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What is a business continuity plan (bcp), and how does it work.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

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What Is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)? 

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a system of prevention and recovery from potential threats to a company. The plan ensures that personnel and assets are protected and are able to function quickly in the event of a disaster.

Key Takeaways

  • Business continuity plans (BCPs) are prevention and recovery systems for potential threats, such as natural disasters or cyber-attacks.
  • BCP is designed to protect personnel and assets and make sure they can function quickly when disaster strikes.
  • BCPs should be tested to ensure there are no weaknesses, which can be identified and corrected.

Understanding Business Continuity Plans (BCPs)

BCP involves defining any and all risks that can affect the company's operations, making it an important part of the organization's risk management strategy. Risks may include natural disasters—fire, flood, or weather-related events—and cyber-attacks . Once the risks are identified, the plan should also include:

  • Determining how those risks will affect operations
  • Implementing safeguards and procedures to mitigate the risks
  • Testing procedures to ensure they work
  • Reviewing the process to make sure that it is up to date

BCPs are an important part of any business. Threats and disruptions mean a loss of revenue and higher costs, which leads to a drop in profitability. And businesses can't rely on insurance alone because it doesn't cover all the costs and the customers who move to the competition. It is generally conceived in advance and involves input from key stakeholders and personnel.

Business impact analysis, recovery, organization, and training are all steps corporations need to follow when creating a Business Continuity Plan.

Benefits of a Business Continuity Plan

Businesses are prone to a host of disasters that vary in degree from minor to catastrophic. Business continuity planning is typically meant to help a company continue operating in the event of major disasters such as fires. BCPs are different from a disaster recovery plan, which focuses on the recovery of a company's information technology system after a crisis.

Consider a finance company based in a major city. It may put a BCP in place by taking steps including backing up its computer and client files offsite. If something were to happen to the company's corporate office, its satellite offices would still have access to important information.

An important point to note is that BCP may not be as effective if a large portion of the population is affected, as in the case of a disease outbreak. Nonetheless, BCPs can improve risk management—preventing disruptions from spreading. They can also help mitigate downtime of networks or technology, saving the company money.

How To Create a Business Continuity Plan

There are several steps many companies must follow to develop a solid BCP. They include:

  • Business Impact Analysis : Here, the business will identify functions and related resources that are time-sensitive. (More on this below.)
  • Recovery : In this portion, the business must identify and implement steps to recover critical business functions.
  • Organization : A continuity team must be created. This team will devise a plan to manage the disruption.
  • Training : The continuity team must be trained and tested. Members of the team should also complete exercises that go over the plan and strategies.

Companies may also find it useful to come up with a checklist that includes key details such as emergency contact information, a list of resources the continuity team may need, where backup data and other required information are housed or stored, and other important personnel.

Along with testing the continuity team, the company should also test the BCP itself. It should be tested several times to ensure it can be applied to many different risk scenarios . This will help identify any weaknesses in the plan which can then be corrected.

In order for a business continuity plan to be successful, all employees—even those who aren't on the continuity team—must be aware of the plan.

Business Continuity Impact Analysis

An important part of developing a BCP is a business continuity impact analysis. It identifies the effects of disruption of business functions and processes. It also uses the information to make decisions about recovery priorities and strategies.

FEMA provides an operational and financial impact worksheet to help run a business continuity analysis. The worksheet should be completed by business function and process managers who are well acquainted with the business. These worksheets will summarize the following:

  • The impacts—both financial and operational—that stem from the loss of individual business functions and process
  • Identifying when the loss of a function or process would result in the identified business impacts

Completing the analysis can help companies identify and prioritize the processes that have the most impact on the business's financial and operational functions. The point at which they must be recovered is generally known as the “recovery time objective.”

Business Continuity Plan vs. Disaster Recovery Plan

BCPs and disaster recovery plans are similar in nature, the latter focuses on technology and information technology (IT) infrastructure. BCPs are more encompassing—focusing on the entire organization, such as customer service and supply chain. 

BCPs focus on reducing overall costs or losses, while disaster recovery plans look only at technology downtimes and related costs. Disaster recovery plans tend to involve only IT personnel—which create and manage the policy. However, BCPs tend to have more personnel trained on the potential processes. 

Why Is Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Important?

Businesses are prone to a host of disasters that vary in degree from minor to catastrophic and business continuity plans (BCPs) are an important part of any business. BCP is typically meant to help a company continue operating in the event of threats and disruptions. This could result in a loss of revenue and higher costs, which leads to a drop in profitability. And businesses can't rely on insurance alone because it doesn't cover all the costs and the customers who move to the competition.

What Should a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Include?

Business continuity plans involve identifying any and all risks that can affect the company's operations. The plan should also determine how those risks will affect operations and implement safeguards and procedures to mitigate the risks. There should also be testing procedures to ensure these safeguards and procedures work. Finally, there should be a review process to make sure that the plan is up to date.

What Is Business Continuity Impact Analysis?

An important part of developing a BCP is a business continuity impact analysis which identifies the effects of disruption of business functions and processes. It also uses the information to make decisions about recovery priorities and strategies.

FEMA provides an operational and financial impact worksheet to help run a business continuity analysis.

These worksheets summarize the impacts—both financial and operational—that stem from the loss of individual business functions and processes. They also identify when the loss of a function or process would result in the identified business impacts.

Business continuity plans (BCPs) are created to help speed up the recovery of an organization filling a threat or disaster. The plan puts in place mechanisms and functions to allow personnel and assets to minimize company downtime. BCPs cover all organizational risks should a disaster happen, such as flood or fire.  

Federal Emergency Management Agency. " Business Process Analysis and Business Impact Analysis User Guide ." Pages 15 - 17.

Ready. “ IT Disaster Recovery Plan .”

Federal Emergency Management Agency. " Business Process Analysis and Business Impact Analysis User Guide ." Pages 15-17.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

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What is the primary goal of business continuity planning, and how to achieve it

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Disaster often strikes without notice. Even with some prior warning, a multitude of factors can cause the best of intentions to result in errors, and mistakes when faced with disaster.  Every incident is unique, and understanding what is the primary goal of business continuity planning can ensure your business can respond to every disaster with a tailored and measured approach.

Below, we explain exactly what is the primary goal of business continuity planning, how to create a business continuity plan, and what measures you need to put in place to maximize your organization’s chances of success during a disaster.

On this page:

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Why business continuity planning matters, advantages of business continuity planning, how to write a business continuity plan, difference between disaster recovery and business continuity, business continuity and insurance, testing your business continuity plan, business continuity standards.

To overcome any crisis, and minimize any impact to your staff, customers and the business, you need a robust business continuity plan (BCP).  Having a BCP demonstrates to your customers, insurers, investors, and stakeholders that your business is robust enough to overcome any disaster that it may face.

So, what is the primary goal of business continuity planning?

A business continuity plan presents how the business will proceed during a crisis. It is considered a blueprint for an organization to maintain continuous business operations during disasters, emergencies, and other business disruptions, and get back to normal business operations as early as possible.

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning - BCP primary goal

What are the objectives of business continuity planning

Now we understand what the primary goal of business continuity planning is, let’s take a look at some of the objectives that businesses can achieve through business continuity planning:

  • Operations continuity assurance during disruption – Ensuring your business has the capability, systems, protocols, and practices in place to mitigate most probable forms of disruption
  • Improved mitigation of risks – By establishing risk management strategy and regular appraisal and assessment of existing, and new risks, businesses can improve the mitigation of risks.
  • Robust platforms continued operation – Making sure your organization has the necessary platforms (infrastructure, resources, technology, capacity), to operate in the event of a catastrophic disruption.
  • Improved commercial health, and competitiveness – Developing the capability of the organization to ensure it can operate more effectively, and better serve its customers, than its competitors during a catastrophic event.
  • Reducing the risk of financial loss – Increasing financial stability by ensuring the business can overcome any catastrophic event cost-effectively.
  • Improved customer confidence and reliability – Ensure the uninterrupted availability of all its critical services and products in the event of a catastrophic incident.
  • Secure contribution to the national economy – Through continued contribution to the local, regional and national economy, businesses can support local employment and industry.
  • Increase capability to manage business-impacting disruptions
  • Increased resilience against disruption, to protect sales, production, employees, customers

While the terms business continuity and disaster recovery are closely related, they a different.  Typically, disaster recovery is associated with the technology function of your business.

See also: Business Continuity vs. Disaster Recovery

Your disaster recovery plan should form a core component of your business continuity planning and strategy. This approach puts the emphasis on the whole business, not just on technology alone, reinforcing the concept of continuity of all key business processes, beyond information technology systems.

What are the primary objectives of business continuity planning

The primary output from the business continuity planning process is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP). The BCP comprises many elements which, collectively, define the approach an organization should take to recover to normal business operations.

See also: Understanding Business Continuity

So, we understand what the primary goal of business continuity planning is, and we also understand some of the objectives that a business can fulfil through business continuity planning.  But why does business continuity matter, and what are the advantages for your business?

Businesses strive to remain competitive regardless of whether they are a small business or medium organization, or the industry they are in. For your business, it is crucial to retain and maintain your existing customers while simultaneously growing your customer base.

What does this have to do with business continuity planning and achieving the primary goal and objectives?

Having the capability to manage any adverse incident effectively can positively affect your business’ reputation and market value, increasing customer confidence.

At a basic level, there is no better test of your capability in serving your customers then than immediately following an adverse event.

Most businesses have several disaster recovery solutions available, ranging from data backups to data recovery. But what recovery processes do you have for the remainder of your business processes and workflows?

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

There is an increase in consumer and regulatory expectations for security today. Organizations need to understand the processes and workflows within their business and the impact of the loss of these processes in the event of an adverse incident.

Disruptions to an organization’s operations can be very costly, both in the short the long term. They can adversely affect the market value and consumer confidence.

If in the event of a disruptive event, customer experience is negatively impacted, then those customers can quickly abandon the organization permanently.

Building your recovery strategy around these processes can be mitigated through business continuity planning:

  • Risk mitigation and risk management strategies – The best way to reduce the impact of a disruption is to avoid it. By implementing, or adjusting, existing work processes and procedures, businesses can often significantly reduce the impact of any disruption or even avoid altogether.
  • The protection of crucial business functions and assets – In the event of a significant disruptive incident, you need to take swift action to protect essential functions and assets in your business. For example, in the event, your supply chain is disrupted, you should have in place alternative sourcing solutions to minimize any interruption to service delivery.
  • Steps to restore impacted operations and assets as quickly as possible – Any protective measures, such as sourcing from an alternative supply chain, should only be temporary. What you should be aiming for, and as per the primary goal of business continuity planning, is for your business return to normal operations, at the earliest opportunity.

Business continuity planning can help your business react in an efficient and effective manner to unplanned disruptive incidents and events, reducing losses and impact on your business’ ability to operate.

Many businesses are facing deliberate and accidental damages. These damages can cause significant disruptions in the operations and interfere with preparing for emergencies.

That’s why we have business continuity planning. It helps you with the recovery strategy, prepare for the unexpected incidents, and show you the ultimate benefits.

Importance of business continuity planning

Whatever problems you’re facing with your business, you are bound to end up with some consequences for the best or the worst.

While you can’t altogether avoid getting hit, you can at least try to reduce the effect by executing a clear and comprehensive business continuity plan.

A perfect plan will help you survive. Make sure you throw your plan out there and test it. Don’t forget to see how you can minimize the potential impact of crises .

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning - BCP benefits

Key benefits of business continuity planning

While we’re at it, let’s see how business continuity planning can help you:

  • keeps your business trading during and after a crisis
  • recovers operations more quickly after interruptions
  • reduces expenses and duration of any disruption
  • reduces risks and financial exposure
  • builds considerable seller-customer confidence and trust
  • safeguard company reputation
  • develops confidence within the business
  • complies with regulatory or legal requirements
  • insures against otherwise unacceptable risks
  • saves lives, if dangerous events (such as a fire) occur

You may find the basis for business continuity planning to be two linked, but distinct practices :

  • Risk assessment – it shows the different type of situation you may face
  • Business impact analysis (BIA) – this determines the cooldown period for major activities

Priorities and deadlines for activities are BIA’s territory. While risk assessment is limited to drawing the possible scenarios, the effects, and the danger.

These two provides you with the most reliable information you can use to develop your continuity plan.

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning - BCP process

Your business continuity plan (BCP) should outline the course of action you need to take to restore business functions as quickly as possible.

Business continuity plans are tailored to specific business workflows and processes, with each BCP unique to each organization.  However, there are some common steps that businesses undertake when developing business continuity plans:

  • Assignment of a business continuity planning team – The business continuity planning team, will coordinate the activities required to assemble and develop the plan. The contact details of for each member of the team should be documented, as well as the role for each team member within the management structure.
  • Risk analysis and assessment – The first step is to identify potential areas of risk, the likelihood of that risk occurring, and the level of impact that risk will have on the business. Read more about IT risk and technology risk assessment methodologies .
  • Analysis of the potential impacts of disruptions – A business impact analysis, or BIA , assesses the impact that any risks would have on a business’ operations. It will also ascertain any financial impacts too. This analysis helps the business continuity planning team to prioritize the plan’s sequence of events, and determine restoration timelines, in terms of RPO and RTO .
  • Strategy development – The protection and restoration of business functions, process, and procedures will be a core part of the business continuity plan. The team will need to coordinate, identify and document action plans to address each type of risk. The action plans need to be tailored to fit specific scenarios, such as a natural disaster, as well as a specific business unit.  Disaster recovery plans fall into this step.  For instance, if a flood was to damage critical computing equipment, the IT department may need to restore data from backups.
  • Training, testing, and exercises – It is crucial to test the plan to evaluate the plan’s feasibility. Exercises will help the business continuity team to identify potential issues, as well as familiarizing them with the content of the plan. Training activities must be performed regularly to ensure that team members stay competent and proficient.
  • Regular revisions – Your business continuity plan should be continually updated, and where necessary revised, to maintain its relevance and usefulness. For instance, the plan may identify the use of software or personnel that are no longer available. Without an updated plan, any business continuity effort could be compromised.

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning

What should a business continuity plan include?

The nature of the solution will depend on the type of disruption.  Try covering the following areas:

  • Emergency response – your priority should be the welfare of the suffering people before doing something about the crisis. To ensure them the maximum safety develop incident response flowcharts or checklists, evacuation guidelines and procedures, list of relocation sites, etc. After assuring safety to each and everyone, you can now start measuring the damage and restoring procedures of your business.
  • Crisis management – decide the information flow to media, stakeholders, staff, etc. Agree on the communication protocols, determine managing the loss event, and make sure you have enough resources to support the recovery. Prepare yourself for the possible media interest. If required, consider appointing a spokesperson for any media queries, being clear and transparent by communicating with staff, customers, and suppliers before the media.
  • Business recovery – Inform BIA’s detailed operational plans for critical functions and assets. To restore essential operations, identify the resources and the personnel you may need help from. Make sure all of you agree on the followable strategies and responses to reduce the loss of business. Make a plan that’s clear enough to get through everybody, and they can start taking actions immediately in emergencies. You can also try training them beforehand to deal better with such a situation. This will build a reflex in them with their assigned task.
  • Key contacts – create a list for both the internal and external people and organizations to reach them instantly for help. Also, assign them with roles you need them for during the crisis. Such as details of key staff, critical suppliers, local councils, neighboring businesses, police, utility providers, landlords, or insurers. Including details of service providers like glaziers, locksmiths, plumber, electricians, and IT specialists will also help. Don’t forget to include maps of your business premises’ layout as it’ll help the emergency services to start taking actions faster.

However, despite these plans, you need to consider the fact that there could be different disruptive situations that call for a different response. That’s why you need to keep several alternatives to address different disaster scenarios, whether it’s the worst-case events or the partial outages.

Business continuity plan templates and tools

You have two options to start your business continuity plan with. Go from scratch or get some help from online templates. To find your best suit, you might need to customize the plan according to your business needs.

You can get some help from GOV.UK’s business continuity management toolkit (PDF, 569K) [8] and get yourself a tailored plan according to particular circumstances of your business

You can run into a lot of technological incidents during a crisis. To recover your business from the damage, you need a disaster recovery plan. This plan will help you restore the destroyed data and applications due to the data center, servers, or IT infrastructure damage.

Use the disaster recovery plan besides the business continuity plan to get the necessary strategies to handle the risk.

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning - BCP and DRP

Continuity planning relates very closely to business insurance. You’ll find that most of the insurers consider business continuity to be a prerequisite for providing cover. To get more details, check out business insurance .

Business continuity plans must be working documents which has to be written, updated, and tested daily to check the performance. Regular testing of your business continuity plan will provide an indication of performance during emergencies.

