Robust Business Continuity Program Helps To Maintain Operations In The Face Of Crisis

By Niclas Johansson, Business Continuity Management Leader, Cytiva, formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences and Niklas Signer, Upstream Security of Supply Program Leader, Cytiva, formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences

As we began 2020, no one could have foreseen that just a few weeks into the year, we would be facing a pandemic threatening unprecedented damage to human health and the world economy. Businesses are currently grappling with disrupted supply chains, restrictions (and even shutdowns) in air travel and freight, and serious challenges in meeting their day-to-day business objectives and longer-term financial obligations.ⁱ

In facing such an unanticipated situation, it is crucial to have strong protocols and programs in place that will allow business operations to take place uninterrupted, or as close to normal as possible. This is where a proactive business continuity management (BCM) program can make a significant impact in securing supply, reducing risks and downtime, and maintaining quality in manufacturing operations.