Orange Company Business Continuity - Case Study Example

Insert Your Name Here Subject: Business Title: Orange Company Business Continuity Date: 7th April 2010 Table of Contents Critical Analysis of Operator Environment and stake holder Analysis ………………..3 Critical activities and an assessment of maximum tolerable period of disruption………3 Orange Time Recovery Objectives ……………………………………………………..4 Critical Dependencies …………………………………………………………………..5 Strategies for maintaining critical activities/dependencies ……………………………..7 Critical Dependency Monitoring Arrangements ………………………………………..8 Plan invocation arrangements……………………………………………………………8 Generic response arrangements for managing disruption ……………………………….9 A media strategy for internal and external stakeholders …………………………………9 Plan development, review and training arrangements ……………………………………10 Arrangements for embedding the plan into the day to day management systems -and organization culture ……………………………..……………………………………11 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………….12 References …………………………………………………………………………………...13 Critical Analysis of Operator Environment and stake holder Analysis The Orange Network Organization is a private Company that is owned by France Telecom. It has operation in many places over the world and these include 13 countries in Europe, 17 countries in Africa and 6 countries in the Caribbean. The Company started in 1994 under Hutchinson Telecom in UK and France Telecom bought it in 2000. The company also offers internet services as a major provider and its services were rebranded to Orange from the brand “Wanadoo”. The company has over 180 million subscribers in the world. In some countries, they franchise the brand to other telecommunication companies and through these channels; they are able to penetrate scores of people over the world. The company has been awarded as the best mobile broadband service provider in the UK among other awards. Most of the business empires that the Orange organization has tried to conquer have been acquired through mergers of complete purchase by the company. This shows that the business has large amounts of money that is usually set aside for expansion and investing in new areas. They are also equipped in systems that help them adopt to new markets faster amid competition from existing partners. Critical activities and an assessment of maximum tolerable period of disruption The critical services that are offered by the Orange organization include mobile phone communication network. The company research shows that there are over 170 million constant customers who communicate using the orange communication network. This shows that if the entire company was to stall for a moment, at least 170 million in the world would be disconnected and this would lead to a very big loss. It is due to this reason that The Orange Company has put in place systems that ensure that every country and every region has a separate and independent network service so that they can handle mishaps like loss of network and poor frequency. The other critical service that the Orange Company offers is Internet service. In the present times, most of the people are internet savvy and they do their business online. Communication has also gone online and most of the people are communication through emails and instant messages. Other people use the orange internet service for e-learning and teleconferencing. Other people receive radio frequency through the internet while other people’s businesses are wholly reliant on the internet. This is a very delicate service and a hitch in the internet network could lead to loss of millions by people who are either trading forex online or people who are negotiating business online. It is due to this reason that Orange has divided its internet service provision departments according to certain jurisdictions like countries and metropolitans. This ensures that problems are solved faster and that all their customers are not affected by a hitch in one part of the world. Orange Time Recovery Objectives For the mobile communications network, Orange sets a recovery time objective of 1 hour. Their systems are set up in a way that they are always sure that they can receive information about low frequency or stalled network either due to jammed network systems or electronic hitches and they can manage to correct the same within the hour. Orange has set up toll free calling lines that are meant for trouble shooting by the customers. In case an individual customer or a certain region is experiencing communication problems, the subscribers can always call the Orange call centers. For the internet network, Orange sets a recovery time Objective of three hours. This is because internet connection hitches could at times be caused by the quality of the user’s computer. To scrutinize the situation and come up with a solution to low or dead internet frequencies, Orange is always sure that their systems can handle such problems within three hours. This is enough time for them to test their relaying process and to analyze the frequencies that the customer routers are receiving. The Orange Network Organization has set up call centers that are always on 24 hours a day. These call centers can be accessed through toll free lines that are known to the Orange subscribers. Through this channel, Orange receives first hand information from their customers about hitches within their networks and since they have enough staff, they manage to check and rectify the faults within the recovery time objective that is set for either service. Since Orange has a large subscriber Network, Their call centers have many agents so that their customers do not have to wait when they are reporting problems. Orange has also set up emergency response teams that are always alert and equipped to handle any hitches within the network (Goh, 2005). Critical Dependencies Due to the wide subscriber network, Orange has customers who do all sorts of Jobs over the internet and over the cell phone network. Some of these include: Information Technology Technicians – Most of the people who use