BUSINESS CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

Business Continuity Management (BCM) refers to a set of defined responses aimed at mitigating the impact on and ensuring the continuity of a company s operation upon the occurrence of a crisis. This manner of mitigation is introduced into Singapore in the form of the Technical Reference for Business Continuity Management (TR 19: 2005) (Spring Singapore, 2005). In today s unpredictable environment, adequate preparation is required to effectively mitigate the impacts of adverse occurrences. This study evaluates the applicability of TR 19: 2005 in the local context and introduces a checklist for reference. This research comprises of a general survey to determine the influence of BCM in large construction companies (Grade A1 and A2) and determine their responses towards possible crises. It then focused on two large construction companies to determine the differences between having and not having BCM. The objectives are to determine how responsive large construction companies are towards BCM, the crises perceived to be critical to their operations and their handling of crises in accordance with their culture. The survey results are analysed using descriptive statistics and t- tests. This is followed by interviews with two companies: one with BCM and the other without. It is concluded that there is a lack of implementation among large construction companies and greater effort is required to increase implementation. The factors: lack of awareness and inadequate personnel contributed to the cause. Companies preferred monetary advantages to the unpredictability of planning for crises that may never occur. Similarly, the role of the government in mitigating crises contributed to the lack of implementation. This suggests a reliance on the government during the occurrence of a severe crisis and BCM would be more applicable to crises like loss of company s data or an outbreak of fire locally.