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BankMuscat customer network bounces back on the
basis of the Bank’s BCP infrastructure:
Muscat. June 12, 2007: BankMuscat SAOG,
the nation’s leading bank, is fast bouncing back
from the throes of Cyclone Gonu that caused
widespread devastation across the Sultanate last
week. The Bank, it may be recalled, had
appointed the internationally renowned Business
Continuity Planning (BCP) experts, Insight
Consulting Limited, UK to help them set up a
robust BCP programme in 2003.
Speaking on the importance of the Business
Continuity Planning initiative, AbdulRazak Ali
Issa, Chief Executive, BankMuscat (SAOG) had
then said:
“Business Continuity Planning is of paramount
significance in today’s business scenario and is
crucial to managing institutional and systemic
risks. The BCP process requires continuous
review and upgrading to keep pace with the
dynamic and ever changing business environment
that the Bank operates in.”
This process was put to the test this time
around with the Bank’s BCP committee meeting in
a proactive ‘war-room’ situation before the
onset of Cyclone Gonu to activate the bank’s
crisis management plans and meeting regularly
after the cyclone to review the situation at
hand and ensure uninterrupted service to
customers nationwide.
Explaining the rationale behind this initiative
and the level of preparations of the bank, Said
Al Badai, BCP committee Chairman of BankMuscat
said:
“Forward planning is the key to success in
recovering from a crisis and thanks to our BCP
process we had a recovery plan in place. Even
before the Cyclone hit the Sultanate, we worked
in teams on various scenarios, so that we were
prepared for the worst. Once the cyclone’s
impact on the Sultanate was known, we assessed
its impact and invoked the bank’s Crisis
Management Plan based on the assessment. As part
of the process we reached out to people --
within the organization and to our customers
nationwide – to advise them of the preparations
we had made. And though, we were impacted by
power and data connectivity failure, we managed
to reach out and serve our customers across the
network. Thanks to the excellent support and
cooperation we received from Omantel and the
concerned Ministries we were able to recover
rapidly.”
Needless to say that the Bank’s efforts in this
direction have well paid off.
“Substantial progress has been made in
restoring normal operations across our branches
and ATMs network across the Sultanate. As of
now, 95 of our total 100 branches are providing
full-scale service to our customers. A total of
171 of our 233 ATMs are also readily serving the
needs of customers. Our Call Centre and Internet
Banking facilities are also providing customers
the full range of services”, Mr Said added.
The Bank’s Data Recovery Centre (DRC) in MBD
South, which is always kept in an advanced state
of readiness, was also pressed into service with
the bank’s baituna office in the Qurum
Commercial Complex area being severely damaged.
“Our baituna operations though affected by
the floods, has been up and running from the
first day that we all came to work. Our efforts,
at the BCP committee, are focused on ensuring
the minimum disruption of work and the least
inconvenience to our customers. Even as we
speak, all efforts are on to bring our network
back to a hundred per cent efficiency.
BankMuscat, as you know, is focussed on ensuring
the highest levels of customer service”, he
added.
Business Continuity Planning looks at ways and
means to equip an organization deal with a
variety of crises that may come its way, both
from economic and natural reasons. BCP looks not
only at providing organization’s with the right
set of tools and response mechanisms but also at
identifying key procedures that will help
protect an organization during a crises, reduce
downtime and provide a minimal disruptions in
the normal delivery of products and services.
When asked on his views of what a successful BCP
programme constitutes, Mr AbdulRazak concluded:
“I believe the real test of resilience and
the success of a BCP programme lies not only in
its ability to help an organization eventually
recover from a disaster, but also in its ability
to empower an organization to continue
operations and serve its customers without major
service disruption even during an unforeseen
crises.
“This perhaps is best seen in the efforts of our
national administration, under the visionary
leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin
Said. Each one of us are truly indebted to the
tireless efforts of various government bodies in
the restoration and rehabilitation process. We,
At BankMuscat, are fully confident that the
country has the strength to soon bounce back and
be even stronger than before. ”
The practice of Business Continuity Planning
shot into prominence worldwide following the
tragic incidents at the Twin Towers, World Trade
Centre in the United States of America on
September 11, several years ago, when leading
global organizations realized how ill-prepared
they were to take on a crises of serious
proportions. |