Orange internet service are people who work online or people who are affiliated to IT jobs within the internet network. Some of the jobs that are likely to be carried out include creation of business systems and software as well as development of databases and websites for various companies. Since most of the IT jobs involve computers, the technicians communicate through the internet service while they also market their wares through the same channel. People who work as virtual assistants and call center agents also work via the internet which is their mainstream source of incomes. Some of the most thriving businesses in the world are transacted online. These include e-commerce jobs like eBay and facebook. Some companies also make money by doing online research and analysis and with all these jobs relying on internet service provision, the Orange Network Company owes all the clients a duty of ensuring that the internet is always up and running and at swift speeds. Buildings – Due to the increasing rate of insecurity, buildings have adopted new security systems where people are scanned as they enter and leave buildings. The security systems are connected through internet systems while the security administrators are connected on the orange communications network. In case the internet and communication systems fail, such buildings will be paralyzed and they will either be forced to conduct the security procedures manually or to look for alternative network providers for backup. People – Orange has a subscriber base of over 180 million. All these people rely on the company’s communication system everyday for their business transactions and other forms of communications. In case the systems went down for a minute, at least a third of these people would either lose business or even fail to save lives. This shows how critical it is to be a communication service provider of a very wide subscriber base. Some of the companies are dealers and investors who have franchised the business while other deal with the services of the company. If the company halts, all the investors will lose their equities and this is the reason why Orange sets up control, systems that ensure independence within certain lines of operations and jurisdictions. Vehicles – Due to the improvement of information systems, the security firms that offer cash in transit services keep track of their vehicles using the Orange internet systems. They can always track their vehicles using the 3G technology. Individuals also install vehicle tracking systems on their vehicles so that they can track their vehicles in case they are stolen (Orange, 2010). Strategies for maintaining critical activities/dependencies For the Orange company, the managements is always aware that there could a rise a situation where a certain network is paralyzed or a certain department underperforms and requires closing down for repair. They have also seen entire businesses going down because of a single hitch and since they would not want to follow that trend, they choose to implement business continuity systems that ensure that the business continues providing its services in other areas even when a certain area is affected. They have a plan of maintaining critical dependencies even in times when they are faced by emergencies. This is done by quick installation of back up systems or a double installation of network systems that are independent of each other. The plan is mainly implemented for the clients who are critical like hospitals and buildings and it includes: Buildings – If more than 2 buildings are faced by a dead network problem, the Orange company implements the plan so that they can reinstall the processes that are run using the network within the buildings. Vehicles – If 10 vehicles are affected by a dead or poor network problem, the Orange Company is forced to implement the plan since it could lead to more vehicles being involved in the same problem. People – If an area with more than 100000 people has a problem of network, the plan should be implemented to serve as backup while the Orange Company rectifies the initial problem. This is because the figure indicates that the problem is voluptuous and therefore it should not be ignored. Critical Dependency Monitoring Arrangements The Orange Company is always considerate of the critical clients who are adversely affected in case their network frequency is poor or down. They always have a way of monitoring these critical areas that include having a direct line to the client’s location. The client is also able to contact the Orange Company through that line for trouble shooting purposes. In case the company cannot manage the problem within the time recovery objective, they set up a plan that involves outsourcing from another company to ensure that the critical dependency is controlled. The company foots the bill of the outsourced service while they rectify their service. In a scenario where the dependencies are many, the company has an account that is set aside for emergencies and they foot the bills on behalf of the clients. The company has spelt out procedures that are used for systems recovery in case there are poor frequencies or no reception of frequencies at all. Plan invocation arrangements Orange maintains a group of close allies who are involved in the implementation of the emergency plans. These allies are the same companies that are given contracts by Orange to install their systems or to develop correction systems that will be used in case of emergencies. During an emergency when network frequency is low, Orange is assisted by these companies in implementing their emergency plan. With such a team by their side, the Orange Company is always sure that they can implement a continuity plan in case their systems are down. In a case where the business experiences sever problems, the company has a number of competitors with whom they maintain good business relationships. This is done to ensure that they refer their critical dependencies to these companies in case their continuity plan fails (Group, 2010). Generic response arrangements for