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An emergency is not “business as usual” situation, whether intentional or not, arising from nature, work utilities, the work environment, humans, or work processes, that causes negative impacts such as fatalities, environmental damage, property or infrastructure damage, and business disruption. In an emergency, speed is key in responding to – what can be – a matter of life or death. Therefore, a non-negotiable requirement in emergency response (ER) is quick decision-making and action.

Not to mention in a big organization like bp, ER often involves multiple teams, creating command and coordination challenges. Timely and clear communication within the incident management team (IMT), especially in responding to complex incidents, is needed for efficient coordination and effective actions, allowing the right support to be deployed at the right time.

For years, the IMT worked with tried and tested methods – phone tree system, face-to-face coordination, paper documentation. Then came COVID-19 pandemic and its people movement restrictions. People moved to online meetings, but collaborative work was not yet truly virtual. The IMT’s challenge was shifting our physical incident command centre (ICC) – where complex and confidential coordination took place – to a 100% virtual format.

bp’s IMT had to quickly adapt. In just one month, bp successfully built a virtual ICC (VICC), integrating its third-party collaboration platform with multiple office applications. Each application was chosen for a specific purpose, from creating documents and collaborating online, to map and data services, all connected to workflow optimization and automation. bp’s ICC went fully virtual in 2020, without reducing response readiness and capabilities to manage even prolonged and large-scale emergencies and is still used to this day.

Further benefits of the VICC are: enhanced interface for bp’s IMT, clear and transparent resource tracking, approval automation capabilities, even end-to-end procurement and financial record processes. All activities, resources, decisions, and correspondence are properly documented within the VICC, essential in capturing lessons learned and providing legal assurance.

Today, bp’s VICC has become the standard in incident command system and has inspired other energy companies to follow suit.