The Atlantic hurricane season is thankfully coming to a close, but retailers everywhere are still uncovering takeaways and lessons learned in the wake of the devastation caused by Harvey, Irma, and Maria. One major lesson? Loss prevention can and should assist a crisis response in many ways beyond security management and theft prevention.
Contributing Writer Garett Seivold spoke with a number of LP leaders recently as he conducted research or the cover story of the latest issue of LP Magazine.Surprising narratives and key observations from those conversations appear in “Stories from the Storms.”
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From the article:
Although LP’s role in crisis management varied greatly by retailer, quickly getting into storm zones to assess damage was a common responsibility. For example, post-Irma, Walmart asset protection and operations managers conducted over 330 detailed damage assessments that included reviews of building structure, utility services, HVAC/refrigeration, plumbing, roofing, landscaping, and parking lots.
Brinker’s Bill Heine said their timely response was aided by advanced positioning of business continuity teams—comprised of security, facilities, HR, risk management, and operations—to the periphery of the anticipated impact zones. “You’ve got to physically get in there to see what the damage there is, where there is and isn’t power, and whether or not you can get the doors open,” said Heine.
Getting outside teams in is critical because disasters turn local employees into victims, he noted. “We’ve got a business to run, and our employees are about to be victims. So we want to get people into the market ahead of the storm so that we can worry about the business, and they can worry about keeping themselves safe and dealing with the impact of the storm on a personal level,” Heine said.
For an overview of lessons learned and areas identified for improvement, check out the full article. You can also read the other articles in the November—December 2017 issue of LP Magazine by going to the Table of Contents. Not yet subscribed? No problem – register here for free.
