How to create a working BCP plan – what does TLC do?

The Laptop Company supplies and maintains device fleets for critical services including emergency services, DHBs, local and central government agencies, and utility providers.  For these teams, as well as the companies that depend on us for their own resilience, we have developed and tested a business continuity plan that works for us in the real world.  Given this is New Zealand, we have had the benefit of experience, activating our BCP for events including the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, as well as the lockdowns of 2020-21.  Here's what we have implemented to help mitigate as many of the health and commercial risks as possible, so we can continue to provide consistent services to our customer community while keeping our team as safe as possible.

The following provides some guidance on what we do, and why.

Operations:

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1. Work from Home. 
   All employees that can work from home are equipped to do so.  We sell laptops, so for us this is straight-forward.  Internet access, desktop accessories and their ability to accommodate a workspace are all factors we worked with.
2. Cloud services. 
   We have migrated a number of services that we use operationally to support our customers from on-premises to the cloud.  This reduces our dependence on servers at our premises and their uptime for delivering and supporting critical teams.
3. Duplication of capabilities.
   By having multiple employees who have the training and access rights necessary to fulfil critical roles, we provide operation redundancy for critical roles.
4. Duplication of facilities.
   With service operations in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, we provide the capability to divert service and maintenance jobs between our locations in the event any location needs to close or isolate.  We also run duplicate teams split between our Auckland and Wellington offices for managing customer device fleets, with team members who are equipped for work from home
5. Split workforce.
   In our Wellington HQ, essential operations teams are split by floor.  Team members do not travel to other floors, share communal spaces with team members from other floors or meet with them physically.  Critical roles have duplicate capabilities split team members on different floors. 
   ​This helps prevent an infection on one floor from spreading across our HQ.
6. 100% vaccinated workforce.
   Much like 95% of the eligible population, each of our team members have sought to be vaccinated to help protect themselves, as well as those around them. 
7. Mask usage and good hygiene.
   Mask wearing is required for all visitors, and our team members are masked for the safety of visitors.  Masks and hand-sanitiser are available at each of our locations for visitors.  Where our employees are required to be present on-site at a customer location, mask usage and adherence with any additional guidelines set out by the customer apply.
8. Restricted Access and the Vaccine Pass.
   During the Red light setting, all visitors, including couriers and suppliers, are required to present a valid Vaccine Pass as a condition of entry to our locations.  Access under the Red light is via prior appointment, which enables us to provide separation between customers in common spaces.
9. Car-pooling for essential on-site staff.
   Public transport is a risk for virus transmission, because of this, most operators will be running at reduced capacity to increase physical distancing.  This creates capacity issues that can affect riders.  To reduce the exposure of essential on-site staff in our fulfilment and service teams, we have implemented a car-pooling arrangement.  This is based on floor-separated team membership and geography.  By car-pooling, team members can reduce their exposure to the public while minimising their impact on traffic volumes.

Supply chain:

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Covid has disrupted supply chains, and its impact overseas has been felt in New Zealand.  We have created additional supply chain redundancy and capacity through:

1. Duplicate supplier sources for key brands.
   If one source needs to lockdown, we have alternative options.
2. Sourcing from supply chains outside of Auckland, as well as within Auckland.
   This reduces our exposure to local regional lockdowns.
3. The use of multiple redundant courier and freight suppliers.
   This reduces our dependence on supplier workplaces remaining unaffected.
4. Advanced forecasting for our customers.
   This helps our customers secure stock from the factory.
5. Active supply chain management.
   Allows us to source stock from alternative distributors when required through stock and supply chain monitoring within their operations.
6. Increasing our stock holdings.
   Allows us to ship in-demand devices directly without depending on global and national supply chains.

​What can you do?

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1. Equip your team members for work from home. 
   This includes suitable computers setups, system access, internet, security, and support.  If your workplace has specific requirements for desk setups and ergonomics, these will likely apply for employees at home too.  Contact us if you need assistance doing this – we have been helping many organisations on this.
2. Reduce single points of failure in your team. 
   If you have individuals who perform functions that cannot be done by anyone else, then you cannot afford for them to become sick. Identify your team’s single points of failure and get suitably skilled peers from within their team to upskill to take on their responsibilities in the event of illness. 
3. Create split teams for critical functions. 
   If your entire staff becomes ill, your business is too.  Splitting teams by floors, locations or by on/off days can help your team members create redundancy and reduce the spread of illness. If one team becomes ill or needs to isolate, your other team can fill in the gaps.
4. Plan your procurement and communicate with your suppliers. 
   Just-in-time delivery of things that your business needs is the ideal in normal times - but it creates the risk of late or non-delivery when supply chains are compromised.  We have been working with multiple organisations who have discussed their requirements and timelines with us.  This in turn allows us to forecast and secure stock from the factory, instead of depending on distribution networks alone.  A firm customer order is prioritised at the factory for most industries.
5. Create some room. 
   All plans go out the window if you don’t have the resources to fulfil your requirements.  For us, this meant increasing stock holdings, for you it could mean increasing staff levels for critical activities, reassessing project timelines, increasing cash reserves, or holding spare equipment.
6. Follow Ministry of Health advice. 
   Much of the rest of the world has been impacted economically and individually by Covid-19.  The actions taken by New Zealanders to date have reduced the impact, and reduced spread throughout our communities.  With good luck and good judgment, we will be well placed for a post-Covid world. 

Want to know how we can help, or need to know more?

Click the Contact us button, speak to your account manager or call us: 

0800 527 867