Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1236528
54 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2020 in place to protect businesses against scenarios exactly like COVID-19, and if you don't have one, develop one right now. The last update to your plan was probably a few years ago to ad- dress cybersecurity and IT threats, but it prob- ably does not consider the unique consequenc- es of a biological threat like this. We weathered past virus pandemics such as the H1N1 swine flu with virtually no disruption in business or supply chain. Your business continuity plan needs to be updated to consider the effects of a biochemi- cal threat on both your ability to manufacture products and the impact on the supplier chain, especially if it is global. Service companies can typically let employees work remotely, but workers have to physically show up to manu- facture products. Some of the questions that need to be asked and addressed when updat- ing your business continuity plan include: • Are we protecting our employees while they are at work? • Are we taking any special sterile and PPE precautions for employees to entering, working in, and exiting the building? • Have we identified the business functions that can work remotely and those that are mission-critical to be physically present? – Can those be isolated and still be effective? • Do all of our suppliers have their own business continuity plans? – Do we have a copy? – Are we protected? • Do we have backup suppliers located in different cities/states/countries? • Do we have agreements with any competitors to build our product if we have to shut down operations? Use this time for supply chain integration strategies from an internal and external per- spective to prepare your enterprise to lead "Your business continuity plan needs to be updated to consider the effects of a biochemical threat on both your ability to manufacture products and the impact on the supplier chain— especially if it is global."