For effective testing, you should test it against something more plausible than hypothetical scenarios. Doing this will also help you figure out and fix some things before the test, like:

  • agreeing on clear testing criteria and procedures
  • agreeing on the procedures of documenting the findings
  • determining the process of correcting problems that arose during the test

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Why should you test your business continuity plan?

To understand and verify that your plan is useful and fulfilling its purpose, you must run a thorough and careful. Doing this, you’ll be able to:

  • properly train your staff involved in the recovery of the business
  • figure out which part of your plan needs more strength
  • demonstrate your company’s recovering ability

You may consider outsourcing certain functions of your business to a third party. If you do, you’ll need to evaluate the adequacy of their business continuity plan and the compatibility with your plan.

How to test business continuity plans

You can run a few tests to estimate the effectiveness of your plan. For example:

  • checklist tests
  • table-top exercises
  • structured walk-throughs
  • scheduled simulations
  • full recovery / interruption tests

Now, besides running these tests, it’s vital that you take care of all the essential details involved in the plan, such as the correct contact information. If there’s something wrong with a phone number, then it can take a considerable chunk out of your precious time to find the right one and eventually resulting in a late response to the crisis.

How often should you test your business continuity plan?

It depends. You’ll see many businesses testing their continuity plan more than two times a year. You need to consider a few factors when concluding how often you should test the plan.

Factors such as the type of your business, turnover of staff, and changes in the procedures and technology used in your business, all need to be taken into account when determining the frequency for testing.

Maintain your business continuity plan

Creating and testing the plan may require a considerable amount of effort and time. But there’s more to it. You must update the plan daily to consider your business’ everchanging circumstances. Take moving into new business premises, for example.

The previous plan might not have anything in common with the new premises, which can be threatening as you face completely new sorts of risks. You’ll have to make a new plan and include a newly drawn map for the emergency services and also amend the contact numbers.

This can help review your business continuity plan annually and completing this review beside testing will ensure the maximum efficiency of the plan.

To understand the accuracy and efficiency of how your business continuity plans and procedures align with the best methods out there, you should measure them against and international standard.

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning

The standard defines the requirements for a management system to protect against, reduce the risks, and ensure the recovery from the crisis.

Find out more about the ISO 22301 business continuity management standard .

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Lucy has more than 23 years of experience in the technology industry. Specialising in the cloud and telecommunications sectors, Lucy has previously worked in senior management roles within HR & Operations for major national and international organisations such as BT, O2 and more recently, Vodafone. Lucy is currently the Deputy Online Editor at BusinessTechWeekly.com

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Business Continuity Simplified

By Andy Marker | December 17, 2018 (updated October 24, 2021)

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Unexpected work interruptions can cripple a business and cause millions of dollars in expenses and lost business. Learn about the importance of business continuity planning and management from experts. 

In this article, you’ll learn the definition of a business continuity plan and the primary goal of business continuity planning . Additionally, you’ll learn the steps involved in business continuity planning and about the business continuity lifecycle .

What Is Business Continuity Management?

In business continuity management (BCM) , a company identifies potential threats to its activities and the threat impact. The company then develops plans to respond to those threats and continue activities through any crisis.

What Is a Business Continuity Plan?

A business continuity plan (BCP) describes how a business will continue to run during and after a crisis event. The BCP details guidelines, procedures, and work instructions to aid continuity.

To learn more about writing a plan, see our how-to guide to writing a business continuity plan .

What Is Business Continuity Planning?

Business continuity planning (BCP) refers to the work a company does to create a plan and system to deal with risks. Thorough planning seeks to prevent problems and ensure business processes continue during and after a crisis.

Business continuity planning ensures that the company deals with disruptions quickly, and minimizes the impact on operations. Business continuity planning is also called business resumption planning and continuous service delivery assurance (CSDA) .

What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

The main goal of business continuity planning is to support key company activities during a crisis. Planning ensures a company can run with limited resources or restricted access to buildings. Continuity planning also aims to minimize revenue or reputation losses.   

A business continuity plan should outline several key things that an organization needs to do to prepare for potential disruptions to its activities, including the following:

  • Recognize potential threats to a company.
  • Assess potential impacts on the company’s daily activities.
  • Provide a way to reduce these potential problems, and establish a structure that allows key company functions to continue throughout and after the event.
  • Identify the resources the organization needs to continue operating, such as staffing, equipment, and alternative locations.

Business Continuity Planning Steps

A business continuity plan includes guidelines and procedures to guide a business through disruption. The efforts to create a plan are the same for large or small organizations. A simple plan is better than no plan. 

The basic steps for writing a business continuity plan are as follows:

  • Create a governance team.
  • Complete your business impact analysis (BIA) and risk assessment documents.
  • Document your plan. Remember to include detailed guidelines and procedures that cover key processes and facilities.
  • Test and update the plan regularly.

The Business Continuity Management Lifecycle

Business continuity management includes preparing for and handling unexpected events. BCM has a six-step lifecycle. This cycle repeats during both in regular business times and crises, as you take the right steps to keep activities always running.

The BCM lifecycle includes the following points:

  • Mitigate Risk: Proactively identify business continuity risks to your company, and plan how your company will respond.
  • Prepare: Train staff on your business continuity plan and ensure they understand what they need to do to help the business respond.
  • Respond: Ensure that your company and all employees respond appropriately to a crisis. Be prepared to adapt in the moment.
  • Resolve: Ensure that the company plans how to communicate effectively with staff and that it does so appropriately during the crisis.
  • Recover: Inform employees, customers, and other important people about the status of the crisis and your company’s response.
  • Resume: Communicate with employees and others after the crisis ends.

What Are Business Continuity Risks or Events?

Also called business continuity events, business continuity risks are the most common events that can disrupt a company’s regular operations — these can be natural and human-made crises. Defining these risks is a vital part of business continuity planning.

Such events might include the following:

  • Severe weather
  • Natural disasters (tornadoes, floods, blizzards, earthquakes, fire, etc.)
  • A physical security threat
  • A recall of a company’s product
  • Supply chain problems
  • Threats to staffing and employee safety
  • Accidents at an organization’s facilities
  • Destruction to a company’s facilities or property
  • Power disruptions
  • Server crashes
  • Failures in public and private services (communications, transportation, safety, etc.)
  • Environmental disasters, including hazardous materials spills
  • Network disruptions
  • Human error/human-made hazards
  • Stock market crashes
  • Cyber attacks and hacker activity

Any of these triggers can result in broader problems for a company, such as danger or injury to staff and others, equipment damages, brand injury, and loss of income and net worth. Business continuity management and planning address and mitigate these contingencies.

What Is a Business Continuity Strategy?

A business continuity strategy is more often called a business continuity plan. The strategy includes the processes and structure a company uses to manage an unexpected event.

Some people consider business continuity strategy to be a step in the planning process. In the strategy phase, business continuity planners describe the overall approach a company should take to prevent, manage, and recover from a crisis.

An Overview of Business Continuity Management and Planning

There are several goals, key elements, and benefits to business continuity management and planning. The primary goals of management and planning are as follows:

  • Build Company Resiliency: Doing so means that your company’s tools, buildings, and operations are resistant to — and not greatly affected by — most disruptions.
  • Create a Plan for Recovery (with Contingencies that Aid in That Recovery): If a major event does cause problems, you should have a plan for how to recover quickly. That plan will include contingencies. For example, you should plan for how key operations will resume if there is a widespread power outage.

Business continuity management and planning generally cover the following areas, with differences depending on the organization and industry:

  • Disaster Recovery: Disaster recovery involves recovering technology after a disruptive event. You can learn more about disaster recovery and download free templates in our comprehensive article .
  • Emergency Management: Emergency management focuses on avoiding and mitigating catastrophic risks to staff and communities.
  • Business Recovery: Considered part of business continuity, business recovery centers on short-term activities after a disruptive incident. The short-term is sometimes defined as less than 60 days.
  • Business Resumption: This describes the longterm phase of recovery (60 or more days after an even), wherein the company returns to near-normal conditions.
  • Crisis Management: Crisis management focuses on communicating with stakeholders during and after a crisis, and controlling damage during the event. To learn more, read our comprehensive guide to crisis management .
  • Incident Management: Incident management is an ITIL (previously known as Information Technology Infrastructure Library) framework for reducing or eliminating downtime after an incident.
  • Contingency Planning: This covers outlier risks that are unlikely to occur but which could have disastrous results.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

“A well managed business continuity management program will help protect people, assets, and business processes,” says Scott Owens, founder and managing director of BluTinuity , a business continuity firm based in New Berlin, Wisconsin. “It may not be able to prevent all incidents. But it can reduce the likelihood of incidents, decrease response time, and lower the cost and impact of an incident.”

Key Elements of Business Continuity Management

All business continuity management programs should include a number of key elements, which serve to ensure that your plan is positioned for success and that you regularly update and improve it.   

These important elements include the following:

  • Governance: This is the structure and team your business sets up to create and monitor the program.
  • Business Alignment: This section details how your company’s current business continuity management and planning processes compare to expert approaches and industry standards.
  • Continuity Strategy and Recovery Strategies: Include a detailed plan that assesses risks to your organization and how you can recover, should those risks become reality.
  • Plan Documentation: Provide details on the plan that everyone in your company can access. To get started, see our roundup of free business continuity plan templates .
  • Tactical Implementation: This section includes details on the specific ways your company plans to recover from certain types of incidents.
  • Training: In this section, detail how you will train your staff to understand the business continuity plan and their role in it.
  • Testing: Include real-world simulations of a crisis event, and test how your company and its employees respond and the effectiveness of your business continuity plans.
  • Maintenance: Make changes to the plan where necessary to increase its effectiveness.
  • Monitoring: This section details how you will continue to compare industry standards and expert advice to how your plan is working.

To learn about formal requirements for business continuity planning and management, see our comprehensive article on the ISO 22301 standard . 

The Costs of Business Continuity Management

The costs to do an appropriate job of business continuity management can be significant. However, some reports say that the cost of unforeseen downtime may be as much as $2.5 billion a year for Fortune 1000 companies.

Kurt Engemann, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Business Continuity and Risk Management at Iona College in New York, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management and author of Business Continuity and Risk Management: Essentials of Organizational Resilience . In the book, he says that costs for business continuity preparation do not only include the groundwork to assess a company’s risks and plans to manage those risks. Rather, they also cover the needed backup facilities and equipment and company assets for emergency response. In addition, costs must cover resources for training employees and testing the plan.

Some experts have estimated that business continuity management and planning within only the crucial information technology aspects of companies can cost two to four percent of the information technology budget. But the costs are necessary, and worth it in the long run, according to business continuity experts.

“There is an initial outlay of a modest amount of money that will lessen the financial impact of a possible future crisis,” Engemann writes in his book. “Similar to an insurance policy, the financial benefit of BCM must be viewed from a long-term prospective.”

When an organization’s top executives complain about the costs, Owens says, “Ask them what it would cost their organization for an hour of downtime. Or eight hours. Or 24 hours. Chances are the cost — financial, operational, and to brand and reputation — of having key business functions unavailable for an extended period are significant. They will most likely find business continuity management to be worth the investment.” 

Benefits of Business Continuity Management

Like Engemann, Owens points out that there are significant benefits to the investment organizations make in business continuity management, including the following:

  • Mission Critical Processes: If you understand your key processes, you can plan to protect them and prioritize their recovery.
  • Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Laws or regulations require companies in some industries to implement a formal business continuity management system.
  • Satisfying Demands from Other Organizations: Some groups and companies may require that your company sets up BCM before they do business with you.
  • Insurance Payments: To get the maximum payments from an insurance policy after an event, a company must have suitable business continuity management policies in place.
  • Reputation Management: Your business’s brand will be greatly helped or hurt, depending on how an unforeseen event affects its operations.
  • Competitive Advantage: A strong business continuity plan can offer your company the advantage over peers who are not as well prepared.
  • Seamless Recovery: Cloud-based technologies make data backup, remote work, and business recovery affordable and accessible. Groups and businesses of all sizes can benefit from such tools. See our article on cloud computing for business continuity to learn more.
  • Time Savings: Planning prevents teams from scrambling at the last minute to cobble together a recovery effort. Strong planning helps you get back online — and back on track — faster.

Michael Herrera, CEO of MHA Consulting , a business continuity and disaster recovery firm, cites two other significant benefits: 

  • Keeping Customers and Avoiding Major Financial Losses: Getting operations back to normal quickly after an event means your company loses less money.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

“Your customers aren’t as patient as you think they are,” Herrera explains. “They expect you to have a business continuity system and they expect you to be up and running. Their patience does run out.”

  • Improving Day-to-Day Operations: Herrera says his firm’s clients often discover how business continuity planning gives them insights into the day-to-day operations of their company. “It really can help you with process improvement and getting a good understanding of what your business does every day.”

Additionally, strong business continuity planning will enable you to do the following:

  • Officially declare a disaster and alert senior management.
  • Assist in the development of an official public statement regarding a disaster and its effects on a business.
  • Monitor your business’s progress and present the recovery status.
  • Provide ongoing support and guidance to teams with pre-planned operations.
  • Review critical processing, schedules, and backlogs to keep everyone up to date on status.
  • Ensure businesses have both the resources and the information to deal with an unforeseen emergency.
  • Reduce the risk that an emergency might pose to employees, clients, and vendors, etc.
  • Provide a response for both man-made and environmental disasters.
  • Improve overall business communication and response plans.
  • Summarize both the operational and the financial impacts resulting from the loss of critical business functions.
  • Allow businesses to plan for a loss of function that has potentially larger, more severe consequences.

See our article on the importance and benefits of business continuity planning to read more expert examples of how business continuity can bolster your company. 

Key Business Continuity Management and Planning Considerations

Companies don’t have to face business continuity planning alone. There are a variety of tools and services that can help, including the following:

Consultant Services

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of consultants and companies that can provide help with developing your business continuity plan. Below are a few things to think about in choosing one:

  • How experienced are they? How long have they been around?
  • What’s their reputation as a company? What do their clients say about them?
  • Are they focused on a specific industry or area of business continuity, or do they have experience with a range of industries and a broad spectrum of business continuity?
  • How do they think about business continuity (as a somewhat separate practice or something that needs to be ingrained within your organization)?
  • How aligned is their advice with standards in your industry?

Business Continuity Software

There are also hundreds of pieces of business continuity software on the market. Here are some things to consider:

  • Are you looking for software that will automate the development of plan components, or software that offers more in-depth help during the planning phase?
  • What is the history of the software and the company behind it? How long has this particular software been on the market and what is the history and the reputation of the company behind it?
  • Is the software being continually updated and improved?

Below are some specifics to consider as you test drive the software:

  • Does it have an easy-to-use interface?
  • Does it cover all aspects and components of business continuity, including business impact analysis and risk assessment ?
  • Does it include sufficient storage for your company’s supporting documents?
  • Does it provide secure portable access via mobile or other technologies, if a crisis interrupts your information technology systems?
  • Does it provide strong data analytics?
  • Is it secure and private?

Primary Things Your Organization’s Business Continuity Management System Should Accomplish

While your business continuity management system will have various elements and details, there are some primary things it should do for your organization. They correspond to the key elements listed earlier in this article. 

For example, a BCM system should help do the following: 

  • Understand your company’s needs for business continuity and disaster preparedness. A BCM system should be able to assist company leaders in understanding the need for a business continuity management policy.
  • Understand which processes should be recovered and in what order.
  • Establish business continuity metrics to gauge success.
  • Plan for communicating with customers, staff, and other stakeholders.
  • Determine what tools, technology, and staffing are required to restore activities and support customers.
  • Establish remote-work support or relocation plans for staff and activities.
  • Implement ways to continually assess and manage continuity risks.
  • Monitor and review how its business continuity management system is working.
  • Continually improve the system.
  • Respond effectively in a real-world crisis, and allow the business’s critical operations to continue and all operations to resume quickly.

Although nobody wants to think about disasters or the effort needed to prepare to meet and mitigate crises, the alternative is the potential loss of reputation, income, or the entire business. In sum, planning translates to determining your key processes, equipment, and tools, and applying basic recovery strategies. 

The Importance of Senior Organizational Leaders Strongly Supporting Your Business Continuity Management and Planning

Your senior leaders must strongly support your company’s business continuity management plan for it to succeed. Such leadership is key as storms, floods, pandemics, and data breaches increase in force and frequency.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

“Make sure senior management is committed to the planning, development, execution, and implementation of a business continuity/disaster recovery program,” says Paul Kirvan , a business continuity consultant and a fellow of the Business Continuity Institute with 25 years of experience in business continuity work. “Otherwise, it simply won’t happen. Such programs work best if they have top-down support and funding, as opposed to being developed from the ground up.”

Business Continuity Plan Test Types

Testing verifies the effectiveness of your plan and provides training for participants. To ensure better communication, include suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders in exercises. If appropriate, also consider including local emergency preparedness officials.  

