SwitchWare, an online electronics retailer, is considering a cloud backup contingency plan to reduce the impact of cyber outages. The operations director is concerned about the monthly cost because outages are not frequent.

CalmWave is a medium-sized manufacturer of baby skincare products. It sells mainly through pharmacies and online retailers. A small number of parents have complained on social media that one batch of baby lotion caused skin irritation. CalmWave has not yet confirmed whether the lotion is unsafe, but two major pharmacy chains have asked for an urgent explanation.

CalmWave has a basic quality control system but no detailed recall contingency plan. The operations director wants to create a plan that includes batch-tracing procedures, pre-approved communication templates, staff training, agreements with a product testing laboratory and a reserve fund for possible product recalls. The finance director argues that serious product safety problems are rare and that managers should deal with such events through crisis management if and when they happen.

PolarPack Ltd manufactures insulated packaging for seafood exporters. A two-day port closure last year caused missed deliveries and spoiled customer orders. The operations director argues that PolarPack should create a contingency plan that includes a pre-approved road freight contract, emergency cold-storage space and named managers with authority to contact customers. The finance director argues that PolarPack should not commit funds before a disruption occurs and should manage any future crisis reactively.

PolarPack's managers have prepared estimated financial and operational data comparing the two approaches.

MetroFit operates 28 low-cost gyms in large cities. During a busy evening, a fire alarm failed at one gym and members were evacuated only after staff noticed smoke from an electrical fault. Nobody was seriously injured, but videos of confused employees and angry customers were widely shared online. A local newspaper reported that some staff told members the gym would reopen the next morning, while the head office later announced that the site would remain closed for safety checks.

The chief executive wants to lead the response personally. The operations manager argues that MetroFit’s crisis management should focus mainly on regaining control of the site and reopening quickly. The marketing manager argues that transparency and communication with members, staff, landlords and regulators are more important because the brand depends on trust.

NorthPeak Adventures operates guided mountain cycling holidays. It has grown rapidly by promoting challenging routes in remote areas. Most customers are experienced cyclists, but some are international tourists unfamiliar with local weather conditions. Recently, a sudden storm caused a group to be stranded for six hours with limited phone signal. No one was injured, but customers complained that guides did not have enough emergency equipment and that families were not kept informed.

NorthPeak is considering a contingency plan for extreme weather and remote-route incidents. The plan would include satellite phones, emergency shelters at two key locations, guide training, revised risk assessments, a customer contact system and agreements with a local rescue service. The founder is concerned that the plan would be costly, take time away from selling holidays and make the business appear less adventurous.

AssessPro is a private online assessment platform used by schools to run timed examinations. During a peak examination week, a software update caused some students to lose access to the platform. Within two hours, students and teachers were posting complaints on social media. Senior managers disagreed about the crisis response: the marketing director wanted to wait until the technical fault was fully understood before making a public statement, while the operations director wanted an immediate update, a temporary manual submission system and a named spokesperson.

AssessPro's managers have collected estimated data on the likely effects of alternative crisis responses.

ReNet Works (RW) – a social enterprise recycling discarded fishing nets

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background

ReNet Works (RW) is a social enterprise based in a coastal city. It collects discarded fishing nets from ports and converts them into storage crates sold to schools and small retailers. RW employs and trains former fishers whose incomes have fallen because of declining fish stocks. Any surplus is reinvested into beach clean-up programmes and safety training for fishing communities.

RW has grown quickly and recently won a three-year contract to supply 18 local schools. Its operations depend on one shredding machine, one rented workshop and a small team of 22 employees. The founder, Maia, has always focused on social impact and has not developed a detailed contingency plan.

Resource 2 — The crisis

A minor fire started in RW's shredding room after plastic dust overheated near the machine. No employees were seriously injured, but the workshop was closed by the landlord pending a safety inspection. Two school deliveries were delayed. A local news website reported that 'toxic smoke from recycled waste' had spread near homes, although the fire service has not confirmed this.

Resource 3 — Selected operational and financial information

Resource 4 — Social media statistic

A video of smoke outside RW's workshop received 310 000 views in 24 hours. RW has 42 000 followers on its main social-media account, but it has not posted an update since the fire.

Resource 5 — Quotation from Maia, founder of RW

'Our mission is to protect the sea and create meaningful work. I am worried that spending scarce funds on backup systems and safety drills will reduce the money available for community projects, but I also know that parents, schools and employees need reassurance.'

BridgeBytes (BB) – a social enterprise providing refurbished laptops

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background

BridgeBytes (BB) collects donated laptops from companies, refurbishes them and provides them at very low prices to refugees, unemployed adults and students from low-income families. BB also runs free digital skills workshops. It is legally a private limited company but operates as a social enterprise: 70 percent of any surplus is reinvested into training and device donations.

BB relies on 65 volunteers and 11 paid employees. Its reputation depends on trust because some donated laptops previously held confidential corporate data. BB uses a basic checklist for wiping devices but has no formal contingency plan for data security failure or for communicating with donors if something goes wrong.

Resource 2 — The crisis

A school reported that a refurbished laptop supplied by BB still contained old files from a donor business. The files did not include customer bank details, but they included employee names and salary information. The donor business has suspended further donations and is considering legal action. BB's staff disagree about whether to issue a public apology before the investigation is complete.

Resource 3 — Extract from BB's draft risk register

Resource 4 — Selected data

Resource 5 — Social media statistic and quotation

A post by a technology journalist about the data error has been shared 8 600 times. One donor manager wrote: 'We support BB's mission, but we cannot risk our employees' data being mishandled.'

VeloChem Ltd manufactures specialist cleaning chemicals for bicycle repair shops. Its production site is close to a residential area. A recent minor leak was contained quickly, but it revealed that some employees were unsure of the evacuation procedure and that the emergency contact list was out of date. The production manager proposes a comprehensive contingency plan including annual safety drills, upgraded sensors, emergency containment equipment, extra insurance and a contract with a specialist clean-up company. The finance manager is concerned about the cost and the time required to train staff and test the plan.

VeloChem's board has been given estimates of the likely costs and operational effects of the proposed contingency plan.

SafePlate Collective (SPC) – a social enterprise providing affordable meals

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background

SafePlate Collective (SPC) is a social enterprise that prepares affordable ready meals for elderly people and families on low incomes. It buys imperfect vegetables from local farms and receives donated dry ingredients from supermarkets. SPC sells meals through community centres and delivers some meals free to people referred by charities.

SPC's mission is to reduce food waste and improve nutrition. It has expanded from 1 200 meals per week to 5 500 meals per week in two years. Most food preparation is carried out by paid staff, but labelling and packing are supported by volunteers. SPC has basic food hygiene procedures but no fully tested contingency plan for allergen labelling errors.

Resource 2 — The crisis

A customer with a severe nut allergy was admitted to hospital after eating an SPC vegetable curry. The meal label did not list nuts, but one donated ingredient may have been processed in a facility handling nuts. SPC stopped production of the curry but continued producing other meals. Community centres are asking whether all SPC meals are safe. Some volunteers are unsure what to tell customers.

Resource 3 — Selected data

Resource 4 — Social media statistic

A community centre's post asking whether SPC meals are safe has received 2 400 comments, many from relatives of elderly customers. SPC's own update only stated: 'We are looking into the issue.'

Resource 5 — Quotation from SPC's operations manager

'Stopping all meal production would protect us while we investigate, but it would also leave hundreds of vulnerable people without affordable meals this week. We need a plan that protects safety without abandoning our mission.'