Singapore companies gain insights on how to protect their business from potential risks through BCM
20 Singapore Flu Pandemic Verified companies received acknowledgement from the federation
Singapore, Monday, 25 October 2010 - The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRII), together with key industry partner NCS Pte Ltd, jointly organised a half-day seminar to raise awareness among Singapore companies on how to make their business more resilient against risks and disruptions through the practice of Business Continuity Management (BCM). This event also sought to champion the adoption of the national BCM certification standard SS540:2008 towards ensuring resilience in the local business environment.
Around 80 company representatives, with a majority representing the financial sector, heard industry experts from SBF, DRII, NCS, OCBC Bank and SP PowerGrid Ltd shed light on issues related to the theme of 'Criticality of Organizational Resilience as one of the key success factor in business'.
Twenty Singapore Flu Pandemic Verified companies from business sectors such as real estate, services, logistics received acknowledgement from the federation during the event for their commitment to business continuity (please refer to the Annex for full list of companies). SBF, as the National Focal Point for BCM, facilitated the process for these companies to attain flu pandemic verification. The federation's role included assisting companies to gain consultation and get the highly subsidized funding for the verification.
The programme was launched by SBF with the support of SPRING Singapore in October 2009, as part of the National Business Continuity Management (BCM) Programme to strengthen Singapore enterprises' resilience against the threat of business disruptions. Business Continuity Management is essential in safeguarding value-creating activities, the reputation of businesses as well as interests of stakeholders.
SBF Chief Operating Officer, Mr Victor Tay, said during his welcome speech, "Singapore has to date signed 18 regional and bilateral FTAs with 24 trading partners, making us one of the most open economies in Asia. While our extensive FTA network has increased price competitiveness in international trade, and facilitated a steady economic growth, it has also exposed Singapore to a multitude of global threats. Be they economic, natural disasters, civil unrest, epidemics or terrorism - threats are increasingly becoming a common and regular phenomenon in our cross-national business environment. The two bouts of Influenza pandemic, namely SARS in 2003 and H1N1 Influenza in 2009 illustrate the highly permeable nature of threats in the world today. According to the WHO, 'As of 30 May, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18,000 deaths'."
President of DRII, Mr Al Berman, presented on various aspects of BCM including: where BCM fits into the resiliency model; a comparison of risk management versus BCM; BCM drivers (customers, regulators); a look at regulations and standards with a discussion of corporate certification; a look at supply chain management; and the use of insurance.
Mr Berman said, "In the past twenty-two years DRI International has been an influential contributor in the development of Business Continuity Management. Like all such disciplines, there is a maturation process that results in the development of principles against which organizations can be measured. DRI International has created and maintained the Ten Professional Practices which has served as a standard for Business Continuity Programs, recognized standards and regulations around the world. The Critical Success Factors of Business Continuity Management are extracted from the DRI International standard and are meant to serve as a guidance that entities can use to help increase global preparedness."
Mr Wong Tew Kiat, Service Delivery Director / BCP Leader, NCS Group, shared research findings from NCS Business Continuity Planning Index 2010, a study done among 165 Singapore companies to assess the level of awareness and readiness in terms of business continuity. Mr Sigfried Ching, Head, Business Continuity Management, OCBC Bank, briefed participants on what makes a comprehensive business continuity management programme. Mr Ong Liong Chuan, Head (BCM & Security), SP PowerGrid Ltd, gave steps to companies on how to improve business competitiveness.
For more information on BCM related events, please contact
Ms Freda Yuin/ Mr Eady Ng
Business Continuity Management Team
Singapore Business Federation
Tel: 6827 6821/ 6827 6867
Email: bcm@sbf.org.sg
About Singapore Business Federation (SBF)
For media enquiries please contact:
Gerald De Cotta, Tel: 6827 6896
Genette Koh, Tel: 6827 6874
DRI International
Winston Poon, DRI Singapore, Tel: +65 6338 6266, Email Address: wpoon@dri-singapore.org;
web site address: www.dri-singapore.org
ABOUT DRI INTERNATIONAL
DRI International (Disaster Recovery Institute International) is a non-profit organization and a Global BCM Education and Certification Body. There are over 6000 business continuity professionals from various industries and business sectors maintaining DRI International certifications worldwide.
Since 1988, it set the standard for professionalism in business continuity planning and provided the profession's premier certification and education programs. DRI International is the oldest, the largest, and the most broad-based organization of its kind in the world. For more than 20 years, the organization has certified in excess of 7,500 BCM professional in 95 countries and conducted training in more than 40 of those nations.
DRI International offers education in BCM at major industry events and through the corporate training program. The organization's International Affiliates ensure that BCM best practice is taught and available throughout the world.
ABOUT NCS Pte Ltd
NCS Pte Ltd is a leading infocomm technology (ICT) and communications engineering service provider with more than 7,000 staff located in more than 10 countries across the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions. With proven expertise in consulting, development, systems integration, outsourcing, infrastructure management and solutions for government and commercial organisations across the region, NCS delivers end-to-end suite of solutions to meet every organisation's technology needs.
Headquartered in Singapore, NCS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SingTel Group. For more information, please visit www.ncs.com.sg
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