As corporate Jamaica becomes more adept at putting disaster preparedness contingencies in place during the hurricane season, and takes steps to mitigate other natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) has gone one step further to upgrade its Business Continuity Plan (BCP).
 
During the past few months, the Society carried out an intensive planning exercise, under the guidance of Business Continuity Consultants R and J Turnbull Ltd. of Barbados, to prepare employees to carry out the organisation’s new Business Continuity Plan, Llewelyn Bailey, Assistant General Manager, stated.
 
“We are now better prepared to deal with major disruptions, after members of the management team were familiarised with the organisation’s BCP,” he explained, “as the plan lays out a framework for us to continue or efficiently restore our critical functions after a disruption; and it also equips us to continue operating through or following a disaster.”
 
Mr. Bailey noted that BCP eliminates or minimizes disruptions, and after participating in a “fire drill” exercise, the value of this type of planning was brought home to members of the JN team.
 
“Business Continuity Consultant Bob Turnbull, who assessed the JNBS operations over a three-month period and produced the new BCP, said that he was very pleased with the management of the mock exercise, as it demonstrated that lessons were learned,” Mr. Bailey pointed out.
 
He further stated that, “Every organization, regardless of size, needs a Business Continuity Plan and we are satisfied that Jamaica National is on the right path.”