There are four types of testing, and each requires increasing levels of planning, resources, and focus. You should try to run each type of drill regularly.

  • Plan Review: Plan reviews are often the first test applied to a new plan. In this test, top management and some key BCP personnel review the relevance and completeness of a plan. Such a review can verify risk and BIA results, and help you check for gaps and inconsistencies among continuity documents.
  • Tabletop or Structured Walkthrough: A tabletop test requires more preparation and time. It provides a role-playing exercise for recovery teams.
  • Simulation or Walkthrough Drill: In a walkthrough drill, your continuity team physically completes the type of tasks they'd find in a crisis. They may practice evacuating a building during a fire, restoring a backup, or switching to another communication frequency.
  • Functional or Live Scenario: Functional tests include a complete physical drill of continuity plans. Live tests may focus on one aspect of the plan or include the complete plan. They may include one part of the company or all team members.

Be sure to document what happened in the test so everyone involved in the exercise — and especially those who created the plan — can understand what did and didn’t go well, and can revise as necessary.

Business Continuity Management Policy Statement

A business continuity policy statement is a written document that outlines an organization’s business continuity management program. The policy statement should be communicated to all employees and should be signed and endorsed by the organization’s senior management.

See real-world examples of a business continuity policy statement .

Cultivating Awareness of Business Continuity Plans

The best business continuity system is useless if no one knows about it. Find ways to promote your plans in daily company activities, and discuss business continuity regularly in company and team meetings. Also, be sure to include the business continuity manager in cross-functional planning meetings so they can represent the business continuity perspective. Above all, exercise your plan, test your plan, and then test again.

What Is the Importance of a Business Continuity Plan?

A business continuity plan is vital to ensure that your company mitigates downtime during a crisis. Resuming activities quickly after an event also helps ensure your company’s financial health.

How to Write a Business Continuity Plan

It is crucial that your company set up a group of people to help create your business continuity plan. The group should include senior leadership, experts, and staff. A simple, practical plan is the best plan. At a minimum, include continuity team roles and duties, and team member contact information. You should also add guidelines and checklists for dealing with unforeseen events. 

Daily business functions rely on many resources — human, utilities, machines, and even paper, pens, and pencils. Business recovery after a disruptive event is no different. See our in-depth article on writing a business continuity plan for a complete list of resource types you may want to include in a plan.

You can ask certain questions as you form your strategy, and a business continuity plan usually includes common resources and elements. See our article on how to write a business continuity plan to learn more.

Business Continuity Plan Template

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

This template can help you document and track business operations in the event of a disruption/disaster to maintain critical processes. The plan includes space to record business function recovery priorities, recovery plans, and alternate site locations. Plan efficiently for disruption and minimize downtime, so your business maintains optimal efficiency.

Download Business Continuity Plan Template

Word | PowerPoint | PDF

You’ll find other most useful free, downloadable business continuity plan (BCP) templates, in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and PDF formats in this article . 

What Is a Business Impact Analysis and Why Is It an Important Part of a Business Continuity Plan?

A business impact analysis (BIA) is one of the most important parts of business continuity planning. The analysis considers how an unforeseen disruption could affect a company. BIA results also suggest how a business can recover from a crisis.

The business impact analysis will include details on the following:

  • Recovery time objectives that outline the organization’s goals relating to how quickly various services and processes will resume after an event
  • Financial impact of an incident
  • Impact on customers
  • Other possible impacts of an incident
  • How the organization will prioritize recovery steps
  • How the organization will prioritize critical services or products
  • Identification of potential revenue loss
  • Identification of additional expenses the organization will incur because of the event
  • Identification of insurance an organization has or needs to have
  • Identification of an organization’s dependencies on other agencies, companies, and providers

See our business impact analysis toolkit to find guidelines and templates to get started.

Risk Mitigation for Business Continuity

Risk assessment is one of the first steps in preparing your business continuity plan. 

Risk management includes identifying and ranking risks, and risk control includes identifying policies and procedures to avoid and contain risks. 

To learn more about risk management , read our comprehensive guide.

The Importance of Periodically Testing an Organization’s Business Continuity Plan

Even the best business continuity plans are useless if you do not continually test them in real-world mockups. Testing helps you continuously improve procedures, and also keeps plans synched with current business context.

Robert Sollars, a security trainer and consultant from Mesa, Arizona, says, “You must exercise your plan and train your employees in it. This can be costly and unwieldy at times, but it is an absolute must. I liken this to buying a Lamborghini and letting it sit in the garage, never starting it up, never driving it, never doing anything but admiring it. Your plan must be taken out and test driven at least two to three times per year. If you don’t test it, then when the real thing pops you will realize what the books, consultants, and experts have told you is useless for your organization. Testing it allows you to figure out the bugs and tweak the necessary items to make it more efficient and effective.”

Owens adds, “If you haven’t tested your plans, you aren’t ready for a disaster.”

You can do some testing through simpler table top exercises — for example, by talking through hypothetical incidents with your team. But Owens and other business continuity experts say organizations should also periodically do exercises that more closely mimic a real-world event.

“Organizations need to move … to progressively more complex scenarios, involving cross-functional teams and interdependent systems and processes,” he writes in a blog post about business continuity. “This is the only way that a company can get outside its comfort zone to truly understand if what they have designed will really work. My preference is to involve role-playing, actors, and include participation from vendors, business partners, and local law enforcement when appropriate. This will almost always result in lessons learned and opportunities to improve the plan, which is another great outcome.”

The most important result from testing your plan is an understanding of where theoretical solutions won’t work in real events. This understanding will then allow your organization to amend the plan to be more effective.

What Is a Business Continuity Plan Governance Committee?

Many companies set up a business continuity plan governance committee, which consists of staff members and senior leaders (their continuity efforts is vital). Governance tasks include writing the business continuity plan and supervising ongoing plan maintenance.  

The committee is often responsible for the following duties:

  • Approving the governance structure of the committee
  • Clarifying the roles of committee members and others working on the plan
  • Overseeing the creation of working groups to develop and implement the plan
  • Providing overall direction and communicate important information to employees
  • Approving the continuity plan and essential specifics within it
  • Setting priorities within the plan

The committee often includes the following members:

  • A senior leader from the business, often the sponsor
  • A business continuity manager and assistant manager
  • The company employee, or outside consultant, who will serve as overall coordinator of the business continuity plan
  • The company’s security officer
  • The company’s chief information officer, or information technology leader
  • Representatives from the company’s business department, to help with the business impact analysis
  • An administrative representative

How to Cultivate Resilience in Your Organization

A resilient organization has the tools and abilities to survive a disruptive event, and also regularly looks for new threats and adapts to changes in the organizational and industry landscape. Resilience experts recognize two types of resilience: reactive resilience uses a company’s existing processes to meet and overcome a crisis; proactive resilience anticipates disruptions and considers methods to prevent problems.  

Real World Example: Lessons Learned About Business Continuity from the Terrorist Attacks of Sept. 11, 2001

Organizational leaders and business continuity experts learned a lot from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Worst of all, the attacks killed thousands of people. But they also severely disrupted communications, financial transactions, and some commerce in New York City and throughout the world.

The following are among the lessons learned:

  • Business continuity plans must be tested frequently, and updated where needed.
  • The plans must assume a wide range of threats.
  • The plans must take into account how much companies, agencies, and other entities depend on each other.
  • Key people from any organization must be available and reachable when an incident happens.
  • The ability to communicate, especially through landline phones, cell phones, and the internet, is vital.
  • Sites that organizations use for backup of their digital information should be located at a distance from their primary information technology site.
  • Employee support and counseling may be important during and after a crisis.
  • An organization should store copies of its business continuity plan at a location apart from its primary location.
  • Security perimeters around the scene of an incident may be large, which may affect employees’ access to organization facilities for long periods.

Legislation Governing Some Business Continuity Management and Planning

The United Kingdom did approved the Civil Contingencies Act in 2004, which requires businesses to have business continuity plans in place.

Some industries do have regulatory bodies that may impose business continuity requirements within those industries. For instance, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a private self-regulatory organization overseeing the U.S. financial securities industry. FINRA established FINRA Rule 4370. This rule requires securities firms to create and maintain written business continuity plans. Utility bodies, such as North American Electric Reliability Corporation ( NERC ) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ( FERC ), also require continuity plans.

Guidelines, Standards, and Resources Providing Guidance on Business Continuity Management and Planning

Organizational leaders can use a number of standards set by industry and other groups to guide their business continuity planning and management programs. Below are some commonly used standards:

  • ISO 22301 : Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a standard-setting body, this group of standards sets out appropriate business continuity management practices. Learn more about how this standard can help businesses of all sizes in our guide to ISO 22301 . 
  • NFPA 1600 : Developed by the National Fire Protection Association, the standard is one of the most widely recognized in the U.S. on emergency preparedness and business continuity.
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology SP 800-34 : Sets contingency planning standards for federal information systems in the U.S.
  • SPC-2009 — Organizational Resilience : Security, Preparedness and Continuity Management Systems provides critical business and infrastructure security standards developed by the American Society for Industrial Security.
  • ISO 27000 : Standards for security in information technology systems, which include standards for business continuity in information technology. Learn more about ISO 27000 and find free checklists and templates . 
  • DRI International : Professional Practices for Business Continuity Management
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Continuity Guidance Circular: Continuity Guidance for Non-Federal Entities: An 86-page formal document, the circular presents FEMA’s perspective on how businesses can prepare for disasters.
  • Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety: Open for Business Continuity Toolkit: This site offers a video, FAQ, and downloadable continuity planning tools.

What Is the Business Continuity Institute?

The Business Continuity Institute (BCI), based in the United Kingdom, is a non-profit professional organization providing education, certification, and leadership on business continuity management. The Institute has more than 8,000 members in more than 100 countries.

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Business Continuity Planning

What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

  • Disruptions and unexpected events can have a significant impact on a business’s ability to operate effectively.
  • Business continuity planning aims to minimize the impact of these events and ensure that critical business functions can continue.

What Is a Business Continuity Plan?

What is business continuity management, understanding business continuity planning, understanding the primary goal of business continuity planning, key components of a business continuity plan, factors to consider when developing a business continuity plan, the role of business continuity planning in disaster management, hire business proposal writers now.

Business continuity is the process of ensuring that critical business functions continue to operate during a crisis. A business continuity plan is a comprehensive plan that outlines how an organization will continue to operate during and after an unexpected event or crisis. The goal of a business continuity plan is to ensure that essential business processes can continue with minimal disruption.

Business continuity management (BCM) is the process of identifying potential risks and developing strategies to ensure that critical business functions can continue in the event of an unexpected event or crisis. BCM involves developing a comprehensive plan that outlines the steps that need to be taken to minimize the impact of a disruption on an organization and ensure that it can quickly return to normal operations.

Business continuity planning (BCP) is a critical component of business continuity management (BCM). BCP is the process of creating and implementing a plan that outlines how an organization will continue its critical functions and operations in the event of a disaster or unexpected event. The BCP outlines the steps that need to be taken to minimize the impact of a disruption on the organization and ensure that it can quickly recover and resume normal operations. The plan typically includes detailed procedures for communication, emergency response, backup systems and data recovery, and continuity of operations. Regular testing and updating of the plan is essential to ensure its effectiveness.

Don’t wait for a disaster to strike – start implementing a business continuity plan (BCP) now to protect your business and ensure its survival in the face of unexpected events.

Why Business Continuity Planning is Important?

Without a business continuity plan, organizations risk losing critical data, losing access to essential systems, and even going out of business altogether. Disruptions can result in lost revenue, reputational damage, and legal or regulatory non-compliance. Business continuity planning can help organizations to prepare for and respond to disruptions, ensuring that they can continue to deliver products or services to customers, maintain the confidence of stakeholders, and remain competitive.

Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is a critical aspect of every organization. The primary goal of BCP is to ensure that essential business operations continue in the event of an unplanned disruption, such as a natural disaster, cyber-attack, or any other catastrophic event. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the topic of Business Continuity Planning, its primary goal, and why it’s essential for every business.

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The primary goal of Business Continuity Planning is to enable an organization to continue providing its essential business functions during a disaster or any other unexpected event that threatens the organization’s operations. This goal aims to ensure that business operations can continue with minimal disruption and downtime, reducing the impact on the organization, its employees, and its customers.

A business continuity plan should include the following key components:

Risk Assessment Identifying potential risks and assessing their likelihood and potential impact on the organization.

Business Impact Analysis Identifying critical business functions and determining their priorities in the event of a disruption.

Emergency Response Plan Outlining the procedures and protocols that need to be followed in the event of an emergency, including evacuation, communication, and first aid.

Data Backup and Recovery Plan Outlining the procedures and protocols for backing up and recovering critical data and systems.

Communication Plan Outlining the procedures and protocols for communicating with employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders in the event of a disruption.

Continuity of Operations Plan Outlining the procedures and protocols for maintaining essential business functions and resuming normal operations as quickly as possible.

Benefits of Business Continuity Planning Business Continuity Planning provides numerous benefits to an organization, such as:

Protection against Risks One of the key benefits of BCP is protection against potential risks. By identifying potential risks and implementing strategies to mitigate them, an organization can safeguard its critical business functions from the impact of any unplanned event.

Minimization of Downtime Another benefit of BCP is that it minimizes downtime. In the event of a disaster, a BCP enables an organization to quickly recover its essential business functions, thereby reducing the amount of time the organization remains inactive.

Maintenance of Customer Confidence A well-developed BCP helps maintain customer confidence in an organization. Customers will have greater trust in an organization that can continue providing essential services even during a crisis, ensuring that the organization continues to generate revenue.

Preservation of the Company’s Reputation In addition to customer confidence, a BCP helps preserve an organization’s reputation. By showing its stakeholders that it can quickly respond and recover from a disaster, an organization can protect its reputation and demonstrate its commitment to responsible business practices.

Several factors must be considered when developing a BCP. These include:

Identification of Potential Risks

The first step in developing a BCP is to identify potential risks that could disrupt essential business functions. Organizations should identify both internal and external risks and prioritize them based on their potential impact.

Prioritization of Key Business Functions Once risks have been identified, organizations must prioritize their critical business functions. This ensures that they can focus on recovering those functions that are essential to the survival of the organization.

Establishment of Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) are critical in BCP as they establish the maximum time an organization has to recover its critical business functions. RTOs should be established based on the prioritization of business functions and the potential risks identified.

Creation of Crisis Communication Strategies In the event of a disaster, effective communication is crucial in managing the situation. A BCP should include a crisis communication plan that outlines how the organization will communicate with its employees, customers, and stakeholders.

Testing and Updating the Plan Once a BCP has been developed, it must be tested and updated regularly. Testing ensures that the plan is effective and can be implemented in the event of a disaster. Updating the plan ensures that it remains relevant and takes into account any changes in the organization’s operations or potential risks.

BCP plays a critical role in disaster management by providing a framework for managing the impact of a disaster. The following are the four phases of disaster management and how BCP fits into each:

Mitigation BCP helps mitigate the impact of a disaster by identifying potential risks and implementing strategies to minimize their impact on critical business functions.

Preparedness Preparedness is crucial in disaster management, and BCP plays a critical role in ensuring that an organization is prepared to respond to a disaster. A well-developed BCP ensures that an organization can quickly respond to a disaster and recover its essential business functions.

Response During the response phase, BCP provides a framework for managing the impact of the disaster on critical business functions. The plan outlines the steps to be taken to recover the functions, communicate with stakeholders, and manage the situation.

Recovery The final phase of disaster management is recovery, where an organization must rebuild and restore its operations. BCP plays a critical role in ensuring that an organization can recover quickly and efficiently, minimizing the impact of the disaster on the organization, its employees, and its customers.

The Business Continuity Planning Process The Business Continuity Planning (BCP) process involves several steps that must be followed to ensure a comprehensive plan is developed. These steps include:

Business Impact Analysis (BIA) The first step in the BCP process is to conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). This involves identifying critical business functions, assessing the impact of a disruption to those functions, and determining the recovery time objectives (RTO) for each function.

Risk Assessment The second step in the BCP process is to conduct a risk assessment. This involves identifying potential threats to the organization, assessing the likelihood and impact of those threats, and determining appropriate mitigation strategies.

Business Continuity Strategy Development Based on the BIA and risk assessment, the next step is to develop a business continuity strategy. This involves selecting the appropriate recovery options for each critical business function and determining the order in which those functions will be recovered.

Plan Development Once the business continuity strategy has been developed, the next step is to create a comprehensive BCP. This should include detailed procedures for each critical business function, as well as instructions for activating the plan and coordinating the recovery effort.

Testing and Maintenance The final step in the BCP process is to regularly test and maintain the plan. This involves conducting exercises and drills to validate the plan, identifying any gaps or areas for improvement, and updating the plan as necessary to ensure it remains current and effective.

