Crisis management
as a business continuity management task force
Carrying out all the measures planned in BCM requires various decision-making levels throughout the company depending on the level of severity. In theory, a distinction is made between incident, emergency and crisis, which result in different escalation levels and measures.
BCM not only means that crisis management is prepared but also constantly active. Existing plans are played out preventatively and the required action trained.
An important aim here is to intercept the typical panic experienced in extraordinary, emotional situations through a targeted, structured approach. This primarily affects efficient working information and communication management, which delivers clear orientation in the company as well as during contact with the press and other bodies.
Experience has shown that the effectiveness of crisis management is also determined by certain soft skills, the extent of which depends on the respective leadership and error culture.
Details on dealing with incidents, emergencies and crises
Emergency/crisis management is based on the specific action level for many almost incomparable situations between which the company must differentiate based on their local, technical, organisational and personal impacts. Therefore, crisis management structures, organisation and measures may not only differ greatly from company to company but also from department to department.
For effective crisis management, the subsidiarity principle can be applied – as long as communication channels and escalation routines are open and consistent. In practice, incidents or emergencies mostly happen spontaneously and unexpectedly, but can quickly result in fatal crises through chain reactions. This can only be effectively counteracted when personal feelings are not involved.
The effectiveness of a company’s active processes in risk management, business continuity management and crisis management depends on various applicable norms, standards and statutory requirements.
Emergency: Something that happens without warning and has the potential to cause serious damage. Alongside mandatory statutory measures (fire safety, first aid) that concentrate on staff safety, emergency management focuses on the coordination of all necessary measures to prevent or reduce damage to the company.
Crisis: Unlike an emergency, a crisis is an extreme situation that threatens continued existence. Lives, wellbeing, key processes and sites are on the line. Therefore, tackling any such situation requires additional structures and resources. Furthermore, these must be closely intertwined so that the company can prepare for upcoming challenges.
DMW’s role
DMW provides crisis management advice from the perspective of commercial insurance management. From an insurance perspective, the consequences of a crisis can be made more manageable in advance through risk management and risk transfer. In this regard, DMW supports the company in developing preventative measures.
At DMW, support in developing a BCM strategy and crisis management consulting are designed to suit the customer’s situation and needs.
- We are convinced that prevention is better than cure
- We provide proactive advice in advance of problems that could impair process stability
- We take economic efficiency into account when advising on BC measures for crisis management