See also:

A message from Alan Hutton, president of FundSERV: Reducing risk is an integral part of FundSERV's mission

Redundant connectivity to bring greater reliability

New CFO recalls logic behind FundSERV

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Changes at FundSERV

Production freeze dates

FundSERV Network Performance

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By Chris Whitside

"Although experts are constantly sounding the alarm about impending disaster and the need for disaster planning, most companies still don't get it." That was one of the key messages from the 16th World Conference on Disaster Management held in Toronto in June. Despite warnings from the World Health Organization that new strains of avian flu could incapacitate sixty per cent of workers; despite the June arrests in Toronto of alleged, would-be bombers; and despite a deadly run of natural and man-made disasters, too few businesses today are prepared — or even giving these issues much serious thought. A recent Conference Board of Canada survey indicated 80 per cent of Canadian businesses lack a plan to deal with an outbreak of avian flu and only four per cent have a complete preparedness plan. FundSERV managers attending the Disaster Management Conference were heartened to learn their company was among the very few doing their homework.

"Obviously, as the hub of Canada's investment fund network, it's an absolute necessity for FundSERV to be available to the companies who count on us during an emergency," says Carol Walker, FundSERV's director of industry relations and corporate communications and chair of the company's emergency management team (EMT). "Even so, it's a little scary to think so many other companies are giving so little consideration to disaster planning."

The EMT is just one facet of FundSERV's overall business continuity and disaster recovery plan. It was established to develop response plans for threats identified through a business impact analysis. Ian Cook, CFO and vice president of corporate services, and Amir Jafri, vice president of technology serve as executive sponsors of the team, which includes David Purewal, director of internal audit; Geoff Fox, senior manager of project and portfolio management; Judy Webb, director of human resources and administration; Alex von Tiesenhausen, director of networking; Eric Lim, senior manager of accounting; and Harry Gundy, senior manager of customer relations and business analysis.

Many of the emergency response plans borrow elements from the best practices of other organizations, such as the City of Toronto. The rest is the result of imagining every disaster scenario.

"The SARS scare three years ago gave Toronto a bit of a head start in thinking about epidemics," says Walker. "But now we have to think beyond that and consider what would happen if it was worse. What if we lose not only sick employees, but people staying home to care for sick families? How do we protect staff from illness, and how do we keep people informed? These are the types of things we've been looking at."

As expert after expert at the Disaster Management conference warned, however, the question of a business and life threatening disaster is not whether or not it could happen, but when. Survival will favour those who are prepared.

"We learned that FundSERV is definitely on the right track," says Fox. "We've completed our business impact analysis and our business continuity plan. They will be part of all FundSERV planning from now on. Our disaster plan, though, is a living, breathing plan that will never be finished because new threats and new responses are always evolving. Planning and testing — that's the new business as usual."

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