Deleted: Comprehensive BCM (business continuity management) measures are essential for responding effectively to a disruption and providing a minimum acceptable service during a disaster.
A crucial aspect of BCM is the development of an effective BCP (business continuity plan).
What is a business continuity plan?
A BCP consists of the processes and procedures an organisation needs to ensure its critical business processes continue operating during a disaster.
All of this information is put into a document, which is regularly tested, developed and improved on to make sure the organisation has recovery strategies in place for a range of threats.
The BCP is often considered the heart of a BCMS (business continuity management system).
Who should have a business continuity plan?
All organisations, no matter their size, should create a BCP.
Every organisation is at risk of a disruptive incident. Nearly half of UK businesses suffered a cyber attack or security breach last year alone.
Failure to plan could have disastrous consequences for your organisation, potentially resulting in your organisation suffering irreparable damage.
Free BCP template
To help you with your BCP, we’ve created a free downloadable template.
It outlines the elements that should be included in a BCP, and makes it quick and easy to tailor the documentation to your organisation’s requirements.
Download our business continuity plan template >>
What should a business continuity plan include?
- Purpose and scope
Details of the plan should be provided and any exclusions must be explained.
- Responsibilities
You should select a business continuity team, comprised of a select group of employees who are responsible for carrying out the plans.
- Plan invocation
Details of how and when the BCP will be invoked.
- Developing the BCP
Information in the plan must be understood by and accessible to everyone in the organisation.
- Communications
How, and under which circumstances, the organisation will communicate with employees and their relatives, key interested parties and emergency contacts.
- Stakeholders
Provide information relating to essential stakeholders, including their contact information.
- Document owner, approver and change history record
The business continuity manager is the owner of the BCP and is responsible for ensuring that the procedure is reviewed and tested regularly.
- Change management
The document must be published in a place that is available to all members of staff, especially those directly involved in the BCP, and in all appropriate formats (digital, hard copy, etc.).
Benefits of a business continuity plan
Creating a BCP will make it easier for your organisation to cope in a crisis and minimise the business impact for you and your customers.
It also demonstrates to customers and investors that your business is prepared for anything, thereby gaining their confidence and giving you a competitive edge.
A BCP can also reduce or even avoid the risk of losing revenue if you are hit with a disruption. Returning to work as usual as quickly as possible minimises the disruption to your business operations and therefore helps you get back to generating revenue.
Organisations that aren’t prepared often appear incompetent. This can damage their reputation and brand image, putting many people off associating with them, which could lead to a loss of customers.
Protect your business with IT Governance
You can find more guidance on business continuity planning with IT Governance’s Business Continuity Risk Management Pack.
Developed by experts, this tool enables organisations to develop a business continuity plan tailored to its specific individual risk appetite.
You’ll also ensure that your organisation is fully prepared to recover critical business functions as quickly as possible in the event of a disruptive incident.
A version of this blog was originally published on 16 November 2018.
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