Forbes elevates operational access priority

Forbes published a Technology Council article on May 22 that framed storm readiness around a practical constraint: whether crews can physically reach infrastructure when conditions deteriorate. The piece, written by Scott Reynolds, chief executive and co-founder of UpCodes, argued that access for inspection, intervention and restoration can determine performance during extreme weather as much as the original design assumptions do. Forbes identified the article as a council post carrying the author’s views. ### Why did Forbes focus on access instead of just design capacity? Scott Reynolds wrote in the May 22 article that extreme weather has become an “everyday stress test” for infrastructure, housing and emergency systems. He said the recurring problem is often not a lack of technical knowledge, but a failure to get that knowledge to the people who need it in time to act. The Forbes post shifts the discussion from nominal system capacity to field conditions during an event. In that framing, an asset can meet its design criteria on paper and still fail operationally if crews cannot reach it to inspect damage, clear blockages, shut equipment down safely or restore service. ### Which assets did the article single out? Reynolds pointed to outfalls, pump stations, retaining walls and coastal assets as examples where access planning matters under storm conditions. Those are the kinds of assets that may remain structurally important during flooding or coastal surge but become difficult to inspect once roads are cut off, water levels rise or debris accumulates. The article treated those facilities as operating assets, not static design objects. That distinction matters because storm performance depends on whether staff can approach the site, assess conditions and carry out repairs or protective actions while the event is still unfolding. ### What does “operational access” mean in practice? The Forbes article described operational access as the ability to reach, inspect and restore assets during an event, not only before or after one. That puts emphasis on route planning, safe entry points, visibility of critical components and the ability to work under degraded conditions. In practical terms, the argument is that resilience planning should include questions such as whether a pump station can be approached during floodwater, whether an outfall can be checked for blockage, whether a retaining structure can be inspected after erosion begins, and whether coastal infrastructure remains reachable when wave or surge conditions worsen. ### How does this change the way resilience is judged? The May 22 post argued that resilience should be judged partly by inspection and intervention capability during an event. Reynolds’ article suggests that design assumptions alone are incomplete if they do not account for the conditions under which operators, maintenance teams and emergency responders actually work. That approach puts more weight on maintenance routes, emergency procedures and field inspection capability. It also aligns storm readiness with operations: a system is more resilient if it can still be assessed and acted on when weather conditions are at their worst. ### What, specifically, did Forbes publish? Forbes published the piece as a Technology Council “Council Post,” a format the site labels as expertise from council members. The post is titled “How Operational Access Can Ensure Readiness For The Next Storm,” and Forbes identifies Reynolds as an architect-turned-entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of UpCodes. The article remains available on Forbes’ site under the Technology Council section, where the May 22 publication date and author attribution appear with the post. (forbes.com)