When the worst happens, make sure you know what is happening and why.

Regardless of how your insurance is structured, a large or complicated incident can still show weaknesses in your policies and especially your procedures, which are difficult to predict before the event and may prevent you from maximising the benefits of your coverage. You may have a claims procedure guide, a claims contact directory or simply a phone number and eMail address by which to report a claim but in the event of a major or complex loss how do you know what is really happening, who is doing what, why you are being asked for numerous different pieces of information and how long you should expect things to take? It’s crucial that you know these things so you can manage your businesses expectations, those of your supply chain and most importantly – your customers. Major incidents often involve a large number of people both from within your business and from outside. Insurers, loss adjusters, lawyers, local authorities, regulators, corporate communication, the press and emergency services may have an involvement, sometimes on site, sometimes remotely and you may never meet them. At times such as this, you need to be focused on doing what you do best – running your business and looking after your customers. Bespoke protocols are built in conjunction with your business, any regulatory requirements or obligations and all the appropriate external stakeholders. They are designed to support and complement your own internal processes. Critically, a Major Incident Protocol is there to take away the burden and uncertainty of the claims siness.

process at a time when you need to be focused on recovering your business. Such protocols must be bespoke. ‘Off the shelf’ solutions may not be comprehensive enough and may not deliver when tested. Building a suitable protocol requires experience, time and an understanding of your business, industry and environment and critically it requires an investment and understanding by your business of the value and benefits that it will provide. Once built, the protocol should be stress tested against different scenarios to ensure that it is fit for purpose and to give you the confidence that, should the protocol need to be implemented, both it, and all the component stakeholders, will perform as expected. Remember, an effective protocol will sit alongside your businesses own internal or regulatory crisis management plans to ensure that any requirements or benefits of your insurance coverage are effectively driven and that everyone involved in the situation knows has a clear understanding of who is doing what, when and why. The protocol should take away burdens not add to them. They may be as simple or as detailed as the business requires. Ultimately, a well written protocol will answer the question…’who ya gonna call?’