with a team of professionals to check you have met all of the conditions of your policy](https://www.financedigest.com/beijing-nervously-returns-to-work-as-china-doubles-down-on-zero-covid-policy.html "Beijing nervously returns to work as China doubles down on ‘zero-COVID’ policy").

If you seek a specialist support claims consultant, they will help you along the whole process and pick up on crucial points. They will advise on the best course of action, help you to understand your circumstance, minimise further [business](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-start-a-business-in-louisiana.html) loss and assign you a [team of experts](https://www.financedigest.com/white-bullet-expands-emea-team-with-the-appointment-of-anti-piracy-and-brand-safety-experts.html "White Bullet expands EMEA team with the appointment of anti-piracy and brand safety experts") to help. They will also handle all of the paper work for you, to save you the headache, and negotiate with insurers to prevent any delays or disputes.

Today’s [supply chains](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-businesses-digitalise-supply-chains-to-meet-demand.html "How can businesses digitalise supply chains to meet demand?") are more dispersed than ever before, and your supply chain does not end with your chain – it’s far more varied. Little things can cause interruptions, but also big things that are out of your control. If you take the above steps to minimise downtime and act efficiently and reactively in the event of a disaster, your [business operations will be running](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-use-a-pos-system-to-run-your-business.html "How To Use A POS System To Run Your Business?") smoothly again in no time.


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