Ayutthaya, THAILAND – April 26, 2024 – The SATREPS Area-BCM Project, in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, orchestrated the successful execution of the third phase of the Strategic Area – Business Continuity Management (Area-BCM) workshop on April 26, 2024. The workshop’s core aim was to disseminate invaluable insights into risk and disaster management, alongside area business continuity management, to its target audience comprising corporate entities. The event, hosted at the Krungsri River Hotel, Ayutthaya, witnessed enthusiastic participation from companies situated in the Bang Pa-In Industrial Estate, as well as esteemed attendees including professors, researchers, and students from Chulalongkorn University and Japanese institutions, alongside observers and participants. Acting as the Master of Ceremonies for this workshop was Ms. Peerada Tangpasert, a master’s candidate.
The inauguration of the workshop commenced with a comprehensive overview of the Area-BCM workshop’s procedural intricacies, led by Ms. Penpicha Arayachookiat, a student and research assistant from the Risk and Disaster Management Program at Chulalongkorn University. Participants were then grouped to delve into previously discussed issues and further enhance their comprehension of the critical nature of Area-BCM.
Key Presentations:
The Common Timeline Workshop began with a retrospective examination of the Collaboration Measures of the Area-BCM from the inaugural workshop, delivered by Mr. Pemthat Mahasuweerachai and Mr. Nopparut Phuttimanoj from Chulalongkorn University. During this session, participants engaged in collaborative learning activities, focusing on the preparatory and alert phases. Group discussions centered around identifying potential challenges and devising strategies to address them within the industrial park.
Subsequently, participants transitioned to deliberating upon the Area-BCM Collaboration Measures during the Moving Phase. Here, collective discourse revolved around potential logistical challenges and the formulation of contingency plans for relocation scenarios. Following the comprehensive exploration of all phases of the Area-BCM Collaboration led by Assoc. Prof. Natt Leelawat, D. Eng. from the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University. Participants converged to design the Problem Management Table, incorporating insights gleaned from prior discussions. Collaboratively, they crafted cooperative frameworks by delineating specific scheme details, which were subsequently presented to the audience.
Post-session, Ms. Penpicha Arayachookiat, a student and research assistant from the Risk and Disaster Management Program at Chulalongkorn University, succinctly summarized the key takeaways from previous workshops and fostered engaging discussions to ensure mutual comprehension. Additionally, the Kani Industrial Park in Gifu Prefecture was introduced to the audience as a notable exemplar of Area-BCM management.
Concluding the session, Prof. Akira Kodaka from Keio University conveyed appreciation to all participants and underscored the workshop’s pivotal role as a pilot initiative, nurturing collaboration between companies and researchers. Prof. Kodaka also advocated for the next phase of the Area-BCM project, emphasizing the establishment of a specialist network in Area-BCM comprising academic institutions and corporations. This initiative is envisioned as a platform for sustained information exchange, idea dissemination, and discussions pertaining to risk management, disaster preparedness, and business continuity processes in the future. Participant feedback, solicited through questionnaires, will be instrumental in refining project strategies, thereby ensuring its continued success and fostering meaningful collaborations.
The SATREPS DREAM (Area-BCM) Project stands as a collaborative research endeavor between Japan and Thailand under the SENDAI framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. With the objective of establishing a sustainable economic growth platform through the enhancement of disaster resilience at industrial complexes in Thailand and contributing to ISO/TC292 by 2023, the project signifies a concerted effort towards fostering a resilient and prosperous future.
Authored and Photography by Phongnarin Sukcham