Business Resiliency Services Launched to Speed Disaster Recovery

Haskell, a global leader in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), has announced the launch of Business Resiliency Services (BRS), which offers its clients a cloud-based facility data platform and boots-on-the-ground expert support in the event of an emergency.

As a pioneer in design-build project delivery and with a full complement of design and construction disciplines represented under one roof, Haskell has helped many times when disaster has struck customers’ facilities in the United States and abroad. It was that experience that gave rise to BRS.

The program offers numerous benefits:

• It provides cloud-based access to life-safety and comprehensive facility information.
• It allows subscribers to respond immediately to any event from a phone, tablet or computer.
• It guarantees dedicated access to regional engineering and construction management professionals to assist immediately in a crisis.

“The impetus was a discussion regarding emergency projects, and the discussion evolved into, ‘How can we be better? How can the customers be better in these situations?’” said Chad Kunkel, Director of Business Resiliency Services. “We looked at the problem, which was recovering as quickly as possible from these events, knowing that they're going to occur and knowing that they're very difficult, if not impossible, to foresee, and asked ourselves, ‘How do you prepare for them and recover quickly from them based on our knowledge? How can we be proactive?’”

The answer focused on information. Natural disasters, accidents and emergencies are impossible to predict, but the needs of those responding – in the immediate aftermath and in ensuing weeks and months – are not. Quick, efficient and comprehensive access to building information is critical, yet it is rarely available.

Haskell partnered with VIATechnik, a digital transformation leader in the AEC industry, to create a unique cloud-based platform where owners can upload to a facility-specific home page any and all building information, such as life-safety drawings, utility drawings, as-built 2D and 3D documents, manuals, purchasing records, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and reality-capture laser scans, to name a few.

The platform allows critical information to be shared with first responders immediately following an interruption-level event and acts as an invaluable resource as the facility is restored and brought back online.

Haskell subject matter experts from across the architectural, engineering and construction disciplines acted as advisers on the content types and organization of the platform, which is designed to be easy for customers to populate and use, with or without support from Haskell. For those needing to replace or augment records, the company’s Virtual Design & Construction professionals offer complete BIM, laser scanning and aerial mapping services.

As it has for decades, Haskell continues to provide boots-on-the-ground emergency support. Regional construction management, safety coordination and structural engineering professionals are equipped with carry-on emergency kits stocked with the tools and provisions identified as vital in responding to past disasters. Haskell then will follow by shipping additional pre-crated disaster-response supplies that are shipped automatically to supply the efforts in the days after the event, often as additional team members converge to aid the recovery.

“With this coordinated organized program, these professionals are poised to respond and have a consistent source of information, which will make them that much more efficient and proactive in their engagement,” Kunkel said. “Refocusing our service has allowed us to come full circle and now provide a comprehensive business resiliency platform and program to mitigate risk and minimize lost productivity.”

Contact Chad Kunkel to learn more about Business Resiliency Services.