CRISIS MANAGEMENT FEATURE
Up and running Operationally, we prioritised the industrial cleaning of the enforcement equipment, computers and the control room. Patrol staff were back on foot the following day and the processing team were housed in a temporary offi ce the day after. The parking shop at Slough provides a focal point for the community to address any parking queries and it’s an important part of the operation.
The impact of the arson attack meant it was unable to be opened for public use, although all other aspects of the operation were up and running within 48 hours. Recognising the importance of a customer focused operation, VINCI Park set about transporting its fully fi tted-out temporary parking offi ce to the site at Slough. The business has this facility available as a contingency measure in the event that incidents of this nature occur. The temporary Portakabin-style offi ce is pre-fi tted with all IT equipment, which enabled the offi ce and processing staff to use temporary computers and continue their day-to-day duties. Importantly, data loss is prevented as all information was hosted at a secure off-site location and backed-up securely. The full protection of data helped to ensure operations were able to re-commence quickly, with little or no disruption. In the meantime, VINCI Park’s facilities team set about coordinating the full refurbishment and repair of the damaged offi ces, which were offi cially reopened just three weeks after the incident happened. With the recovery of external services in hand, internal operations were prioritised next, with vehicles, phone lines, computers and specialist machinery all replaced within the week.
A valuable lesson Following the incident, long-term onsite security guards were arranged and the provision of after-dark security lighting was increased. Further to this, all vehicles are now moved to a secure site when not in use. VINCI Park has taken the lessons learnt from Slough and applied them to its operations nationwide. As a result, security at all similar parking shops and offi ces has been reviewed, and where
www.britishparking.co.uk
needed, changes have been made. Communication remains absolutely
key. It is also vital that staff on the ground feel well equipped to handle unexpected incidents. As a result, VINCI Park places a strong emphasis on quality training for staff and a signifi cant amount of training time is invested per staff member. A structured, award-winning programme has been put into place to ensure all staff are absolutely equipped to handle any situation they may be presented with. During a crisis such as an arson attack, it is imperative that managers remain fl exible and that staff are empowered to make quick and necessary decisions where required.
A strong communication
strategy is key when dealing with any unforeseen incident
Incidents such as this are unfortunate and largely unpredictable. The most important thing for a private parking operator is to ensure that service disruption is at an absolute minimum. In order to achieve this, a structured emergency plan needs to be in place, understood by those who will be involved in implementing it, and executed quickly and effectively. The team at Slough never expected to experience an incident of this type, but having a plan in place enabled a smoother and quicker recovery. Although incidents of this type are luckily rare, it is important for clients to examine an operator’s contingency plans as part of the tender process. In this case, the deployment of a rapid range of emergency measures was made faster because a clear disaster recovery plan, which detailed the necessary steps to take, was already in place. In our experience, when discussing contract requirements, too little emphasis is placed on how private operators can and will react to potential issues, and this can be detrimental in the event of a sudden crisis. A muddled and disorganised recovery strategy will lead to signifi cant disruption, impact on revenue and cause longer-term damage to reputation. Overall, while it is impossible to predict when an incident of this nature may occur, planning for potential issues is vital and should never be overlooked. At Slough, VINCI Park’s prioritisation of actions and detailed contingency plan laid the foundations for a fast recovery.
JUNE 2012 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52