The creator of a unique device which helps minimise the possibility of IT meltdowns, believes the recent British Airways crisis highlights the potential damage companies can face.
BA is now facing a compensation bill of around £100m along with lost business and confidence in the airline, following an IT problem which affected more than 1000 flights.
Investigators say the problem was down to human error – and now the inventor of a cable management system which can save companies millions in downtime and loss of service is to flag up ways organisations can avoid similar problems.
IT network designer, Mark Costigan recognised the devastating problems that could occur when switches or IT hardware was being swapped out and the cabling put back incorrectly.
This led to the creation of SergeantClip, a system which ensures that when cables are unplugged they will always be returned to the correct port – significantly reducing the possibility of systems being taken down.
“The BA problems highlight that humans are not infallible and the amount of fallout that can occur from an IT problem caused by human error,” said Mark.
“The potential damage to a business can run into millions and that’s not taking into account the reputational damage.
“A simple error can literally devastate a company and have a massive knock-on effect on their customers.”
The SergeantClip device holds the cables in the correct order, which means that when they are unplugged and then returned they will always be put into the correct port.
Since launching the company has won business across the globe, including with companies such as Amazon, Google and NASA along with a number of universities and cruise lines.
Mark, from Wallsend, Tyne and Wear is now campaigning for the product to become an industry standard for the networking and cabling industry.
“If SergeantClip was fitted to cabling as standard it would completely rule out the possibility of human error causing a major meltdown,” he said.
Further details are available at www.sergeantclip.com