CoreNet Global Survey: Companies now Employ a Variety Risk-management Measures Emphasizing Business Continuity
HONG KONG, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- CoreNet Global, the world's leading association of corporate real estate (CRE) and workplace professionals, today released the results of a survey which found that the tragic events of 9/11 had a permanent effect on the workplace.
Three-fourths of the respondents believe that companies in general are as vigilant about security measures today as they were in the aftermath of 9/11.
The focus on risk management as an intrinsic strategic planning and management function also grew stronger.
"Business disruption planning became a common element for many corporate workplace and asset managers as a result of 9/11," said Richard Kadzis, Editor of LEADER Magazine and Vice President, Strategic Communications for CoreNet Global. "Elements of this planning include mobile work plans for employees, facility collocation policies, redundant facilities, energy back up, business continuity plans, and off-site data storage."
"While technology advances and the 2009 recession would have facilitated the trend toward mobile work, before then 9/11 demonstrated the value of so-called 'distributed work,' in which employees are contributing toward the final product from various locations, including the home," Kadzis said. "Before 9/11, the scale of flexible workplace strategies was limited more to companies we used to call the 'leading-edge' adopters."
Some respondents in the survey indicated a reluctance to lease space in high-rise office buildings, yet nearly all (84 percent) believed that the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site in Manhattan will be a commercial success, and more than 40 percent said that they would consider leasing space at the site.
"Companies learned a lot from the events of 9/11," Kadzis added. "For example, Shell Oil Company's response to Hurricane Katrina was a highly-coordinated series of steps designed beforehand to enable communication with 10,000 impacted employees in the Gulf Coastal region, provision of supplies and ground transportation, guidelines for restarting operations, and even temporary housing -- all with a critically-clear chain of command."
Recent CoreNet Global Corporate Real Estate 2020 related research findings indicate that 40 percent of workers in developed economies and 20 percent of workers in emerging economies will be teleworking by the year 2020.
Editor's Notes
CoreNet Global is the world's leading association for corporate real estate (CRE) and workplace professionals, service providers, and economic developers. Today, we operate in five global regions, namely Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
Our 7,000 members, who represent nearly half of the Forbes Global 2000 and 70% of Fortune 100 companies, meet locally, globally and virtually to develop networks, share knowledge, learn and advance professionally.
Throughout the Asia-Pacific, we have active chapters operating across the region including Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines. For more information, please visit www.corenetglobal.org.
CONTACT:
Betty Chan, CoreNet Global
Phone +852-2910-7931
Mobile +852-6014-1961
bchan@corenetglobal.org
Janet Middlemiss, JEM Worldwide Ltd.
Phone: +852-2857-3832
Mobile: +852-9195-7829
janet@jemworldwide.com
