Business resiliency is defined as the ability to rapidly adapt and respond to disruptions and safeguard people and assets while maintaining continuous business operations. Because Haskell offers world-class design-build expertise, with a full complement of design and construction disciplines represented under one roof, it provides the ability to respond quickly in an emergency.
Now, with development of technological solutions that hold true to the company’s history of innovation in pursuit of the best possible client experience, a new level of response is just around the corner in the form of Haskell’s Business Resiliency Services (BRS) Division. The development will help clients significantly enhance response, reduce recovery time and minimize disruption for compromised businesses.
Chad Kunkel has worked for Haskell for 14 years and is currently running point on the Business Resiliency Services effort as the Operations Manager – Product Delivery Support. His experiences in the business response realm have greatly influenced this focus, which led to a consultation with Paul Raudenbush, the Senior Vice President of Planning & Development in Haskell’s Infrastructure & Transportation Delivery Group. Raudenbush subsequently became the executive sponsor for BRS.
Kunkel saw first-hand how the process could be improved when he was on site responding to a natural gas explosion at a critical manufacturing facility. The facility was originally constructed in the 1970s, and a 1990s expansion that included a pre-cast concrete building.
“One of the first things we have to do is assess the damage,” Kunkel said. “I had to work with facility management to locate yellowed blueprints, hoping that all of the documentation was available, and find the engineers of record. If we would have had the drawings ahead of time, analysis would have been swifter. No closets necessary to search, things would have been ready and available, and we would have saved valuable time.”
Kunkel reflects on repair efforts at facilities hampered by a variety of events, including a tornado, a natural gas explosion and structural failure that resulted in a food recall. The first phase is immediate response and assessment, he said, followed by gaining stability and repairing.
Documentation is essential, but it is often lacking. Crucial design information, building specifications, measurements and equipment detail can be lost or destroyed. In some cases, it may never have existed.
“There was a recognized gap with many of our customers,” he said. “We ask, ‘Where are the drawings?’ Some said they were in a drawer or saved on a server. We stepped back and looked at all projects we encountered on an emergency basis. We asked ourselves how can Haskell and our customers be better at preparation. That was the genesis of this tool – the drive to be better at preparing and responding.”
The planned solution will allow significantly expedited response and recovery. Haskell expects to roll out the solution as soon as the fourth quarter of 2021. Kunkel is scheduled to preview the new service offering at an upcoming Industrial Asset Management Council event in August.
An overarching emphasis will be making access simple and intuitive, because getting stuck in a technological haze is the last thing needed in a time of stress soon after an emergency. Ultimately, BRS will be an example of Haskell’s unrelenting drive to grow, evolve and innovate to better provide the greatest possible value and best possible experience for its clients.
“We have an extensive resume of projects where we’ve responded to crises, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, explosions, etc.,” Kunkel said. “That's the expertise we currently offer to our customers; we know how to respond. This is taking that experience to another level. Instead of us just reacting, we can work with you to prepare for the unexpected, reduce the effects and recover faster.”
