As organisations deepen their digital capabilities, strengthen governance frameworks, and enhance technology resilience, trusted advisory and implementation support remain essential to achieving sustainable, long-term success.
This year, RSM Singapore was privileged to contribute actively to SIngapore’s Total Defence Week through business-led tabletop exercises (TTX) and the sharing of disaster recovery and business continuity best practices under Exercise SG Ready 2026.Centred on the theme “Are you ready for disruptions?”, the initiative challenged organisations to assess and strengthen their preparedness for prolonged power outages and degraded digital connectivity. By facilitating scenario-based discussions and practical resilience strategies, we worked alongside business leaders to reinforce operational readiness and build greater confidence in navigating complex, high-impact disruptions.
“In today’s functional environment, being resilient is no longer only a government responsibility. Instead, total defence is a nationwide responsibility and every business plays a critical role as well”.
On 2nd February 2026, a total of 78 companies gathered at Mapletree Business City for a TTX, co-organised by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Nexus, MINDEF. The event highlighted how today’s business risks are increasingly interconnected, especially when organisations face extended power outages and weakened digital connectivity.
During the session, Eileen Tan, Technology Consulting Partner at RSM Singapore, had the privilege of sharing key lessons learnt from our own internal IT Disaster Recovery exercise.
Eileen noted, “You don't build resilience in the middle of a crisis; you build it long term before the trouble starts.”
The discussion reinforced a critical truth that in today's environment, vigilance and preparedness are essential to business resilience. Remember - Resilience is built before a crisis, not during one!
On the same afternoon, at a separate engagement, RSM Singapore facilitated a sector-focused business continuity TTX co-organised by Quantedge Capital and Amova Asset Management. This exercise brought together senior leadership from 13 reputable established investment management companies with operations based in Singapore.
Led by our RSM Technology Consulting leaders, Hoi Wai Khin and Kendrick Choo, this BCP exercise went beyond checklist and allowed participants to stress-test decision-making, coordination, and crisis communications to sustain critical business operations amid prolonged power disruptions and degraded digital connectivity.
Equally important, the exercise fostered collective learning across the financial sector through active peer-to-peer exchange, strengthening Singapore's resilience as a global investment and wealth management hub. Firms have come together to learn from one another, so that we, individually and as an industry, will be more prepared for all manner of disruptions. Such readiness is critical for Singapore as a global investment and wealth management hub.
“Resilience is more than just bouncing back; it is the art of staying unbroken in a world designed to test you. To build a core that lasts, we must be honest in facing reality, strong in absorbing setbacks, and consistent in defending our principles.”
RSM Singapore Senior Advisor Woon Teck Tay shared a timely reflection on resilience.
On 10 Feb 2026, RSM Singapore hosted our own TTX, bringing together more than 30 organisations of an engaging, scenario-driven discussion centred on prolonged power disruptions and degraded digital connectivity. Facilitated by our CTOaas Advisor, Desmond Tan, the session challenged participants to re-examine underlying assumptions, prioritise mission-critical operations and assess whether existing response frameworks remain well-suited amid an increasingly complex and evolving risk landscape.
The session was graced by Guest of Honour, Minister of State for Defence, Desmond Choo, who delivered the opening address and underscored the importance of business continuity and crisis preparedness across sectors, and Senior Lieutenant Colonel Psalm Lew from Nexus, MNDEF who shared the context of the day’s TTX scenario.
Building on the discussion, Hoi Wai Khin, Partner & Deputy Industry Lead – Technology, Media & Telecommunications Practice, shared the key takeaways and emphasised on the importance of translating scenario planning and turning it into useful practical organisational action.
The session concluded with valuable insights from our Technology Consulting Partner, Eileen Tan who shared practical guidance on strengthening disaster recovery, emergency incident response planning, and business continuity frameworks.
She brought clarity to the distinctions across these critical disciplines, summarising:
“Incident Response stops the incident, Disaster Recovery restores systems, Business Continuity keeps the business running, and Crisis Management leads decisions and communication throughout the crisis.”
Her concise framing reinforced the importance of aligning these capabilities to build a coordinated, end-to-end resilience strategy.
The Total Defence tabletop exercises reinforced that business resilience is a shared responsibility. Regularly testing response plans through realistic, scenario-based discussions enables organisations to identify gaps, challenge assumptions, and strengthen coordination before real crises occur.
By learning from one another and preparing for disruptions such as prolonged power outages or cyber incidents, companies enhance not only their own operational readiness but also the resilience of the wider ecosystem. Continuous review, cross-sector collaboration, and disciplined practice ensure that response frameworks remain relevant amid evolving risks, helping to keep Singapore’s business landscape strong, secure, and future-ready.
Now is the time to move from planning to practice. If your organisation has not recently stress-tested its crisis response and business continuity plans, consider convening a tabletop exercise to assess your readiness. Proactive preparation today builds the confidence and capability needed to navigate tomorrow’s uncertainties. Speak to us to get started!
Learn more about our Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery services
https://rsmstoneforest.sg/technology-consulting/backup-disaster-recovery
For compliance to MAS Business Continuity Management (BCM) Guidelines, financial institutions must conduct robust TTXs. Get in touch with us to be audit-ready ahead of the June 2027 timeline.
RSM is one of the appointed consultants for CSA’s CISOaaS for Cyber Essentials and IMDA’s Data Protection Essentials.
Learn more about here: https://www.rsm.global/singapore/service/digital-trust
https://www.totaldefence.gov.sg/exercise-sg-ready/
https://www.mindef.gov.sg/news-and-events/latest-releases/2feb26-nr2/