One of the challenges that we face, however, is how to increase individual safety without losing the efficiencies that we have gained from concentrating staff and expertise at critical geographic locations. The effect of regional diversification on business also presents challenges. Firms will both incur costs and reap benefits with diversification, but it is often difficult to justify adding costs to address contingencies.
Firms inevitably have a number of strategic priorities and projects that contend for resources. We also recognize that some firms are in different positions than others in addressing regional issues. Some firms have a national or international “footprint” that makes it somewhat easier to take important measures to diversify operational centers and back-office operations.