By following these steps, organizations can ensure that they have a comprehensive and effective business continuity plan in place to minimize the impact of disruptions and ensure continuity of critical business operations.

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In conclusion, the primary goal of Business Continuity Planning is to ensure that an organization can continue providing its essential business functions during a disaster or any other unexpected event. By developing a BCP, organizations can protect themselves against potential risks, minimize downtime, maintain customer confidence, and preserve their reputation. BCP plays a critical role in disaster management, providing a framework for managing the impact of a disaster on an organization’s operations.

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the primary goal of business continuity planning:

The primary goal of business continuity planning is to ensure that critical business functions can continue in the event of a disruption.

Business continuity planning is important because it helps organizations prepare for and respond to unexpected disruptions that could impact critical business operations.

Business continuity planning is focused on ensuring that critical business functions can continue in the event of a disruption, while disaster recovery is focused on recovering IT systems and infrastructure in the event of a disaster.

Business continuity planning is the responsibility of senior management and the business continuity team.

Business continuity plans should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, typically at least once a year or whenever there are significant changes to the organization or its operations.

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How to Write a Business Continuity Plan + Template

The goal of risk management is not to eliminate all risks but to effectively reduce their likelihood and impact. One way to do that is through business continuity planning. 

Having a business continuity plan in place can help your organization keep operating at some capacity during a disaster. 

Below, get straightforward answers to what a business continuity plan includes, why it’s important, and how to write one. You’ll also find a business continuity template to simplify the process.

What is a business continuity plan?

A business continuity plan is a document containing a predetermined set of procedures that describe how an organization will sustain its business operations during and after a significant disruption.

This disruption may be caused by a broad range of threats, including natural disasters, technical failures, and cyberattacks .

What is business continuity management?

A business continuity plan is one part of business continuity management (BCM). BCM includes risk assessment, response planning, recovery, and long-term maintenance of the policies and procedures developed, tested, and used when a crisis occurs.

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning?

The primary goal of business continuity planning is to identify preparations and recovery actions that can assist an organization in resuming operations and services as quickly as possible during and after a crisis.

For example, most business operations depend heavily on technology and automated systems, and the disruption of these systems for even a few hours may cause severe problems. Consider a Zoom outage. This may impact meetings with colleagues, customers, and prospects and important projects and deals as a result. A company with a business continuity plan that has identified a substitute tool for video meetings will be able to recover faster than a company without one. 

To ensure your business runs as smoothly as possible even when faced with system failures, cyber attacks, natural disasters, and other major disruptions, there must be an awareness of potential crises that could impact critical systems, tools, and skills of your organization and a plan to deal with them.

Business continuity planning is also important for getting and staying compliant with some privacy and security standards, including SOC 2®. Let’s take a look at this other reason for creating a BCP and keeping it up to date.

Recommended reading

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

SOC 2 Compliance: Requirements, Audit Process, and Benefits for Business Growth

Why is a business continuity plan important for SOC 2 compliance?

A business continuity plan is part of the documentation that a SOC 2 auditor will likely review, along with your systems and security controls, to determine your level of compliance with the Trust Services Criteria (TSC) you’ve selected. This plan is especially important if you include Availability as a TSC in your SOC 2 audit . 

The Availability controls in SOC 2 focus on minimizing downtime. Risk assessment is therefore essential.

A SOC 2 auditor will most likely review whether your company has identified and thought of ways to mitigate environmental threats that could impact system availability, like hurricanes, tornados, and wildfires. The same process should be applied to “man made” threats, like theft and cyber attacks.

A SOC 2 auditor will also likely review whether your business continuity plan can be applied to unforeseen events that could impact your system availability and capacity, like a global pandemic. 

An auditor will also likely review if you’ve tested your BCP within the last year (at least).

Who is responsible for business continuity planning?

Business continuity planning must be a top-down effort. Meaning, it must have the support and willing participation of a director or senior manager at the company. While they will act as the executive sponsor, another individual should be appointed as the BCP coordinator. Depending on the size of the organization, a planning team representing all major areas of operations may also need to be appointed to assist the BCP coordinator.

This coordinator and/or team should be appropriately announced and empowered to execute on a range of responsibilities, including uncovering your business’s weaknesses and making plans to mitigate them, testing those plans to make sure they’re effective for different types of crises, and updating them as new threats emerge.

What’s the difference between business continuity, disaster recovery, and incident response plans?

There are several contingency and continuity plans that can help minimize the impact of catastrophic events. Let’s take a look at the three most common plans and how they differ from each other below.

Business continuity plan vs disaster recovery plan

The key difference between a business continuity and disaster recovery plan is that a BCP provides procedures for sustaining business operations while recovering from a significant disruption, whereas a DRP provides procedures for recovering information systems operations after a significant system disruption like a major software failure or a natural disaster by relocating them to an alternate location. 

Many organizations choose to combine their business continuity and disaster recovery plans into a single document. However, some choose to create them as standalone documents.

Business continuity plan vs incident response

The key difference between a business continuity plan and incident response plan is that a BCP provides procedures for sustaining business operations while recovering from a significant disruption, whereas an IRP provides procedures for mitigating and correcting a system after a security incident, like a virus or Trojan horse.

An IRP plan should detail a recovery process for when security incidents do happen.

This is another crucial document that a SOC 2 auditor will likely review to determine your level of compliance with the TSC you’ve selected.

What does a business continuity plan typically include?

A business continuity plan typically includes the following:

  • Mission critical services, processes, and resources: Every BCP should include a list of mission critical services, processes, and resources. These need to be recovered first when a BCP event occurs to minimize downtime.
  • Alternative location considerations: During a significant BCP event, an organization may need to use back-up data centers, back-up sites for operations, remote locations, or other alternative locations. These are typically documented in the BCP along with considerations like the accessibility of these alternative sites, transportation alternatives to these sites, the number of staff necessary to perform critical activities at these sites, and other resources that will be required. 
  • Vendor relationships: Organizations may categorize vendors into risk levels and evaluate the risk in their BCP plans. 
  • Telecommunications services and technology considerations: Organizations  typically detail strategies for maintaining operations during communications disruptions  in their BCP. This may include using multiple telecommunication providers, secondary phone lines, cloud technology, temporary phone lines, mobile telecom units and Wi-Fi for staff without power, as well as back-up mobile phone services with different carriers. 
  • Communication plans: Organizations typically establish communications plans with staff, customers, and other external third parties, including regulators, exchanges, and emergency officials, in their BCP as well. 
  • Regulatory and compliance considerations: Organizations typically include regulatory requirements in their BCPs and should regularly update them to include any new requirements. 
  • Review and testing methods: Organizations should include how their BCP is reviewed and tested and how often. For example, they may conduct full BCP tests at least annually or sooner if significant changes are made. They may also conduct employee training or require employees to review their BCP annually to ensure all personnel are familiar with the plan and their responsibilities. 
  • Recovery objectives: A BCP will typically include key recovery objectives that help organizations plan how quickly they need to recover data and systems in order to minimize disruptions and maintain smooth operations during unexpected events. These are defined below:  - RPO (Recovery Point Objective): RPO sets the limit for how much data loss a business can tolerate after a disruption. It defines the latest acceptable point in time to recover data, minimizing potential losses. - RTO (Recovery Time Objective): RTO is the maximum acceptable downtime for systems or processes. It indicates how quickly a business needs to recover and resume normal operations after a disruption.

Business continuity plan example

This business continuity plan example from Santa Cruz Health is designed for different facilities to customize to ensure measures are taken to prepare and pre-position resources to ensure continuity of mission critical services and processes in an event that disrupts normal operations and impacts essential operations of the facility. It is broken down into several sections, including: 

  • General : Describes the purpose of the BCP, as stated above.
  • Activation : Briefly describes when the plan should be activated. 
  • Overview : Briefly describes what the plan is, how it was developed, what steps need to be taken to ensure it’s effective, and what’s included. 
  • Continuity requirements : Lists the facility’s mission critical services, processes, equipment and supplies, IT applications, records, and business continuity personnel.
  • Continuity and recovery actions : Lists procedures following the occurrence of different BCP events, including loss of power, loss of HVAC, and relocation of departmental services to an alternate location.  

How to write a business continuity plan

Now it’s time to start formulating and building out your business continuity plan. To guide you through the process, we’ve broken the process down into six key steps. We’ve also provided a template below to help get you started.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

1. Identify and assess your risks.

The first major task of writing a BCP is identifying the risks or threats in your environment and determining how they might impact your operations. For example, some environmental threats may be likely to cause physical damage to your building. Other types of threats may have an impact on your staff and their families. 

The risks that are most threatening to your operations should be prioritized. 

2. Identify critical elements of your organization.

The next major task is identifying the tools, systems, and skills that are essential to your operations and how critical they are to recover. You can kick off brainstorming by posing the question, how do we achieve our goals? 

For example, let’s say one of your mission critical services is fundraising. In that case, a critical asset might be pledge cards. The vendor that prints your pledge cards would also be considered critical. 

When identifying these systems, tools, and skills, you’ll also want to determine what resources would be required to restore them and therefore resume the mission critical services and processes they are part of. Examples of resource requirements are facilities, personnel, equipment, software, data files, system components, and vital records.

This will help determine priority levels for sequencing recovery activities. In other words, what needs to be restored first in order to get back to work as quickly as possible during and after a crisis?

3. Identify ways to mitigate risks.

Now that you understand your organization’s unique risks and critical elements, you’re ready to create a plan of action. 

Start by identifying strategies that will eliminate the risks you identified in step 1 entirely. If that’s not possible, identify strategies that will lessen their impact. For example, it’s impossible to eliminate the threat of environmental threats like snowstorms entirely. Instead, you can create a procedure to have your employees and contractors work remotely if a snowstorm makes it impossible or difficult to get to the office. This will require that all employees and contractors have the appropriate supplies and equipment and receive the same communications. 

These mitigation strategies are designed to eliminate or lessen the impact of a threat before a crisis and should therefore be implemented as quickly as possible. 

4. Identify ways to prepare for and recover from the loss of any critical elements. 

Since it is impossible to eliminate all threats facing your organization, your next step is to identify as many strategies as possible for dealing with the loss of each critical element identified in step 2.  

For example, installing protective systems like a security system, fire alarm system, and antivirus software can all be considered strategies to prepare for and recover from the loss of critical elements caused by theft, vandalism, environmental hazards, cyber attacks, and other threats.

The goal is to come up with as many preparedness strategies as possible in order to best prepare and recover from the loss of mission critical assets during and after a crisis.

During the review or testing stage, you can remove any strategies that are too time-consuming or expensive.

5. Prepare for how you will respond after a crisis. 

Now that plans and strategies are in place, you can take steps to improve the efficiency and quality of your organization’s response to a crisis to help you get back to work as quickly as possible. 

Consider creating a recovery team that can assess your losses and initiate recovery actions after a crisis. The roles and responsibilities of this team can be documented in your BCP. 

6. Update and test your business continuity plan.

Your business continuity plan is a living document. It should be updated to reflect the evolving risks and needs of your business. Whether you’re integrating new software that suddenly crashes or bringing on a new management team member, your BCP should reflect these changes.

If there are no major changes impacting your business, you should still test your business continuity plan once a year at a minimum. This is a best practice and compliance requirement. You can use a variety of testing methods, including tabletop exercises and simulation tests. 

Testing and keeping documentation like this up to date is an important part of continuous compliance .

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

What Is Continuous Compliance + How To Achieve It

Business continuity plan template.

Use this template to begin identifying the risks, critical elements, mitigation actions, and preparedness strategies that will make up the basic components of your business continuity plan.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

What are the benefits of a business continuity plan?

Implementing and maintaining an effective business continuity plan offers a range of benefits, including:

  • reduced costs and impact on business performance when a disruption occurs
  • a consistent, organization-wide approach to respond and recover from a significant disruption
  • assurance for clients, suppliers, regulators, and other stakeholders that the organization has systems and processes in place for business continuity
  • improved business performance and organizational resilience
  • a better understanding of the business, its critical issues, and areas of vulnerability

What are the 5 components of a business continuity plan?

While every business continuity plan is unique, five key components are: 

  • Risks and their potential business impact and likelihood of occurrence
  • Mission critical services, processes, and resources
  • Risk mitigation actions
  • Preparedness strategies to prepare for and recover from the loss of any critical elements
  • Training, testing, and plan maintenance

What are the 4 P’s of business continuity?

The four P's of business continuity are people, processes, premises, and providers. Below are definitions of each:

  • People : This includes your employees and customers.
  • Processes : This includes the technology and processes your business uses to keep everything running.
  • Premises : This includes the buildings and spaces from which your business operates.
  • Providers : This includes partners, vendors, and suppliers that your business relies on for resources. 

What is a real-life example of business continuity?

A real-life example of business continuity is the response to the Cape Town water crisis, which began in 2015.  During a period of severe drought, Cape Town implemented several response and recovery strategies which averted the catastrophe of running out of water — also known as “Day Zero.” This included the introduction of innovative pressure reduction methodologies to curb water losses, sustained reduction in water use, and effective public communication and awareness programs to avoid “Day Zero.” 

How do I write a BCM plan?

Below is a step-by-step process for writing a BCM plan:

  • Identify and assess risks (can use the 4 P’s)
  • Identify mission critical products, services, or functions
  • Evaluate the potential impact of risks and disruptions to critical elements
  • List actions to mitigate these risks
  • List strategies to prepare for and recover from the loss of any critical elements 
  • Maintain, review, and continuously update the business continuity plan

Why do business continuity plans fail?

Business continuity plans fail for a variety of reasons, with the most common being a lack of buy-in from top management. Other reasons are that no one is appointed to take ownership of business continuity planning, or the plan isn’t tested and updated regularly to keep up with changes affecting the business.

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Business Continuity Planning: Why It’s Essential for Sustainable Success

What is a business continuity plan (BCP)?

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations face numerous risks and uncertainties that can disrupt their normal operations. What do you do and how do you respond when a disaster hits that causes a disruption or outage of your services? From natural disasters to cyberattacks , these unforeseen events can have devastating consequences on business operations and financial stability. This is where a business continuity plan (BCP) comes into play.

What Is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)?

A BCP is a structured and comprehensive strategy outlining how an organization will continue to operate and provide essential services in the midst of unexpected disruptions, such as natural disasters, technological failures, or other emergencies. The plan typically includes measures to ensure the safety of employees, maintain critical operations, and minimize financial and reputational losses during times of crisis, aiming to swiftly recover and resume normal business activities.

An effective business continuity plan helps to maintain normal operations during and after a disaster. This blog is intended to provide you with an overview of what a business continuity plan is, why it is important, the general components every BCP should have, the risks of not implementing a BCP, how to test your BCP, the difference between a BCP and DR plan, and finally, what SOC 2 auditors focus on when auditing an organization’s BCP.

What Is the Purpose of a Business Continuity Plan?

The purpose of a business continuity plan is to continue critical business operations functions during and after a disaster. Often, a business continuity plan is confused with a disaster recovery plan. We will discuss what a disaster recovery plan is later in this blog (since they go hand in hand). A BCP addresses the question – how can the business and its services continue operating if a disaster strikes? A BCP outlines procedures and instructions that a business must follow at the time of disaster so that the business can continue operation. Before outlining the elements of a BCP, below are key points and best practices to consider when establishing and then maintaining a BCP:

  • Senior management needs to approve the plan (in order to obtain buy-in from the entire organization).
  • The plan needs to be reviewed and updated regularly – at least annually.
  • The more detailed and up-to-date the better it is.
  • Update the plan after each test and capture the lessons learned.
  • Update the plan when there is a change in infrastructure, architecture, processes, policies, staff, or anything that would have an impact on the execution of the plan.
  • The most important factor is people and ensuring their safety, as well as having them understand the plan!

Preparing a BCP

What Are the Elements of a Business Continuity Plan & How Do You Write One?

Below is an outline of the general components every business continuity plan should have:

  • Scope and purpose of the BCP.
  • Identifying assets and their location (including critical systems, business functions/processes), and data.
  • Risk Assessmen t: Identify and assess potential risks and threats that can disrupt business operations. This includes evaluating both internal and external factors such as natural disasters, cybersecurity breaches , supply chain disruptions, and more.
  • Business Impact Analysis : Determine the potential impact of each identified risk on critical business functions. This analysis helps prioritize resources and recovery efforts based on the severity of the impact.
  • Emergency Response Procedures : Define step-by-step instructions on how to respond to an emergency situation, ensuring the safety of employees, minimizing damage, and initiating appropriate recovery measures.
  • Business Continuity Strategies : Develop strategies and tactics to maintain critical business functions during a disruption. This includes identifying backup systems, alternate locations, and contingency plans for various scenarios.
  • Communication Plan : Establish a comprehensive communication plan that ensures timely and accurate communication with employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders during a crisis. This helps manage expectations and maintain transparency.
  • Training and Awareness : Conduct regular training sessions and awareness programs (such as security awareness training or compliance training ) to educate employees on their roles and responsibilities during a crisis. This ensures that everyone is prepared and knows what actions to take in different scenarios.
  • Testing and Exercises : Regularly test and evaluate the effectiveness of the BCP through simulations and exercises. This helps identify any gaps or weaknesses in the plan, allowing for fine-tuning and continuous improvement.