managing disruption The company has a crisis planning team that takes care of all the logistics that are involved in managing a crisis. There is the incidence response team that takes care of the critical dependencies. There is the business continuity team that communicates to all the customers and partners in the business within the first day of the emergency. This is meant to give the stand of the company concerning the crisis and to give an assurance of the measures that the business is planning to implement for continuity. It is also meant to control the situation to avoid panics in case there is an emergency. There is a recovery team that monitors the business recovery process. This team is equipped to ensure that they realize the mistakes that lead to the loss and to ensure that they do not repeat the same mistakes again. This is the most important team since it is meant to give life again to the ailing department of the Orange Company. A media strategy for internal and external stakeholders The Orange Company has a public relations department that is meant to give precise information about the measures that the company is taking in case there is an emergency or any situation arises. This is meant to clear the air off any rumors that could be spreading either from competitors or from other sources. For the internal stake holders, the company always organizes for briefing meetings where all the stakeholders are updated on the progress that the company is making in the continuity process. For the external stake holders, the public relations team has a system that they use to inform the media to attend press releases and media briefings on the position of the company in case there is a situation. The respective authorities with in the jurisdiction offer a precise stand of the business to eliminate panic and doubts from the external stakeholders. Plan development, review and training arrangements In development of the Orange Continuity plan, there are a number of aspects that are involved and these include: The development itself requires a team of experts who will speed up the process without overlooking any details. This is an easy process since it is mainly carried out by the professionals who had set up the company systems in the first place. Experience ensures that they work faster and they eliminate any mistakes. A plan review by the team. This serves as an orientation for the plan. The review gives the team a chance to recognize hitches before the plan embarks. This ensures that there is smooth flow of the implementation process. The Orange Company always has funds that are set up for improvement of their systems in case a continuity plan is being implemented. These funds are meant to finance an upgrade of the systems to the latest available technology and this ensures that the company keeps up with the pace of the clients in terms of technological developments. In case there are new systems and machinery that is likely to be installed, swift trainings are done on the continuity plan team to make every member of the team conversant with the new systems. This also ensures that the recovery team teaches the technical team that is in charge of the day to day running of the systems how to operate the upgraded systems. Due to the complexity that is involved in relaying communication and internet networks, the company also provides for a situation where they bring in network experts from other companies as new members of the team. The company organizes for the training of these new members. Arrangements for embedding the plan into the day to day management systems and organization culture The greatest and most involving part of the Orange continuity plan is the incorporation into the day to day activities of the business. This includes interlinking the new plan with other networks for centralized administration. It also involves tuning the systems at the clients premises and testing the networks frequently to ensure that connection speeds are in order. IN case the company has introduced upgraded systems, they are also forced to teach their staff members how to use the new systems to offer better services. This is the process that ensures that the business gets back on its feet again and it is taken with utmost seriousness by the company. It involves training and allocation of new duties. It also involves constant tests and constant communications with the clients. These processes are meant to collect information about the performances of the continuity plan that is implemented. The continuity plan also requires sometime before it is tune to fit in with the Orange organization culture. The Orange Company provides for this too and since the continuity plan might require more money for implementation, the company is always ready to foot these costs. The company also allows time for the plan to stabilize in the business environment. Conclusion The Orange Company has a viable continuity plan that has all details that are necessary to reinstate the company incase their services are faced by a temporary hitch. The company has spelt out its emergency measures and it also aims to improve the performance while installing the continuity plan. The company maintains a team of experienced professions who act swiftly in implementing the continuation plan. This team is mainly meant to handle cases where the critical dependants are left without connection. However, the team always ensures that it carries out tests to prevent unforeseen occurrences that would lead to stalling of business. References 1. Goh, M. H. (2005). Developing recovery strategy for your business continuity plan. BCM Institute. 2. Group, O. I. (2010). Business Continuity Solutions. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Orange Information systems Group: http://www.orangeis.com/services/solutions/business_continuity_solutions/ 3. Orange. (2010). launching of telecommuting solutions for companies in the event of a pandemic. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Orange : http://www.orange.com/en_EN/responsibility/care/security/achievements.jsp Read More