Preparing for and Responding to the Preparing for and Responding to the H1N1-09 OutbreakH1N1-09 Outbreak

Steve Mellish FBCISteve Mellish FBCISainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd.Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd.

CBI/Marsh Swine Flu SeminarCBI/Marsh Swine Flu SeminarFriday 4Friday 4thth September 2009 September 2009

Agenda

• Introduction

• Background

• Preparing for a Flu Pandemic

• Responding to the H1N1-09 Outbreak

• Lessons Learned …… so far

• Preparing for autumn/winter

• Conclusion

Introduction• 850 stores (Main store and Convenience

formats)• Online home deliveries• Sainsbury’s Bank• 24 depots• 150,000 employees• 7,000 suppliers relationships• Approximately 19 million customer transactions

per week• 140 Years old this year!

Background

• Business Continuity Management programme started in 1996

• Fully embedded across the business due to:– Having Board level commitment– Approach taken is relevant and engaging– Right balance of risk and mitigation– Linked directly to company values– Proven to work when required!

The BCM ‘Life Cycle’

understandingthe organisation

developing andimplementing

a BCM response

exercising,maintenance and review

determiningBCM

strategies

BCMprogramme

management

BS25999 - British Standard for Business Continuity Management

Preparing for a Flu Pandemic

• Planning commenced in 2005 for H5N1• Close collaboration between business

continuity and Company Medical Advisor• Main activities include:

– Plan development– Plan and Teams’ rehearsals– Benchmarking– Procurement of some flu supplies– Liaison with external groups to ensure a

consistent and ‘good practice’ approach

Preparing for a Flu Pandemic

Flu PandemicLeadership Group

Business ContinuityManagement Team

TradingSupply Chain/

LogisticsRetail HR

Customer/Communications

IT Finance

Strategic

Tactical

Operational

Minimum colleague availability

MaximumColleague availability

Decision Support Tool-Stores

Shows the key tasks we would maintain in levels of priority depending on the number of colleagues available

Activities

we absolutely

MUST

continue!

Further activities that can be reduced and/or suspended

Activities that can be suspended

All activities below the red area would be less critical and labour would be redeployed, though it might not necessarily result in total suspension of all functions.

HR Trading Supply Chain Logistics Stores

Commercial IT Finance Property Corp.Srvs

End-to-End Verification

Responding to the H1N1-09 Outbreak

• The BCMT was convened and has led the response by overseeing the deployment of the ‘Flu Pandemic’ BC Plan

• Main activities to date include:– Information gathering and impact assessment– Tactical decision making– Plan reviews and updates based on revised

assumptions– Colleague communications to raise

awareness and keep things in perspective!

Responding to the H1N1-09 Outbreak

• Some key actions and decisions made relating to:– Antivirals– Face masks– Hand Gels– ‘Bunker’ lists of products– Swine Flu FAQ’s– Absence recording & reporting– Remote working capabilities– Supplier communications

Swine.Flu (Influenza "A") Number of Infections [by week]

0

400

800

1200

1600

2000

29/06/2009 06/07/2009 13/07/2009 20/07/2009 27/07/2009 03/08/2009 10/08/2009 17/08/2009 24/08/2009

Num

ber

of in

fect

ions

Swine Flu Infections

Swine.Flu (Influenza "A") Number of Queries [by week]

30

40

50

60

70

80

29/06/2009 06/07/2009 13/07/2009 20/07/2009 27/07/2009 03/08/2009 10/08/2009 17/08/2009 24/08/2009

Num

ber

of q

uerie

s re

ciev

ed

Number of queries received

Lessons Learned ….. So far

• Some of our key lessons learned so far include:– Having planned for it we have been

responsive not (over) reactive– Company Medical Advisor involvement is

highly recommended– Being consistent and timely in our

communications– Maintain a close watch on developments– Focus on what we can do rather than what we

can’t

Preparing for the autumn/winter

• Assessing our plan against any change in the Government’s assumptions

• Agree our ‘Trigger Points’ for taking action• Next ‘desktop’ exercise planned for late

September• Reinforce the key messages• Further briefings for a regional managers• Monitor absence levels and spot trends• The BCMT remains on ‘High Alert’

Conclusion

• Time and effort spent planning for a flu pandemic has been invaluable

• Relatively low impact on the business to date

• Planning and preparing for the autumn/winter increase is well underway

• Good two-way internal communication is the key to success

• Confident but not complacent

Thank You