Additionally, for further assistance, guidelines on how to conduct a BIA in more detail from the National Institute of Standards ( NIST ) can be found here . A BCP template from NIST can be found here .

Who is responsible for the BCP?

Who Is Responsible for Owning the BCP?

In most organizations, the responsibility for owning and overseeing the BCP typically falls to senior management or executive leadership. This might include roles such as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), or another relevant executive-level position. These individuals are accountable for the overall strategic direction of the organization, including its preparedness for disruptions and the implementation of effective BCP strategies. In larger organizations, there might also be dedicated teams or individuals responsible for the ongoing maintenance, testing, and updates of the BCP.

What Are the Risks of Not Having a Business Continuity Plan?

What if there is no BCP?  Failing to have a business continuity plan in place can lead to significant risks and negative consequences. Some of the key risks associated with not having a BCP include:

  • Financial Loss : When a business experiences a disruption, the financial impact can be severe. Without a BCP, the organization may struggle to recover the financial losses caused by the interruption, potentially leading to long-term instability.
  • Operational Disruption : A lack of a BCP can result in a halt in operations, preventing businesses from serving their customers and fulfilling their commitments. This can damage the organization’s reputation and lead to the loss of valuable clients or customers.
  • Legal and Regulatory Compliance : Many industries have specific legal and regulatory obligations that organizations must adhere to. Failure to meet these obligations due to a lack of a BCP can result in legal repercussions, penalties, and even lawsuits.
  • Damage to Reputation : Disruptions can create a sense of vulnerability and lack of reliability in the eyes of stakeholders, including clients, customers, and business partners. Without a BCP to navigate through these challenges, the organization’s reputation may be irreparably damaged.
  • Competitive Disadvantage : In today’s competitive business landscape, organizations that can demonstrate a strong BCP have a competitive advantage. Without a BCP, an organization may struggle to maintain or regain its competitive edge, potentially losing market share to competitors.

Why is BCP testing important?

Importance of BCP Testing

The continuity plan team must be trained and tested on the BCP. Testing would include members of the team completing exercises that go over the plan and strategies to increase preparedness. Additionally, if the team is trained on the plan, it can be executed quickly and effectively in cases where the documented plan may be inaccessible for reference by the team during a disaster. Conducting tests can help the team understand and help create a mindset on what to do if the office is inaccessible and/or your systems are inaccessible when a disaster strikes (where your plan is stored). The overall objectives of BCP tests are to improve the response process, identify gaps or weaknesses in the plan, and develop team readiness and response as noted above. Again, tests should be conducted annually, at a minimum.

A few of the common types of BCP drills/tests are the following: Tabletop exercises, walkthroughs, and simulated testing. Additional details on each type of these noted tests can be found here from NIST and here .

When Should a BCP Be Activated & How Do You Classify a Disaster?

A BCP should be activated when a significant disruption occurs threatening the organization’s ability to operate normally and deliver essential services. This could include various types of disasters, emergencies, or unexpected events impacting the organization’s operations, resources, and functions. The decision to activate the BCP is typically based on predefined triggers, such as the severity of the event, its potential to disrupt critical operations, and the level of risk it poses to employees, customers, and stakeholders. Types of disasters that could impact critical business operations are (but not limited to) as follows:

  • Material cyber-attack on your systems (where a hacker breaks in and shuts down everything and/or removes everything).
  • Natural disaster (hurricane, flood, fire, snow/ice storm) – damaging an office and/or data center causing critical infrastructure or services to become unavailable or unresponsive.
  • System failures supporting critical business processes.
  • Cloud services outages.
  • Hardware failures.
  • Network and internet disruptions.
  • Supply chain disruptions, such as supplier failures, transportation disruptions, and shortages of essential resources.

Business Continuity Plan vs Disaster Recovery Plan

To reiterate, business continuity is the continuation of the business process during and after a disaster strikes. DRP, on the other hand, is the plan for the recovery of computer operations (and is usually a subset of the BCP). Overall, the purpose of the DRP is to get technical operations back to normal in the shortest time possible. Below is a list of key factors to consider as part of a DRP:

  • The DRP will also ensure that data and critical applications are restored from backup so that the business can continue regular operations.
  •  BCP is a long-term plan to maintain continuity of operations
  • DRP takes into account the specific RTO and RPO which is determined through a BIA.

BCP audit focus

What Do Auditors Focus on When Auditing a BCP?

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery would be focused on in a SOC 2 audit if the “ Availability Criteria ” is included in the scope of the examination. The availability criterion/requirements are listed below (pulled from the AICPA Trust Services Criteria ).

“A1.1: The entity maintains, monitors, and evaluates current processing capacity and use of system components (infrastructure, data, and software) to manage capacity demand and to enable the implementation of additional capacity to help meet its objectives.

 A1.2: The entity authorizes, designs, develops or acquires, implements, operates, approves, maintains, and monitors environmental protections, software, data backup processes, and recovery infrastructure to meet its objectives. 

A1.3: The entity tests recovery plan procedures supporting system recovery to meet its objectives.”

Some of the controls that could be evaluated in a SOC 2 examination to address the above availability criterion are:

  • Does your organization have a documented BCP plan?
  • Does your organization have a documented DR plan?
  • Have you tested your BCP plan within the last year (at a minimum)?
  • Have you tested your DR plan within the last year (at a minimum)?
  • Your critical data backup procedures (configurations including retention of backups).
  • Have you tested the recovery of your backups?
  • Are you maintaining and monitoring your services and supporting infrastructure for performance, availability, and security ?
  • Are you alerted when services and supporting infrastructure meet certain thresholds?
  • Do you have a cybersecurity and business interruption insurance policy?

BCP FAQs

Business Continuity Planning (BCP) FAQs

Here are some additional questions that typically come up when businesses are beginning the process of developing a robust BCP.

How Long Does a BCP Last?

The BCP should be reviewed at least annually, after any significant change in business operating conditions, or after it has been activated to account for any new lessons learned.

What Can Go Wrong with BCPs?

The most common mistake related to the creation and maintenance of BCPs is inadequate planning, leading to gaps in preparedness, and leaving critical aspects of the organization’s operations unaddressed.  Additionally, if a lack of buy-in and support from senior management is a factor, the BCP might not receive the necessary resources, attention, and commitment to ensure its success.

Do All Businesses Need to Have a BCP?

While having a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is highly recommended for all businesses, the extent and complexity of the plan can vary based on factors such as the size of the organization, the nature of its operations, the industry it belongs to, and the potential risks it faces. The larger and more complex the business, the larger and more complex your BCP will most likely be.

A business continuity plan is the backbone of an organization’s resilience and ability to withstand disruptions. It minimizes the risks associated with operating in today’s unpredictable environment, ensures the continuity of critical functions, and builds trust and confidence among stakeholders. By thoroughly assessing risks, implementing robust strategies, and regularly testing and improving their plans, organizations can confidently navigate through disruptive incidents and secure their future success.

Please contact us if you would like more information regarding SOC reports as it relates to Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for your organization.

Additionally, our team can assist your organization with your organization’s audit needs for SOC 1 audits , SOC 2 audits , HIPAA audits , FEDRAMP compliance , HITRUST certification , and more.

This article was originally published on 4/13/2022 and was updated on 8/23/2023.

John Pohlmann

John has over 15 years of experience focused on IT security, governance, risk, compliance, and privacy. He started his career in 2006 with Protiviti and later went on to run IT audit and GRC functions for several Fortune 500 companies within the financial services, energy, hospitality, and software industries. John is also a certified information systems auditor (CISA) and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Colorado State University.

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Primary Goal of Business Continuity Plan, Objectives & More

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Preparing a business continuity plan is a leader’s primary task in the current socio-economic landscape . You cannot plan this step immediately; the main focus is to prepare this plan for any threat possibilities growing upon the business these days.

With complex technology network and supply chain, business risks are rising day by day. Disasters such as natural, anthropogenic and human-made are creating demands for enhancing an enterprise’s resilience.

In this article, we are going to read about the Primary & thereon after objectives and goals of a Business Continuity Plan and much more!

What is Business Continuity Plan?

The planning process of an enterprise incorporates business continuity plan, which helps in building a strong defensive recovery and responsive system to any possible risk. BCP helps in protecting personal as well as business assets. It is a direction towards a planned functioning of operations when any kind of disaster occurs or crisis strikes.

It elaborates on steps to be followed when any crisis occurs. It also makes sure that a business is still running at the same pace even when the disaster strikes because it is important for the survival of any business.

What is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

To overcome any kind of mishappening and to minimize the impact of the disaster, business continuity plan demonstrates to your customers, stakeholders and investors that your business is robust enough to get over any kind of risk.

The primary goal of business continuity plan is to allow business operations to continue under problematic conditions, by introduction of appropriate strategies and recovery steps.

The BCP not only helps in proceeding and stabilizing the business during a crisis, but can also be considered a blueprint for a company to maintain their day-to-day operations and functioning during emergencies , disasters and other risks to get back to normalcy as soon as possible.

What are Business Continuity Plan Objectives?

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Here are top 6 objectives of a business continuity plan of an organization.

  • Prepare a Company’s Disaster Recovery Team

The plan should not just be considered like any other document and stored away to be never seen again. It is a step-by-step guide to be used during recovery phase after the disaster occurs. It is important to prepare a recovery team and teach them these steps for when the actual disaster occurs, they know which direction to go.

  • Evaluate Risks and Impact

Identifying these potential risks and evaluating how they can impact the business and the daily operations is very important. Evaluating the damage, recovery time and cost of operational losses is necessary.

  • Ensure Strict Protocols

In the plan, include the step-by-step procedure to be followed in order to recover from the damage. Usually, when any disaster occurs, even the recovery team might forget a few steps or points in the panic of the situation, that is when a clear step-by-step guide is important to consult and move ahead.

  • Identify Important Storage Locations

It is necessary for the recovery team to understand where and how to access the data of the business if any breach occurs and they do not have any IT professional around. There must be a footprint for other employees and stakeholders to follow incase the IT workforce is unavailable to reduce any confusion.

  • Outline Preventive Measures

Business Continuity Plan includes measures to prevent any potential risk or threat. It will outline the technologies, tools and protocols which are already in place to prevent or mitigate the effects of the crisis or disaster.

  • Report Weaknesses and Find Solutions

Evaluate any weak points and loopholes in the business continuity plan and address them. Since it is an ongoing process, the risk changes constantly and need to be evaluated regularly. After identifying these risks, specific action steps should be proposed and taken immediately.

What Should the Business Continuity Plan Include?

The risks and threats might differ situation to situation, but the steps to be followed are usually the same.

  • Disaster Impact Analysis on Business

It is important to include the analysis of the disaster on the daily operations of the business. This information helps the business continuity planners to establish recovery timelines and sequence of events according to priorities.

  • Assigning Recovery Team

The recovery team or the business continuity team is responsible for co-ordination and implementation of the steps to be followed in the plan. Each plan should include the contact details, management structure and roles of each member of the recovery team.

  • Recovery and Protection Activities

Protection is better than cure and restoration is a necessity during a crisis. The actions to be taken during a disaster should be varied according to the type of situation such as natural disaster, as well as a specific business unit.

  • Training, Testing, Exercising

Planning cannot be purely theoretical. In order to check the feasibility of the plan, it is important to test it by performing the activities mentioned in the plan before-hand. Such exercises help in identifying any potential issues, while making other familiar to the process. These training activities should be performed on regular basis in order to make the team competent and proficient.

  • Regular Updates

It is important to update the BCP on a regular basis in order to keep it relevant and useful. For example, if the plan includes details of software or personnel, which are no longer a part of the business, will only cause confusion at the last minute.

There are 3 major kinds of Business Continuity Plans useful in crisis.

Emergency Response Plan

This BCP is a guide of steps to follow during an emergency such as natural disaster or a fire.

IT Disaster Recovery Plan

This BCP is to be implemented by the IT professionals of the company. It aims at recovering any lost data or IT infrastructure or any other kind of IT breach .

Crisis Communication Plan

This BCP aims at protecting the business from the impact of any disaster or other disruption and lets the recovery team and other personnel communicate effectively, efficiently and appropriately.

Final Thoughts

While it is always better to take preventive measures from any disaster, it is also not practically possible to avoid crisis at all times. Therefore, Business Continuity Plan is an important document of the business. It should be effective, efficient and practical.

Having redundant plans will only raise administrative workload and increase the potential errors leading to causing confusion between the personnel during a disaster. Hence, following the rigid steps of the BCP is a wise decision during a crisis.

Primary Goal of Business Continuity Plan, Objectives & More

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What Is The Primary Goal Of Business Continuity Planning?

Business continuity planning (BCP) is crucial to any organization’s risk management strategy. It involves creating a framework and procedures to ensure essential business functions can continue operating during and after disruptive events such as natural disasters, cyber-attacks, or other unforeseen circumstances. The primary goal of business continuity planning is to minimize the impact of disruptions on an organization’s operations, reputation, and overall survival. By implementing comprehensive BCP measures, businesses can enhance their resilience and ability to recover swiftly from unexpected incidents.

Table of Contents

What Is Business Continuity Management? 

Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a strategic approach that organizations adopt to ensure the continuous operation of critical business functions and processes in the face of disruptive events such as natural disasters, technological failures, or human-induced crises. It involves identifying potential risks, developing plans and procedures to mitigate them, and implementing measures to enable the organization to respond effectively and recover quickly from disruptions. BCM aims to minimize the impact of disruptions on an organization’s operations, reputation, and stakeholders, ensuring its ability to deliver products or services without significant interruption.

What Is A Business Continuity Plan? 

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a comprehensive strategy designed to ensure that an organization can continue its critical operations during and after a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster, cyber-attack, or other unforeseen circumstances. It involves identifying potential risks, developing preventive measures, establishing protocols for response and recovery, and ensuring the availability of necessary resources. A BCP aims to minimize downtime, protect employees and assets, maintain customer trust, and ultimately enable the organization to resume normal operations as quickly and efficiently as possible.

What Is Business Continuity Planning? 

Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is an organization’s proactive approach to ensure the continuation of critical business functions and processes in the event of disruptions or disasters. It involves identifying potential risks, developing strategies to mitigate those risks, and creating comprehensive plans and procedures to enable the organization to recover and resume operations as quickly as possible. BCP encompasses various elements such as risk assessment, business impact analysis, emergency response planning, crisis management, and recovery strategies. By implementing a robust BCP, businesses can minimize the impact of disruptions, protect their reputation, and maintain customer trust.

What Is The Primary Goal Of Business Continuity Planning? 

The primary goal of business continuity planning is to ensure that an organization can continue its critical operations and deliver products or services to customers, even during disruptive events such as natural disasters, technological failures, or human-induced incidents. This planning process involves identifying potential risks, developing strategies to mitigate those risks, implementing measures to minimize downtime and loss, and establishing procedures for recovery and restoration. By proactively preparing for potential disruptions, businesses aim to safeguard their reputation, maintain customer satisfaction, protect their assets, and ultimately sustain their operations.

Business Continuity Planning Steps 

Business Continuity Planning (BCP) involves steps to ensure an organization can continue its critical operations during a disruption . The steps include:

  • Conducting a business impact analysis to identify key processes and resources.
  • Developing strategies to mitigate risks and minimize downtime.
  • Creating a comprehensive plan that outlines roles and responsibilities.
  • Implementing the plan through training and testing.
  • Regularly reviewing and updating the plan to adapt to changing circumstances.

BCP is crucial for organizations to maintain resilience and minimize the impact of disruptions on their operations.

The Business Continuity Management Lifecycle 

The Business Continuity Management Lifecycle is a comprehensive framework that guides organizations in managing and maintaining their business continuity programs. It consists of six stages: program initiation, risk assessment, strategy development, plan development, plan exercising and maintenance, and program review. Each stage ensures the organization can respond effectively to disruptions and continue its critical operations. The lifecycle approach emphasizes the importance of ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and improvement to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of the business continuity program.

What Are Business Continuity Risks Or Events? 

