Is your hospitality business prepared for an internet outage?

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy’s ‘Think Ahead’ campaign helps businesses prepare for emergencies

Global developments are increasing the likelihood of an emergency. An emergency can have consequences, such as a nationwide internet outage. An internet outage could bring your hospitality business to a standstill. Guest bookings and orders placed with suppliers can no longer be processed; guest orders cannot be taken digitally; receipts cannot be printed; and card terminals stop working.

Script

To help businesses prepare for emergencies and their consequences, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is running the campaign “Will your business keep running in an emergency?”. At denkvooruit.nl/bedrijven, you can create a unique contingency plan for your business. This ensures that, in the event of an emergency, you know exactly what to do, who is responsible for what, and how to learn from the experience. Every contingency plan is unique, but the steps are the same. This allows you to identify, for your business, your supply chain and your local area, what you can prepare in advance, what you need to do during an emergency and how you can learn from the experience afterwards.

Good preparation

To ensure your business can continue to operate in an emergency, thorough preparation is essential. During the preparation phase of the contingency plan, you set out all the essential basic information: the contact details of key staff members, the technical details of critical IT systems, and the arrangements made with supply chain partners and neighbours. You should also include the emergency communication channels and manual procedures. Tip: Always print out the contingency plan so that it is immediately available in a safe place, even in the event of a power cut.

During an emergency

In this section of your contingency plan, you describe exactly what you will do during an emergency. The contingency plan includes specific questionnaires and checklists for this purpose, which you will complete at the time. You will then tick off whether everyone is safe, note down who is in charge and record any (unforeseen) adjustments you need to make to your plan immediately.

Learning process

After the crisis, use the evaluation pages to record how the arrangements worked in practice. You can then use the lessons you note down here to adapt and update the standard sections of your contingency plan for the future.

A contingency plan helps you prepare your business for an emergency. Get started quickly and easily with your contingency plan at denkvooruit.nl/bedrijven.