2018 Volume 43 Issue 260 Pages 11-22
Few studies have been conducted on smart business continuity management (SBCM) for buildings/facilities in near-future cities. It is thus important to clarify how the environment can improved for future business continuity management and what risks are entailed by investigating actual approaches currently practiced as the foundations of business continuity in the near-future. In this study, SBCM for buildings/facilities in near-future cities is examined. In this context, the current situation in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, is analyzed from the viewpoint of disaster prevention and safety to determine what is required for future SBCM. Here we refer to two recent public bulletins, “Tokyo Disaster Prevention Plan (Earthquake)” and “New Tokyo Made with the Metropolitan First - The Action Plan for 2020”. The Tokyo metropolis by 2050 is envisaged and the risks related to buildings/facilities are examined. The findings of this study are as follows. (1)Through an extensive examination of SBCM in near-future cities, existing and long emergent risk factors are recognized. In other words, as long as existing BCM measures continue to be carried out, new challenges and existing difficulties must be considered. Thus, the necessity for additional research on this subject is confirmed, and important points and procedures of prior studies are clarified. (2)It is difficult to determine whether a particular SBCM risk factor is eliminated at a given time because they may be evaluated differently depending on relevant local characteristics and corresponding technologies both current and future. Risks are classified according to ①whether they are being grasped at the moment, ② whether countermeasures exist, ③ whether effective measures will be implemented by 2050, and ④ whether new measures are currently available and prioritized. Then, they are arranged into patterns. (3)“It requires a long time for disaster restoration after an earthquake because ICT, IoT, and efficient automatic operation, which are used regularly for lifeline, transportation, and logistics are not available and no experts are around. This describes a critical situation assuming that risks are not and will remain unsolved by 2030. Issues like this should be examined intensively and treated as new risk factors,which become more evident during emergencies as technology advances. (4)For example, it is desirable in terms of workability, efficiency, reliability, and cost performance to integrate the seismic disaster recovery assistance system with advanced real-time monitoring systems for buildings/facilities and people to ensure their security. In this manner, the systematic integration of smart technology into SBCM should be promoted.