Business continuity risks or events refer to potential disruptions or incidents that can significantly impact a business’s normal operations and functioning. These risks can arise from various sources, such as natural disasters, cyber-attacks, equipment failures, supply chain disruptions, pandemics, or human errors. They can result in financial losses, reputational damage, legal issues, and operational inefficiencies. To mitigate these risks, organizations develop business continuity plans that outline strategies and procedures to ensure the continuation of critical business functions during and after such events.

What Is A Business Continuity Strategy? 

A business continuity strategy is a proactive plan developed by an organization to ensure its critical functions and operations can continue or be quickly restored during a disruption or disaster. It involves identifying potential risks, assessing their impact on the business, and implementing mitigation measures. The strategy typically includes steps for emergency response, crisis management, backup systems and data recovery, employee safety, communication, and testing and evaluation to ensure effectiveness. A well-defined business continuity strategy helps organizations minimize downtime, protect their reputation, and maintain customer trust during challenging times.

Key Elements Of Business Continuity Management 

Business Continuity Management (BCM) encompasses several key elements essential for organizations to prepare for and respond to potential disruptions effectively. These elements include risk assessment and analysis, business impact analysis, development of business continuity plans, implementation of preventive measures, regular testing and exercising of plans, and continuous monitoring and improvement. By integrating these elements into their operations, businesses can enhance their resilience and minimize the impact of disruptions on their operations, reputation, and stakeholders.

What Does A Business Continuity Plan Typically Include?

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a comprehensive strategy that outlines how a business will continue operations during and after a disruptive event. It is designed to maintain critical business functions, minimizing the event’s impact on the organization. A well-developed BCP typically includes several key components to address various aspects of business continuity.

Identification of Critical Functions

The first step in creating a BCP is identifying the critical functions and processes essential for the organization’s survival. This involves thoroughly analyzing all business activities and determining which ones are most crucial to maintain during a disruption. These critical functions may include customer service, production, IT infrastructure, supply chain management, finance, etc.

Risk Assessment and Business Impact Analysis

A BCP should include a comprehensive risk assessment and business impact analysis (BIA) to identify potential threats and their potential impact on the organization. This involves evaluating risks such as natural disasters, cyber-attacks, pandemics, power outages, equipment failures, and other potential disruptions. The BIA helps prioritize critical functions based on their importance and their potential disruption consequences.

Emergency Response Procedures

A BCP should outline clear emergency response procedures that must be followed during a disruptive event. This includes establishing communication protocols, emergency contact lists, evacuation plans, and procedures for activating the BCP. It should also include guidelines for ensuring employee safety and well-being during emergencies.

Alternate Work Locations

In the event of a physical disruption to the primary workplace, such as a fire or flood, a BCP should include plans for alternate work locations. This may involve identifying backup office spaces or implementing remote work arrangements. With the increasing prevalence of remote work due to technological advancements and recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses must have plans to enable employees to work remotely effectively.

Data Backup and Recovery

A BCP should include a comprehensive data backup and recovery plan to ensure that critical business data is protected and can be restored during a disruption. This includes regular backups of important data, off-site storage, and testing the restoration process to ensure effectiveness. It may also involve implementing redundant systems and infrastructure to minimize the risk of data loss.

Communication Plan

Effective communication is vital during a disruptive event. A BCP should include a communication plan that outlines how information will be disseminated to employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. This may involve establishing communication channels, creating templates for emergency notifications, and designating responsible individuals or teams for communication tasks.

Supplier and Vendor Management

Businesses rely on various suppliers and vendors to deliver goods and services. A BCP should include strategies for managing relationships with key suppliers and vendors during a disruption. This may involve identifying alternative suppliers, establishing contingency plans, and maintaining open lines of communication to ensure the continuity of the supply chain.

Training and Testing

A BCP is only effective if employees know their roles and responsibilities during a disruptive event. Regular training sessions should be conducted to educate employees about the BCP, their specific roles, and their procedures. Additionally, regular testing and simulation exercises should be conducted to evaluate the plan’s effectiveness and identify improvement areas.

Cybersecurity Policy

In today’s digital age, cybersecurity is critical to business continuity planning. A BCP should include a cybersecurity policy that outlines measures to protect critical systems, data, and infrastructure from cyber threats. This may involve implementing firewalls, antivirus software, encryption protocols, access controls, employee awareness programs, incident response procedures, and regular security audits.

An Overview Of Business Continuity Management And Planning 

Business Continuity Management (BCM) and Planning is a strategic approach organizations adopt to ensure the continuous operation of critical business functions during and after disruptive events. It involves identifying potential risks, assessing their impact, and developing mitigation strategies. BCM encompasses various components such as risk assessment, business impact analysis, emergency response planning, crisis management, and recovery strategies. BCM aims to minimize disruptions’ negative impact on an organization’s operations, reputation, and financial stability. By implementing robust BCM practices, businesses can enhance their resilience and ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances, safeguarding their long-term success.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the goal of a business continuity plan .

A business continuity plan aims to ensure an organization’s ability to continue critical operations and services during unexpected disruptions. It aims to minimize downtime, financial losses, and reputational damage, ensuring operational resilience.

What Is The Primary Objective Of A Business Continuity Plan (Bcp) In Addressing Recovery? 

The primary objective of a business continuity plan (BCP) is to facilitate the recovery of an organization’s essential functions and processes after a disruptive event. This involves implementing strategies to minimize the impact of disruptions and swiftly return to normal operations.

What Is The Main Purpose Of The Business Continuity Policy? 

The main purpose of a business continuity policy is to provide a strategic framework and guidelines for the development, implementation, and management of business continuity efforts. It outlines the organization’s commitment to ensuring operational continuity and resilience.

What Is The Most Important Step In Business Continuity Planning?

The most important step in business continuity planning is conducting a comprehensive risk assessment and business impact analysis. This step identifies potential risks, evaluates their impact on critical functions, and informs the development of effective strategies to mitigate them and ensure continuity.

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What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

Business Plan

In a world brimming with uncertainties, businesses face a constant challenge—how to ensure seamless operations even in the face of unexpected disruptions. Business Continuity Planning (BCP) emerges as the guiding light, steering enterprises through the stormy seas of unforeseen events, safeguarding their operations, reputation, and bottom line.

Understanding the Essence of Business Continuity Planning

The core objective: resilience and sustainability, 1. risk assessment:, 2. strategy formulation:, 3. resource allocation:, 4. testing and revisions:, 5. communication and training:, the bottom line: ensuring business continuity amidst uncertainties, embracing the future with business continuity planning.

Business Continuity Planning embodies a proactive approach, aiming not just to survive but to thrive amidst crises. It’s a comprehensive strategy that anticipates potential risks and outlines measures to mitigate them, thereby enabling organizations to function efficiently in adverse circumstances. The essence lies in its ability to maintain operations , minimize downtime , and safeguard critical assets during crises.

At its core, the primary goal of Business Continuity Planning revolves around fostering resilience and sustainability . It isn’t merely about bouncing back; it’s about bouncing forward. The plan aims to fortify a company’s ability to adapt swiftly to disruptions, thereby ensuring a sustainable trajectory despite adversities.

Steps Toward Achieving Business Continuity Planning’s Primary Goal

The initial step involves a meticulous assessment of potential risks and vulnerabilities. This process involves identifying internal and external threats, ranging from natural disasters to cyberattacks. Utilizing tools like SWOT analysis aids in comprehensively mapping out potential pitfalls.

Once risks are identified, the next step is to devise a robust strategy . This involves formulating response plans and protocols tailored to specific risks. It’s about creating a blueprint that outlines steps to be taken during crises, ensuring a structured and coordinated approach.

Allocating resources judiciously forms a crucial aspect of BCP. This involves investing in technology , training , and infrastructural upgrades that support the continuity plan. Additionally, ensuring access to backups and redundancies amplifies preparedness.

The efficacy of a Business Continuity Plan hinges on its ability to deliver when the need arises. Regular testing and exercising of the plan help in identifying gaps and refining strategies. Embracing a culture of continual improvement is vital for evolving alongside changing threats.

An often underestimated yet pivotal aspect of BCP is communication . Ensuring clarity in roles, responsibilities, and a structured communication protocol aids in swift decision-making during crises. Regular training sessions empower employees to act decisively when faced with unforeseen events.

Learn about 10 Steps to Become a Successful Entrepreneur

In essence, the primary goal of Business Continuity Planning isn’t solely about averting disasters; it’s about fostering a resilient ecosystem where businesses thrive despite adversities. It’s about instilling the confidence to navigate through unforeseen challenges, ensuring a sustained and uninterrupted journey towards success.

Adopting a comprehensive BCP isn’t just a choice; it’s a strategic imperative in today’s volatile business landscape. It’s an investment that guarantees a safety net, assuring stakeholders, clients, and investors alike of the company’s unwavering commitment to operational excellence.

As the world evolves, so do the risks that businesses face. Business Continuity Planning stands as a beacon, guiding organizations through tumultuous waters, allowing them to steer their ship confidently towards their destination, regardless of the storms that may arise.

So, take the plunge into the realm of proactive resilience, and fortify your business against uncertainties. Implementing a robust Business Continuity Plan isn’t just an option; it’s the lifeline that ensures your business sails smoothly, come what may.

In conclusion, the primary goal of Business Continuity Planning is to foster resilience and sustainability by mitigating risks and ensuring uninterrupted operations during crises. It’s a roadmap that navigates businesses through turbulent times, safeguarding their future and ensuring stability amidst uncertainties.

In a world where uncertainties loom large, the wisdom lies in being prepared. Implementing a comprehensive BCP isn’t an expense; it’s an investment in the longevity and success of your business.

So, embrace the power of Business Continuity Planning , fortify your enterprise, and chart a course towards a future where adversities are mere ripples in the vast ocean of possibilities.

Disclaimer: While Business Continuity Planning is a vital strategy for every business, the success of its implementation depends on various factors specific to each organization. It’s advisable to seek professional consultation for tailoring a BCP according to your business’s unique needs and circumstances.

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What is the Purpose of a Business Continuity Plan

November 11, 2023

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The purpose of a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is to provide a documented process that outlines how an organization will continue to operate during an unplanned disruption in service.

The plan is designed to minimize downtime and ensure that essential services can be provided to customers. A BCP helps an organization to prepare for and respond to a variety of disruptions, including natural disasters, cyber-attacks , and other unexpected events that could impact operations.

The plan typically includes procedures for all phases of recovery as defined in the Business Continuity Strategy.

The goal of a BCP is to minimize the impact of a disruption on an organization’s operations, reputation, and financial stability.

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) aims to ensure that an organization can continue operating during a disruption, such as a natural disaster, cyber attack, or another emergency.

A BCP outlines procedures and instructions for how the organization will respond and recover from any potential threats.

It identifies time-sensitive or critical business functions and processes and the resources needed to support them.

Creating an effective BCP requires conducting a business impact analysis (BIA) , which helps identify potential risks and develop strategies for mitigating those risks.

The plan should also include steps for communicating with employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders during an emergency.

Having a well-developed BCP in place can help organizations maintain operations during times of crisis and reduce downtime by quickly restoring services. This can help protect the organization’s reputation and minimize financial losses due to disruptions.

In today’s rapidly evolving and unpredictable business landscape, the importance of a robust business continuity plan cannot be overstated.

This essential tool ensures that an organization remains resilient despite unexpected challenges, safeguarding its reputation, financial stability, and overall operational efficiency.

In this blog post about”What is the Purpose of a Business Continuity Plan,” we will delve into the primary objectives of such a plan, exploring its significance in maintaining business continuity impact analysis and minimizing potential disruptions, ultimately enabling businesses to thrive amidst uncertainty.

business continuity plan

The Benefits of Developing a Business Continuity Plan

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a comprehensive document that outlines how an organization should respond to unexpected events, such as natural disasters or pandemics.

Developing a BCP is essential for any business looking to protect its operations and minimize disruption in the event of an emergency. Let’s take a closer look at why having a BCP is so important.

It helps to ensure that the business can continue operations in the event of a disruption , such as a natural disaster, cyber-attack, or other emergencies. Developing a business continuity plan can help organizations reduce downtime and financial losses, protect their reputation, and maintain customer trust.

A comprehensive business continuity plan should include strategies for identifying potential risks, developing response plans for different types of disruptions, and regularly testing the plan to ensure it remains up-to-date and effective.

It should also include procedures for restoring operations quickly after an incident occurs.

Organizations should also consider how they communicate with employees and customers during a disruption .

Having clear communication protocols in place can help minimize confusion and ensure everyone knows the steps to restore operations.

What Does a BCP Do?

A BCP helps organizations prepare for potential disruptions. It identifies potential risks and threats and outlines preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of these events occurring.

It also provides detailed instructions on responding if an event occurs, including which personnel are responsible for taking specific actions and when those should be taken.

Business continuity planning (BCP) is essential to any organization’s disaster recovery strategy. A BCP aims to identify potential risks and disruptions that could adversely affect more normal business operations and then develop strategies to prevent or mitigate those risks.

A well-developed BCP will help protect the organization’s assets, personnel, revenues, and reputation in the event of an emergency.

The activities involved in creating and maintaining a BCP will vary depending on the size of the organization’s business functions and risk profile. However, some common components include:

Establishing mission-critical functions for operations that must remain active during times of crisis

Identifying alternative resources (humans and technology ) that can be used if the primary resource is unavailable

Creating policies related to communications during crises

Developing procedures for restoring operations after an incident has occurred

Establishing testing scenarios to ensure the continued effectiveness of plans over time

Business continuity planning is essential for ensuring businesses are able not just to survive disruptive events but also thrive despite them.

business continuity management, system, bcm

The Benefits of Having a BCP

A well-developed BCP offers several key benefits for organizations of all sizes. First, it allows organizations to respond quickly to emergencies without wasting time or resources trying to figure out what needs to be done at the moment.

This helps them minimize losses due to downtime and disruption while ensuring they can still meet customer demands when needed.

Additionally, having a BCP in place helps organizations demonstrate their commitment to safety and compliance by demonstrating that they have taken proactive steps to reduce risk and ensure their operations remain resilient in the face of unforeseen events.

Finally, having a BCP also ensures that critical processes remain operational during times of crisis, which can help maintain employee morale and reduce stress levels during challenging times.

Disasters often strike with little warning. Even when a preemptive warning was given, various factors could lead to the greatest of intentions and mistakes when faced with a disaster.

Every incident and the goals of preparing for an incident can help your business respond with an effective response strategy. This article explains why you should have a business continuity plan in place.

Business Continuity Plan Objectives Aligned to Template

We’ve aligned our objectives and recommendations with the template for the Ready.gov BusinessContinuity Plan. Prepare.gov is an organization within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The agency’s mission is to distribute materials to improve nationwide response times in emergencies such as natural and manmade disasters.

Some sections of business-related information technology front pages include a BusinessContinuum Plans Template .

The business continuity planning risk assessment process is a crucial component of a company’s overall risk management strategy , designed to ensure the organization’s resilience in the face of unforeseen disruptions.

This systematic approach to critical data involves identifying potential threats, assessing their potential impact on critical business functions, and developing comprehensive strategies to mitigate risks and minimize downtime.

Business continuity management (BCM) encompasses developing, implementing, and maintaining these plans and coordinating resources and communication efforts during an incident.

Integrating business continuity management into the planning process helps companies better protect their operations, and assets, and maintain a competitive edge in an unpredictable business landscape.

Resource Required to Support Recovery Strategies

Recovery of critical processes requires resources. Business continuity needs resource needs worksheet. What is required for a manager to complete the business processes?

Completed worksheets are used to determine the resources needed to restore business functions and recovery strategies .

In a business situation involving a faulty system or unforeseen equipment, performing a recovery plan or regaining normal operations will be necessary.

The resource can originate in a particular business unit or be provided by third-party sources.

What are the objectives of business continuity planning

We now know why business continuity plans are essential, but the terms business continuity and disaster recovery planning are distinct.

In a typical situation, disasters are related to a technology function in your business. Business continuity versus disaster recovery: A Disaster Recovery Plan is essential to your business continuity program.

Identify critical business functions : Determine the essential processes and resources required for an organization to continue operating during and after a disruption.

Minimize downtime : Develop strategies to reduce the duration and impact of disruptions on the organization, ensuring a faster recovery and return to normal operations.

Protect organizational assets : Safeguard the organization’s physical, financial , and intellectual property assets, as well as its reputation, by preventing or minimizing damage from disruptions.

Ensure employee safety: Establish procedures to protect the well-being of employees during and after a disruptive event, including communication, evacuation, and shelter-in-place plans.

Maintain customer confidence : Develop and implement strategies to ensure customer satisfaction and service delivery during and after disruptions, thereby preserving trust and loyalty.

Ensure regulatory compliance: Adhere to legal, financial industry regulatory authority, and industry-specific business continuity planning and risk management requirements.

Continual improvement of business continuity institute: Regularly review, test, and update business continuity plans to ensure their effectiveness and alignment with the organization’s changing needs, risks, and objectives.

