Working together to develop, implement and maintain a business continuity management program is a challenge for staff in any organization. Many people must collaborate to produce integrated procedures and policies that will guard the organization from harm – and are likely to work when needed.
This session will examine the evolving world of collaboration tools that can be used effectively and pragmatically to promote and ease the collaboration necessary for the program. Collaboration is more than just communication.
The need, opportunities, benefits, and costs of a wide range of collaboration tools will be presented. Specific examples of tools used in business continuity management programs will validate the theory of collaboration. Tools discussed will range from video conferencing to SharePoint to wikis to discussion forums.
- Why is effective collaboration such a key part of your program?
- What are benefits of collaboration tools? The pitfalls?
- What collaboration tools make sense for business continuity management?
- Real life examples of the use of collaboration tools
- What is the cost?
About Michael Smith

Michael has spent more than 28 years experience in developing readiness programs. He has extensive consulting in experience in business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis management and emergency response for many of North America’s largest organizations. He is President of ReadySmith Inc., experts in preparing organizations to deal with adversity – emergencies, crises, disasters. Michael has built consulting practices for IBM, Ernst & Young and Marsh Risk Consulting, all specializing in readiness.
Michael is a noted speaker and writer. He has written two chapters on business continuity planning for the NFPA 1600 Implementation Handbook. He has been quoted in articles in the Toronto Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Ottawa Sun, the Calgary Sun, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune. He has also been on CNN, the Report on Business TV channel, Global News, CTV News, CBC Business Report, and City TV news.