Preparing for a crisis: practical guidance for food businesses

What do you do if the power supply fails for an extended period? Or if internet and telephony are unavailable for days at a time? And how should you act if the Netherlands becomes involved in a military conflict? For these situations, VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland have developed a resilience guide. The document helps companies and industry organisations better prepare for major disruptions.

The guide was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Its aim is to provide entrepreneurs with concrete guidance to take steps now towards greater resilience. The recommendations are not mandatory and allow room for individual judgement.

Three defined scenarios

The guide focuses on three scenarios: a power outage (72 hours or longer), the loss of internet and telephony (72 hours or longer), and a situation in which the Netherlands becomes involved in a military conflict. These scenarios have been selected by the government as a starting point.

For each scenario, the guide describes what preparations companies can make. The approach is practical in nature and works step by step towards measures that fit the organisation.

Focus on people and processes

The guide pays attention, among other things, to employee safety. It also addresses which individuals within an organisation are critical and how they remain reachable when communication systems fail. In addition, it looks at the role of suppliers and the reliance on ICT systems.

The examples in the guide are intended as inspiration. Companies can adapt these to their own situation. Industry organisations are given the opportunity to further tailor the example measures to their sector.

Reason: deteriorating security situation

The guide was prompted by the deteriorating international security situation. According to the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security, the question is not whether major disruptions will occur, but when. VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland call on entrepreneurs, companies and industry organisations to actively work with the guidance from the guide and to consider how they can respond to changes in demand for products and services during prolonged crisis situations.

Vno-ncw.nl