Three key components of a business continuity plan

Business continuity plans mainly comprise three key components: Resiliency, Recovery, and contingencies. A company can improve its resilience by designing critical infrastructures with different disaster scenarios, including staffing rotation, data center redundancy, or keeping surplus capacity for a particular function.

Resilience can also aid in maintaining essential services at the site and outside sites without disruption. The recovery of businesses from disasters must be swift.

Setting recovery time targets can help determine the best components to recover first.

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a comprehensive document that outlines the strategies and procedures an organization will follow in the event of a disruption. The three key components of a BCP include:

Business Impact Analysis (BIA):

This component involves identifying the organization’s critical business functions, processes , and resources and determining their recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery time objectives or point objectives (RPOs).

The BIA helps prioritize recovery efforts and allocate resources appropriately, restoring the most critical functions as quickly as possible.

Recovery Strategies

These are the specific plans and procedures an organization will follow to recover and restore critical business functions after a disruption .

Recovery strategies typically address aspects such as data backup and disaster recovery solutions, alternate work locations, resource requirements, communication protocols, and the roles and responsibilities of personnel during the recovery process.

Testing, Training, and Maintenance:

Regular testing and training are essential to ensure that the BCP remains effective, up-to-date, and well-understood by all relevant personnel. Testing typically involves conducting simulations.

Exercises or tabletop discussions evaluate the plan’s effectiveness, while training ensures that employees are familiar with their roles and responsibilities during an incident .

Regular maintenance involves updating the BCP as the organization’s needs, risks , and priorities change.

Why is business continuity important?

Business continuity is important for several reasons, as it helps organizations maintain essential functions during and after unexpected events or disruptions. Ensuring business continuity allows organizations to recover critical business functions:

  • Protect revenue and reputation : By minimizing downtime and maintaining critical operations, organizations can prevent financial losses and preserve their reputation in the eyes of customers, investors, and stakeholders.
  • Ensure legal and regulatory compliance : Many industries have laws and regulations requiring organizations to implement business continuity plans to protect sensitive data, safeguard customer information, and maintain essential services.
  • Improve customer trust and confidence : A robust business continuity plan demonstrates a company’s commitment to maintaining uninterrupted services, which can enhance customer loyalty and trust.
  • Reduce recovery time : Business continuity plans include processes for quickly recovering and restoring normal operations after a disruption, which minimizes the impact on the organization’s productivity and performance.
  • Enhance risk management : Identifying potential risks, assessing their impact, and developing mitigation strategies are essential to business continuity planning. This helps organizations to be more resilient and better prepared for unforeseen events.
  • Maintain supply chain integrity : A well-developed business continuity plan can help an organization identify vulnerabilities in its supply chain and implement strategies to minimize the risk of disruptions, ensuring the timely delivery of products and services.
  • Protect employees: Business continuity planning ensures employees are prepared for emergencies with clear communication channels.

In times when downtime is not acceptable, it is critical to ensure optimal business operations. Downtime can come from many different sources.

The threat to the economy has increased in recent months. Business continuity plans must consider potential disruptions to the whole business process.

The plan helps organizations to run if needed during an emergency if necessary. The company maintains a business continuity team to provide rapid response to interruptions.

The importance of business continuity is vital for the success of your organization. Long outages can lead to financial, personal, and reputation damage.

business continuity

How to test business continuity plans

You should try several tests to determine how much of an effective strategy you have in mind.

In fact, it is important to look at the most important details that affect the plan, like a correct contact number and email.

It takes considerable time to locate the right number, ultimately delaying responding to the crisis.

An effective business continuity plan is essential for any organization looking to stay competitive and resilient in today’s ever-changing world.

A good BCP will help your organization identify potential risks and threats, minimize disruption, stay compliant with safety standards, maintain customer satisfaction, and keep morale high even during challenging times.

Investing the time now into developing your own comprehensive business continuity plan will pay off in the future.

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Chris Ekai is a Risk Management expert with over 10 years of experience in the field. He has a Master’s(MSc) degree in Risk Management from University of Portsmouth and is a CPA and Finance professional. He currently works as a Content Manager at Risk Publishing, writing about Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity Management and Project Management.

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Home » Organizational Change » What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning?

In this article, we’ll answer that question and more, covering topics such as:

  • The advantages of business continuity planning
  • What to include in a business continuity plan
  • Other strategies that can mitigate the effects of business disruptions

We’ll start, of course, by learning about business continuity planning itself.

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Business continuity planning aims to maintain continuous business operations during disasters, emergencies, and other business disruptions.

@4bestinpeople … We shared a couple of our best practices for engagement & to boost our team productivity. Let us know what you think! https://t.co/HaTwIInInd — WalkMe (@WalkMeInc) April 27, 2020

Disruptions to an organization’s normal operations can be very costly, both in the short and the long terms. 

If a particular disruption negatively impacts the customer experience , for instance, then those customers can easily abandon the organization permanently. 

The result: lost market share, lower profit margins, and a competitive disadvantage.

Business continuity plans mitigate these problems through…

  • Risk prevention and mitigation strategies. The best way to decrease the effects of a disruption is to avoid it entirely. With the right work processes and procedures, workplace-related hazards, for instance, can often be dramatically reduced or even completely avoided. Though risk management is technically a separate discipline from business continuity management, in this case the two share the same goal: minimizing the effects of business disruptions.
  • The protection of key business functions and assets. In the event of a major disruption or disaster, an organization must take swift action to protect the most critical business functions and assets. If the supply chain is disrupted, for example, organizations should have alternative sourcing solutions in place to prevent the interruption of service delivery. Or if the physical worksite becomes compromised, remote working can enable employees to stay productive no matter where they are.
  • Actions designed to restore lost operations and assets as quickly as possible. The protective measures mentioned above, such as remote working or alternative supply chain sourcing, should only be temporary. The sooner an organization can return to normal operations, the better. The business continuity plan should also outline a course of action designed to restore those functions as quickly as possible – in some cases, this may be the only course of action included in the continuity plan, depending on the plan’s purpose and scope.

Business continuity management and planning can help organizations react efficiently and effectively to unplanned disruptions, reducing losses and, ideally, ensuring that those disruptions have little to no impact on the organization’s ability to operate. 

What Should Be Included in a Business Continuity Plan?

The nature of the solution will depend on the nature of the disruption.

However, most continuity plans follow the same steps:

  • Analysis of the potential impacts of disruptions. A business impact analysis projects the potential impacts that a disruption would have on an organization’s operations, as well as its financial impacts. This information will help business continuity planners establish restoration timelines and prioritize the plan’s sequence of events.
  • Assignment of a business continuity team. A business continuity team will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of the plan. Each plan should provide the contact details of that team, while also describing the management structure and the roles that each team member will play.
  • Protection and restoration activities. As mentioned above, the protection and restoration of business functions will form the core part of the business continuity plan. These actions should be tailored to fit a specific scenario, such as a natural disaster, as well as a specific business unit. 
  • Training, testing, and exercises. Planning should not be purely theoretical. It is important to actually test the plan and perform exercises, in order to determine the plan’s feasibility. Exercises can help continuity teams identify potential issues, while also familiarizing them with the content of the plan. These types of training activities should be performed on a regular basis to ensure that team members stay competent and proficient.
  • Regular updates. The plan should be continually updated to ensure that it stays relevant and useful. If, for instance, the plan calls for the use of software or personnel that are no longer available, then the continuity effort could be completely compromised. 

It is also important to note that business continuity plans differ from other types of risk mitigation strategies, such as emergency response plans and IT disaster recovery plans. Though some business continuity professionals include these types of plans under the same category, others develop separate plans.

In such cases, other response plans can include:

  • Emergency response plans. These plans outline the actions to undertake immediately following an emergency, such as a fire or a natural disaster.
  • IT disaster recovery plans. IT disaster recovery plans are plans to be implemented by IT departments, aimed at recovering lost data, restoring the IT infrastructure, and so forth.
  • Crisis communications plan. If a business is impacted by a disaster or another disruption, it is imperative to communicate effectively, efficiently, and appropriately, which is why it is important to have a crisis communications plan .

To streamline the organization and maintenance of these plans, it is often useful to keep them separate. Having redundant plans, after all, will only raise the administrative workload and increase the potential for errors.

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What is the primary goal of business continuity planning, and whereby to vollenden it

Disaster often striker without notice. Even with some prior red, a multitude of factors pot cause this best of intentions to result in errors, and mistakes at faced with disaster.  Every incident is unique, real getting what is the main goal concerning business continuity programming can ensure your business can respond to every disaster by a bespoke and measured approximate. Whatever Is The Primary Goal Concerning Business Continuity Organization? - Folio3 Dynamics Blog

Below, we explain exactly what is the primary goal of business continuity planning, how to create a business continuity plan, and what measures you need up put in place to maximize your organization’s choices of victory during a emergency. 5 Critical objectives every business business solution shoud have

Up this page:

  • What is the primary score of business continuity planning
  • Why business continuity planning matters
  • Advantages of business consistency planning
  • How to write a business continuity map
  • Difference between disaster recovery and business continuity

Business continuity and insurance

  • Testing your business continuity plan
  • Business continual standards

Thing shall the primary goal of general continuity planner

To overcome any crisis, and minimize whatsoever impact for your staff, customers and the business, you require a robust business continuity plan (BCP).  Having an BCP demonstrates to your customers, insurers, investors, and owners that your business is robust enough to overcome any disaster so it may face.

So, what is the primary goal of business continuity planning?

A business continuity draft presents how and business will proceed during a extremity. It is considered a blueprint for an organization for maintain continuous business operations during disasters, emergencies, and other business disruptions, and get reverse on normal business operations as fast as possible.

What are the objectives of business continuity planning

Now we understand what the key goal off business continuity planning is, let’s take a look to many of the objectives that businesses can achieve through businesses continuance planning:

  • Operations continuity assurance during disruption – Ensuring our business has the capability, systems, protocols, and practices in places to mitigate most probable forms of disruption
  • Enhance mitigation of risks – On establishing risk management strategy and usual appraisal and ratings a existing, and new exposure, businesses can improve the mitigation of risks.
  • Robust operating continued operation – Making sure your organization has the necessary platforms (infrastructure, resources, technology, capacity), to running include one event of a cataclysmic disruption.
  • Improved commercial good, and competitiveness – Developing the capabilities for an organization to ensure it can operate more effektiv, and better serve hers customers, with its competitors during a catastrophic event.
  • Reducing the venture by finance loss – Increasing monetary permanence the ensuring one business bottle overcome any catastrophic event cost-effectively.
  • Improved customer confidentiality and reliability – Ensure the uninterrupted site on all its criticism services and products are the event of ampere catastrophic incident.
  • Secure posting to the national economy – Through continued contribution to the location, regional and national economy, businesses can user local employments and industry.
  • Increase capability the administer business-impacting disruptions
  • Increasing recovery against disrupt, up verteidigen sales, production, employees, customers

While the terms trade continuity and disaster recovered live closely related, they a different.  Typically, misfortune recovery is associated with the technology serve of your business.

See or: Business Continual or. Disaster Recycling

Your disaster recreation plan should form a main create of your business continuous planning and strategy. This approach stands the main on the whole business, not just on tech solitary, amplifying the concept for continuous of all key business process, beyond information technology systems.

The primary yield from who business continuity planning process is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP). The BCP comprises many elements which, collectively, define the get an organization should bear go recover to normal business surgery.

View or: Understanding Work Continuity

Why shop continuity planning matters

So, ourselves understand what the primary goal of general continuity planning the, and we also understand some of the objectives this ampere business can fulfil through business continuity planning.  But why does business continuity subject, and what are the advantages for your business?

Corporate strive go remain competitive regardless of whether they belong ampere small business or center organization, or an industry they are in. To your business, it belongs crucial to retain and maintain your existing customers while together growing your customer basics.

What does this have for do with business continuity planning or achieving the primary target and objectives?

Having the capability go administration any adverse incident effectively can positively affect your business’ reputation and market value, incremental client confidence.

During an basic degree, there is not ameliorate test of is capability in serving your customers then than promptly ensuing an adverse event.

Most businesses have some disaster recovery solutions available, ranging from product full to input recovery. But what revival processes do you have for the remainder of your business-related processes also workflows? The Business Continuity Institute define the purpose of business continuity management than identifying “potential impacts so threaten an organization and provid[ing] a framework used building resilience with of capability for a effective response that safeguards the our of its key stakeholders, reputation and ...

There is can increase in consumer and regulatory expectations required guarantee today. Delegations need to recognize the processes and workflows within their business and the impact of the lose of dieser processes in the event of an adverse incident.

Disruptions to an organization’s operations cannot being highly costly, both in the short one long term. They can adversely affect the market value and consumer confidence.

If in the page of a disruptive event, customer know shall negatively impacted, then those customers can fastest desert the organization continuously.

Building your recover strategy around these processes can live mitigated because employment continuity designing:

  • Risk mitigation and risk management achievement – The top way to reduce the impact of a disruption is to avoid it. By implementing, with adjusting, existing labor processes and operations, businesses can often significantly reduce the impact of any disruption or equally avoid altogether.
  • The security of crucial business functions and assets – In the event of a meaningfully disruptive incident, you need to take swift action to protect essential functions plus assets in their business. Since example, in the event, your supply chain is disrupted, you supposed having in place alternative acquisition solutions to minimize any disruption into service delivery.
  • Steps to restore impacted operations and assets as quickly as possible – Either protective measures, such as research from an alternative give chain, shoud only be temporary. What to should be aiming for, and as per the primary goals of business continuity planning, the for your store return to normal operations, at the earliest opportunity.

Business continuity planning can assistance our business react in an powerful plus effective manner into unplanned disruptive incidents and events, reducing losses and shock on get business’ ability to operiert. Work continuity plans (BCPs) determined protocols and generated preventing and recovery networks in kasus about ampere cyber-attack or natural disaster.

Advantages of general continuity provision

Many businesses are facing deliberate and unintended damages. These damages can cause significant disruptions in of operation and interfere is prepares for crises.

That’s reason were has trade continuousness planning. It helps you for the recovery strategy, prepare for the unexpected incidents, and show you the ultimate benefits.

Importance of business permanence planungsarbeiten

What problems you’re facing using your business, you what bound to end up with some consequences for an best oder the worst.

While you can’t altogether avoid getting hit, you can at least try to reduce the effect by executing a clear and comprehensive business continuity draft.

A perfect plan will help you survives. Make sure you hurl your plan output there and test information. Don’t forget to see how you can minimize the potential impact of crises .

Key benefits of business continuity planning

While we’re at it, let’s see how business continuity entwurf can help her:

  • keeps your employment trading during and after a crisis
  • recovers operations more quickly after interruptions
  • reduces expenses and duration of any disruption
  • reduces perils and financial discovery
  • builds considerable seller-customer trusting the trust
  • safeguard company reputation
  • develops confidence included the business
  • does including regulatory or legal specifications
  • insures against elsewhere unacceptable risks
  • saves lives, if dangerous events (such as one fire) occurring

How to write a business continuity plan

You may find the fundamental for business business planning to subsist two linked, but distinct practical :

  • Take appraisal – it shows the difference type of locational you may face
  • Work impact analysis (BIA) – this determines the cooldown period for major activities

Priorities and deadlines for activities can BIA’s territory. While risk assessment is limited to drawing the workable scenarios, the effects, and the danger. Definition away Business Continuity Plan Objectives

These double provides you with the most reliable information you can use to develop your continuity plan.

Your store continuity plan (BCP) should outline aforementioned course about promotion you must to take to restore business functions as quickly as allowable.

Business continuity plots are tailored to specialized business workflows also processes, with each BCP unique to each organization.  However, there are some common steps that businesses undertake when developing business continuity plans:

  • Appointment von ampere business continuity planning team – The business continuity planning team, will coordinate aforementioned activities required to assemble and develop the plan. The contact details of for each member of the team should be documented, when well-being as the role for each team become within the management structure.
  • Chance analysis and assessment – The first step is to identify potential range of risk, the likelihood of which risk occurring, and the level of impact that risk willing have on the business. Read more about IT risk and technology risk assessment methodologies .
  • Analysis the the potential effects of disruptions – A economic impact analysis, or BIA , assesses to impact that anything risks would have upon a business’ operations. It will also ascertain any fiscal impacts furthermore. Which investigation helps of business continuity planning team to prioritize the plan’s order of events, press determine maintenance timelines, in footing of RPO and RTO .
  • Strategy company – The protection furthermore restorations of business functions, process, and procedures will can a core part from the business-related continuity plan. Who team will need to coordinate, id and document action plans to adress jede type of risk. The action plans need to be customize till fit specific scenarios, create as a natural disaster, as well as a precise business unit.  Disaster recovery plans fall into this step.  For instance, are a flood is at damage critical computing equipment, the INFORMATION department may need on restore data from backups.
  • Training, testing, and exercises – It your crucial to test the plan to evaluate the plan’s praktische. Exercises will help the business sustainability team to detect potential issues, as well as familiarizing them with the content of the plan. Training activities must be executing regularly to ensure that team members stay expertly and proficient.
  • Regular revisions – Your business continuity plan should be continual updated, or where requisite revised, to maintain its relevance and usefulness. For object, the plan may identify which use of software or personnel that are no longer available. Without an updated plan, no business continuity effort could be compromised.

