FiscalDoctor Recommends Plan to Prevent Your Company from Becoming Another BP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 23, 2010 -- Wellesley, MA, June 09, 2010 -- If such a disaster can happen to a big company like BP, can it happen to your business?, asks Gary W. Patterson, CEO of FiscalDoctor®, an expert on risk management.

"BP's response to the oil spill is a textbook case for businesses to follow in what NOT to do in times of a crisis," said Patterson, author of the book, "Stick Out Your Balance Sheet and Cough: Best Practices for Long-Term Business Health."

BP committed severe risk assessment, contingency planning, and crisis response mistakes, which have so far wiped out more than 40% of the company's shareholder value and exposed it to billions of dollars in cleanup costs and lawsuits.

Businesses should learn from this example and not make these same critical mistakes, according to Patterson:

* Under-estimating the chances of major or catastrophic risks. "Did BP get caught up in the 'It can't happen to us' mentality? Companies need to regularly assess the most likely areas where hidden risks might occur," said Patterson.

* Lacked tested and effective contingency plans. "BP's backup systems and contingency plans to date have not worked. Companies must test their contingency plans before they are needed to ensu re they work, and that they are prepared to move on to the next level of response when necessary," said Patterson.

* Failure to immediately accept accountability and responsibility instead of trying to pass the blame. "In Congressional hearings, BP pointed fingers and passed part of the blame on to the rig's builder, Halliburton, and operator, Transocean, instead of immediately stepping up and accepting responsibility. 'The buck stops here' is the only response for companies to take in these situations," Patterson said.

* Meeting only the required legal minimums instead of doing the right thing. "BP's offshore rig did not have a $500,000 remote-controlled acoustic shut-off switch installed that may have shut down the damaged well, which has a replacement cost of about $560 million. The switch is not required by U.S. regulators, although two other oil-producing countries, Norway and Brazil, mandate its installation. BP and other oil companies had questioned the cost and effectiveness of the switch to U.S. regulators," Patterson said.

* Not demonstrating leadership and vision when action is finally taken. "Why does BP continue to look so disorganized, almost as if its executives are creating a contingency plan on the fly?" asked Patterson.

* Sacrificing the latest technologies and safety systems to budgetary constraints. "Budget considerations sometimes delay implementation of the newest technologies until, at the last minute, cost becomes no object. Now BP remains consistently one step behind where it needs to be as incredibly complex, expensive remedial procedures have to be tried, and there are no other options. Businesses can pay the cost now, or pay MUCH more later," said Patterson.

* Not providing accurate and timely information to those working in the field. "What decisions made in the week before and after the crisis would have been different if the other problems on this list did not exist?," asked Patterson.

"Compare the BP fiasco to the classic example of how well Johnson & Johnson handled its Tylenol nightmare years ago. Part of Johnson & Johnson's success in dealing with the crisis was the result of a well-thought-out contingency plan, superb execution, and taking immediate responsibility. The public's approval of the company's action was expressed through its increased market share. This is a far cry from the negative impact on the BP brand, as well as the entire oil industry," said Patterson.

Contact:
Gary W. Patterson
FiscalDoctor®
Wellesley, MA 02482
781.237.3637
gary@FiscalDoctor.com
http://www.fiscaldoctor.com

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