Premises
The place where work is performed, customers are served, goods are stored or employees coordinate operations.
What would stop if the main premises, one floor or one access route became unavailable?
The operating chain
What must remain available for the business to operate?
The answer may include physical assets, access, outside services and the organisations around the business.
Equipment and plant
Machinery, production equipment, refrigeration, tools, office equipment and specialist devices used to deliver the work.
Which item would be difficult to repair, replace, recalibrate or obtain quickly?
Stock and materials
Finished goods, raw materials, work in progress, packaging and customer goods or equipment held for repair, storage, processing or service.
When during the year is the value or concentration of stock highest?
Utilities and outside services
Electricity, gas, water, telecommunications and other services may be supplied from outside the business premises.
Which service failure would stop operations, and how long could the business continue without it?
Suppliers, processors and customers
The business may rely on another organisation to supply components, process goods, manufacture equipment or receive a significant part of its output.
Which outside organisation would be difficult to replace quickly?
Customers, visitors and contractors
People may enter the premises, use facilities or leave property with the business.
Where could an injury or property damage allegation arise even when the business own property is unaffected?
For an office based business, the critical dependency may be access, electricity, telecommunications, records or an outside service rather than machinery.
How disruption spreads
One incident can move through the business in stages
Not every incident follows the same path. The sequence shows where the effect may continue after the first event.
Incident
Something happens at the premises, nearby or through an outside provider.
What cannot be used
A location, item, stock or service becomes unavailable.
What work is restricted
Staff cannot access, produce, serve, deliver or communicate normally.
Revenue and costs
Revenue may fall while expenses and recovery costs continue.
Effect on others
A customer, visitor, neighbour or another organisation may also be affected.
Recovery
Normal output and customer activity may take longer to return than the immediate repair.
The visible damage is only the starting point. Each stage should be considered separately.
Three business questions
Separate the incident into three practical questions
Start with what is unavailable, what the business can no longer do normally and who else may have been affected.
1
What can no longer be used?
- Which location, equipment, stock, service or customer property is unavailable?
- What wider task or process depends on it?
- Is there a practical substitute or another place to work?
- How long will inspection, repair, replacement and testing take?
Why this matters: A small item can stop a large part of the operation when there is no practical alternative.
2
What can the business no longer do normally?
- Can customers still be served?
- Which work, orders or deliveries may be delayed?
- Which expenses continue while activity slows?
- What temporary arrangements or extra costs may arise?
- How long might customer activity and revenue take to return?
Why this matters: The business may reopen before output and revenue return to normal.
3
Who else has been affected?
- Was anyone injured?
- Was another person's property damaged?
- Did the incident spread beyond the business own area or equipment?
- What records and evidence are available?
- Is responsibility clear or still being examined?
Why this matters: Another person's involvement does not automatically establish responsibility. It does require careful attention to the facts and the possible business impact.
These questions organise the first review. They do not determine responsibility or insurance response.
Incident situations
How an incident can affect the business
Each situation starts with what happened and follows the possible effect through the operation. You do not need complete answers. An unclear answer may identify an area that deserves closer review.
A sprinkler pipe bursts overnight. Water reaches office equipment, stock and part of the customer area.
Possible impact
- part of the premises may be unsafe or unusable
- stock or equipment may need inspection, cleaning, repair or replacement
- staff may be unable to work normally
- customer appointments or orders may be delayed
- rent, wages and other fixed expenses may continue
- neighbouring units or property belonging to customers may also be affected
If only part of the premises can be used, which activities can continue and which ones stop?
A machine used for a key production or service process develops an internal fault and cannot be used.
Possible impact
- one stage of production may stop while other parts of the business remain open
- unfinished work may accumulate
- customer delivery dates may be missed
- urgent repair, replacement, rental or outsourced work may cost more
- a replacement machine may require import, installation, testing or recalibration
- quality and output may take time to return after operations restart
How long can the business continue without this machine before customers or revenue are affected?
A serious incident occurs in a nearby building. The business's own premises are not damaged, but staff and customers cannot enter the area.
Possible impact
- work may stop even though the business's own property is intact
- stock, records or equipment inside the premises may be inaccessible
- appointments, deliveries and customer visits may be cancelled
- temporary working arrangements may be needed
- revenue may fall while normal expenses continue
- customers may move to another provider if the disruption lasts
Can the business continue from another location, remotely or through a reduced service model?
Electricity, water or a critical supplier becomes unavailable after an incident at an external location.
Possible impact
- production, refrigeration, payment systems or communications may stop
- stock may deteriorate or orders may be delayed
- alternative supply may be available only at a higher cost
- staff may remain available but unable to perform their normal work
- customer commitments may be missed
- the business may depend on an external recovery timeline it cannot control
Which external provider has no practical substitute, and how long would it take to switch?
A customer is seriously injured near an entrance and alleges that the premises were unsafe. Part of the area is isolated while assistance is provided and the circumstances are examined.
Possible impact
- immediate support and scene control may be needed
- part of the premises may be restricted while the area is made safe
- staff may need to record facts, preserve evidence and assist with enquiries
- management may need to communicate with the customer, staff and other visitors
- appointments or customer activity may be disrupted
- the incident may create complaint, compensation, legal or reputation concerns while responsibility remains under review
How would the business continue operating while supporting the people involved and preserving a reliable record of what happened?
NRM review boundary
A useful review should identify the next question, not assume that every disruption requires the same response
One incident may restrict operations, reduce revenue, add recovery costs and affect customers or other parties. The first discussion separates operational matters, insurance questions and issues that may require another specialist.
The useful questions to leave with
- Which location, machine, process or provider could interrupt revenue?
- How long could the business continue without it?
- What would keep operating, and what would stop?
- Which expenses would continue during the disruption?
- Where could another person or organisation be affected?
- What information would management need to understand the incident and respond properly?
FormatStructured discussion
TimeApproximately 20 to 30 minutes
OutcomeA clear next review route
CommitmentWithout obligation
NRM can help organise
- Which premises, equipment, processes, utilities or outside providers deserve closer attention.
- Which consequences may require review against existing insurance arrangements.
- Which policy documents or response arrangements should be examined further.
- Whether the next step belongs with NRM, internal management or another specialist.
NRM is not conducting
- A full business continuity audit or emergency response plan.
- An engineering inspection, equipment assessment or property valuation.
- A legal determination of responsibility.
- A promise that an insurer will accept or pay a claim.
- A recommendation to change insurance before the facts and objectives are understood.
What the discussion produces: an agreed route for the next action. This may be an NRM insurance review, an internal management action, or a question for a legal, engineering, continuity or other professional adviser. No policy change is assumed. Any extended or paid work would require separate agreement on scope and cost. Technical insurance explanations remain in the separate Knowledge Centre.
Request an Operations and Business Continuity Exposure Review
Use the enquiry form to identify which location, equipment, process, service or third party situation is causing concern. After submission, NRM will contact you to arrange the introductory discussion.
After submission, NRM will contact you to arrange the no-obligation introductory discussion.