What should an business continuity plan include?

The nature of the solution intention depend on the typing of disruption.  Try lid the following areas:

  • Emergency response – your priority should be the welfare of which suffering men before doing one about the crisis. To ensure them the maximum safety develop occurrence response flowcharts or checklists, evacuation guidelines plus procedures, list of relocation page, etc. After assuring safety to each and everyone, you can now start measuring the damage and restoring procedures of our business.
  • Crisis administrator – decide this information flow to media, stakeholders, workers, etc. Agree on the communication protocols, determine managing the loss event, and make sure you have enough resources to support the rehabilitation. Prepare yourself for the any support interest. If required, consider appointing a spokesperson for optional media queries, being clear and transparent with communicating about staff, customers, and supplier before to storage.
  • Business recovery – Inform BIA’s comprehensive operational plan for critical functions and assets. To recovery basic business, identify the resourcing and the personnel you may need help from. Make sure show regarding you correspond on the followable strategies and responses to reduce the loss in business. Make a plan that’s clear enough to get throws everybody, and they can getting taken actions immediately in emergencies. Your bucket furthermore try training them beforehand to bargain preferable with how a situation. Aforementioned will create a reflex in them with my assigned task.
  • Key contacts – make a list for equally the internal and external human and organizations to go them promptly for search. Also, assign them at roles you need them for during the crisis. Such as details of key staff, critical suppliers, local councils, neighboring businesses, cops, utility providers, landlords, other insurers. Including details of service providers like glazing, locksmiths, plumber, electrician, additionally IT specialists will also help. Don’t forget to include maps of your economic premises’ site as it’ll help this emergency services to start taking actions faster.

However, despite these plans, it need to consider the fact that there could be different disruptive situations that call for a different response. That’s why you need to keep several alternatives to location different disaster scenarios, whether it’s and worst-case show or the partial outages. What the the chief goal of business continuity planning, and like to achieve it

Work continuation scheme templates or cleaning

You have dual options at launching your business continuity create because. Going from scratch or received some help from online templates. To find own our weitermachen, you might need on personalizing the plan corresponds to your business needs.

Her can get einigen help from GOV.UK’s business continuity management toolkit (PDF, 569K) [8] and get your a customizable plan according toward particulars circumstances of your commercial

Gauge between disaster recovery and commercial continuity

She can run into a plot of technological events during a crisis. To recover your business from the damage, you need adenine disaster recovery plan. This plan will help you restored the destroyed dating and applications due to the data center, servers, or IT infrastructure damage.

Use the disaster recovery planned besides the business sustainability blueprint to get the necessary strategies to handle the risk.

Continuity planning relates very closely to business insurance. You’ll find that most of aforementioned insurers consider corporate continuousness to be adenine prerequisite for providing cover. The get more details, check get business insurance .

Inspection thy business continuity floor

Business continuity plans must be workings documents which has to be written, actualized, and tested daily to check the performance. Regular testing of your business continuity plan will provide an indication of performance when emergencies.

For active testing, you should test it against something more plausible than hypothetical scenarios. Doing diese will other help you numbers get and fix several things before the test, like:

  • agreeing on clear testing criteria and procedures
  • agreeing upon the procedures of documenting the findings
  • determining the process von correcting problems that arose during the test

Reason should thee try will corporate continuity plan?

To realize and verify that your plan is useful both fulfilled its purpose, him must run a thorough and gentle. Doing this, you’ll be able to: The objective on business continuity management is to ensure the uninterrupted availability of all important business resources mandatory toward support essential (or critical) company a...

  • gets train our crew involved in this recovery of the business
  • figure out the part von your plan needs more strength
  • demos your company’s recovering ability

You may consider outsourcing certain functions of your enterprise in a third celebrating. If you do, you’ll need to evaluate the adequacy of their business continuity plan and of compatibility with thine plan. Business continuity is defined as advanced preparation and planning into ensure that organizations are operating and focused on the critical business processes during alarming situations.

How to test economy continuity plans

You can run a few tests to estimated the effectiveness of your plan. For example:

  • checklist tests
  • table-top exercises
  • structured walk-throughs
  • scheduled simulations
  • full recovery / disconnect tests

Today, besides running diese trial, it’s indispensable that you take care of all an essential details involved in the plan, so when the correct contact information. If there’s something wrong with a phone number, and it capacity take a considerable chunk out of your precious time till find of right one furthermore eventually resulting in a late get to the crisis. Business Continuity Objectives & Outputs

How often should you test your business business plan?

Itp depends. You’ll visit many businesses testing their continuity plan better than two times a year. It need the consider a few factors available finalized how often yourself should run the plan. What remains the primary goal of business continuity planning? Learn how to achieve the primary goals and objectives of BCP in your business.

Factors such as the type of your general, cash of staff, and changes in the procedures real technology secondhand in your business, all necessity to be taken into accounting when determining the power by testing. ALLIANZ RISK CONSULTING. AT-A-GLANCE. • The Business Continuity Plan (BCP) objective is to minimize the potential impact for threats on enterprise operations.

Main choose general business plan

Creating and testing who plan may command a considerable amount of effort additionally frist. But there’s more into he. You must update the plan daily to consider your business’ everchanging circumstances. Take moving into new business premises, for show. The objectives of a business persistence plan (BCP) are on minimize financial loss to the institutional; go to serve customers and pecuniary market ...

And previous scheme be not have anything in gemeint with the new premises, which can to threatening such it face comprehensive newer sorts from risks. You’ll have to produce a add plant and include adenine newly drawn map for the emergency services and also amend the contact numbers.

This can help review your business continuity plan yearly and completes this review beside check will ensure to maximum efficiency of the plan.

Business continuity default

To understand aforementioned accuracy and efficiency of how get business continuity schedules and procedures align with the best methods out there, you should measure them against and internationally standard. It is important to identify your business business map objectives when creating adenine comprehensive business continuity plan. Reducing these objectives ... Read More…

The standard defines this requirements for a management system to protect against, lessen that risks, and ensures the return from the crisis.

Found out more about and ISO 22301 business continuing management standard .

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  • Business Continuity counter. Disaster Rehabilitation – Perception the difference
  • Company Risk
  • Methods to perform a cybersecurity risk assessment
  • Wherefore all business need adenine data breach response plan
  • Using cloud computing to achieve work continuity

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Lucy has more than 23 years of experience in and technology industry. Specialising in the cloud furthermore telecommunications sectors, Lucey has previously worked in senior management roles within HR & Operations for majority national and internationally organisations similar as BT, O2 real more recently, Vodafone. Lucy is currently the Deputy Online Verfasser at BusinessTechWeekly.com

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What Is The Primary Goal Of Business Continuity Planning?

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What is the primary goal of business continuity planning?

According to the International Organization for Standardization (IOSA), the primary goal of a business continuity plan is to establish a system that will allow a company to conduct business in the event of unexpected disasters or events. A plan should first address the identification and assessment of the threats, which can be done through a risk assessment. The risks should be analyzed and the remedial measures should then be developed.

The plan should also address identification of the corrective actions needed to mitigate the effects of the disaster and restore the normal operations of the company.

The second part of the plan is to develop a company-wide preparedness plan. This document identifies the roles and responsibilities of all individuals and departments within the organization. It describes the critical processes that have to be carried out in order to ensure the continued operation of the business. The plan should also include the procedures to be implemented as soon as an incident occurs and the procedures that have to be adhered to once the occurrence has been contained. The plan should also specify the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to evaluate the progress and determine the status of the plan.

The third step in business continuity planning involves mapping the entire operation of the business continuity program. The plan maps all functions and systems of the company, beginning with the point of service, continuing with the operations of the supply chain, the information exchange, customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Each system is analyzed for its respective capability to deliver service under different conditions and to identify any limitations that may affect the overall performance of the organization.

The fourth step in what is the primary goal of business continuity planning considers the future threats to the continuity of the system. These include external threats and internal threats. External threats refer to external events that can disrupt the business system. These events may come from an unexpected attack by an external actor, sabotage or a natural disaster. Internal threats come from people within the company; these are known as risk management and planning.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning considers the future threat profile of the organization. These threats may come from attackers who want to gain access to the business system, corrupt employees, environmental hazards and malicious intruders. Any of these can disrupt the service delivery model of the organization. They may also bring down the profit margins.

The fifth and last part of what is the primary goal of business continuity planning considers the financial impact of discontinuity on the organization. In case of a disaster, the cost incurred by the enterprise to recover and reconstruct the infrastructure might exceed the amount of money invested in establishing the system. Business continuity is therefore a long term investment with long lasting benefits. It does not make sense to design a system that will be expensive to install and implement.

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What is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

What is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

What is the primary goal of business continuity planning? It is simpler than you think.

Have you ever heard the scouting motto, “Always be prepared”? When’s the last time you applied it to your business functions? The primary goal of business continuity planning is simple: Have a clear, actionable, proactive plan in place for whatever might come your way. This could include outages, natural disasters, cybersecurity attacks, and more. We’ll go through some of the major pain points you need to address before you can declare your business continuity plan (BCP) ready for anything. 

What does a business continuity plan typically include? 

A BCP should outline what your business needs to do to recover from a disaster or setback, with a strategic disaster recovery plan as a subset of your overall approach. Business continuity vs disaster recovery is an important concept for businesses to understand when deciding how to prepare for disruption. When creating a business continuity plan, you should be thinking about: 

1. Your customers’ most urgent needs

Creating a plan with your customer’s needs in mind from the outset will help you determine which applications need to be treated with the greatest urgency in the recovery process. If you have some data and applications that don’t have as big of an effect on business continuity , they can appear further down your list of priorities. Start with critical, client-centric functions. 

2. A plan to keep your workforce moving 

Losing employee productivity can quickly snowball into other problems, including lost revenue, an erosion of trust, and abrupt turnover. Adding alternate workplace and remote access options for your employees will stop the snowball in its tracks. Keep the lines of communication open as you work to recover essential business functions so your team feels in the loop. 

3. Building with remote work in mind 

We have all seen over the past couple of years how remote work isn’t just a nice offering but is now often a requirement of doing business. Your business continuity plan isn’t robust enough if your VPN can’t handle remote workers, especially a surge of heavy demand. Think about what you would need to do to host most, if not all, of your workforce on VPN and other remote options. 

4. An outline of recovery objectives specific to your business 

Besides knowing what to recover first, you also need to know how quickly it should be recovered to minimize lost revenue. A BCP includes setting recovery point objectives and recovery time objectives – where things should be restored from and the time it takes to restore them. 

5. An up-to-date disaster recovery plan and redundancies 

Disaster recovery is a subset of business continuity planning and should be revisited often to ensure new technology and best practices are included. Creating a solid disaster recovery plan checklist is the first step in updating your plan and can allow for complete protection against your organization’s data and operations. Also, if you are using a cloud platform , just assuming it’s redundant without ensuring it has been designed or implemented to work can land you in some hot water. With that, it’s crucial to conduct periodic testing to ensure things are running smoothly.

The right disaster recovery solutions are right-sized for the systems you have. Consider the cost of disruption versus the cost of bringing everything back online to evaluate the true benefits of your plan. 

6. A cybersecurity policy 

Cybersecurity team members should be brought into the BC and disaster recovery process early and often. Because cybercrime can greatly affect your business’s ability to keep running, neglecting to include a response in your plan can be disastrous.

Pain points to address in your business continuity plan 

Ransomware attacks .

Long before the pandemic, ransomware was on the rise. However, with an increase in remote workers and unsecured machines, ransomware attacks have risen by 200%. They are becoming more frequent, more expensive, and more sophisticated. The cost of an average ransomware breach in 2021 was $4.62 million . Cybercriminals are getting more creative by selling Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) to make it easier than ever for other criminals to exploit vulnerabilities without much technical know-how. 

The threat landscape will continue to be a moving target. What looks like cloud-based malware and triple extortion now will look like something completely different in a year or two. There will always be a new danger on the horizon looking to capture and hold hostage valuable information. 

No matter what comes along, the best way to be prepared is by setting solid cybersecurity policies before anything happens. Employee onboarding needs to include cybersecurity training. Regularly test your employees by sending fake spear phishing emails. Enroll your staff in ongoing training so they are kept up on the latest security threats. Make them feel like they are your first line of defense because that’s exactly what they are. 

Cybersecurity should always be seen as a layered approach. Services like extended detection and response (XDR) , firewall services , and DDoS mitigation help protect your company’s data by performing a risk assessment before an intruder can make it far. Many data center providers have 24/7 staffing and are monitoring for any potential threats that may come in. 

Finally, if you have a remote workforce, virtual desktop infrastructure can allow your employees to easily work from anywhere while accessing the necessary files and programs they need, all with an extra layer of security between their device and your infrastructure. Manage roles and limit access however you need to work on reducing the risk of compromising your most sensitive data.  

Geographic diversity 

Extreme weather poses the second most severe global risk to businesses in 2022. It also goes together with the number one global risk, which is climate change action failure. If that risk continues to increase, we will see a likewise increase in extreme weather, which can cause major disruption for business operations during disasters. 

One of the main vulnerabilities comes from where your data centers are located. If they are in geographic areas particularly prone to extreme weather like tornadoes or hurricanes, you may be putting your business’ data at unnecessary risk. 

To combat this problem, you need geographic diversity in your data systems as part of your disaster recovery plan. Your primary and backup sites should be far enough apart that if a disaster strikes, both centers are not simultaneously affected. Frequent outages can cost you revenue and make your customers lose faith in your reliability. 

When considering data center locations , think about their geographic susceptibility to weather, where your customers and staff reside, and how the failover resources will work in cooperation between the centers you select.  

RPOs / RTOs 

It’s not good enough to simply say that you hope to have your data restored as soon as possible, and at any point, you can. Before something happens that has business-impacting consequences, you need to decide how much you can afford to lose at any given moment. 

Start by setting realistic business recovery objectives. A recovery point objective (RPO) determines how much data you can lose after a failure or disaster that isn’t too disruptive to your business processes. A recovery time objective (RTO) sets how much time is acceptable between failure and restoration. 

Your requirements for minimizing data loss and downtime will differ depending on your industry and type of business. Consider setting the RPOs and RTOs per application. Ensure your most important applications are recovered first and move down the list from there. Ask yourself the following questions if you’re trying to figure out where to start:

  • Is this workload mission-critical? 
  • How much effort will it take to reconstruct the data? 
  • What compliance requirements govern the workload? 

An important part of disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) involves setting these objectives and restoring data after a disaster in a tiered manner. 

One of the overarching objectives of a business continuity plan is figuring out what business activities need to be restored first to create the smallest impact on your bottom line when a disruption occurs. To do this, you’ll want to run a business impact analysis (BIA).  

Constant uptime is a given expectation for almost all businesses, causing increasing investment in business continuity management. Customers expect 24/7 availability. Organizations also have to meet compliance requirements and mitigate their downtime costs. Staying always on and always available is a must for many companies. 

The staffing necessary to maintain constant uptime can be hard to come by, especially due to the cybersecurity workforce gap that will take several years to close, if ever. Choosing a data center provider that promises near-constant uptime and day-and-night monitoring and crisis management for any outages that may occur unexpectedly means you can remove some items from your ever-growing to-do list. Plus, data centers offer best-in-class technology and access to specialists that would otherwise be costly to keep on staff full-time in case of sporadic events. 

Providers can also help you with a backup and data recovery plan that builds on your RTO and RPO goals, to restore data to your ideal point in your given time frame. Everything works together – DRaaS, backup as a service (BaaS), and your RTO/RPO objectives, to form pieces of your business continuity plan. 

The primary goal of business continuity planning is getting you back to your normal

There’s never going to be a good time to slow or halt your business operations. With large enterprises losing an average of $400,000 per hour of downtime , it can be an expensive undertaking to be down for even short periods. Figuring out the goals of a business continuity plan for yourself can mean the difference between a long and prosperous business or being forced to close your doors. When you’re ready to put the continued operation at the forefront of your planning, download the ‘Ultimate Guide to Running Your Business Through Uncertainty and Disruption’ eBook to learn more .

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Business continuity planning (BCP) is a critical aspect of any thriving enterprise. It is a proactive process that enables organizations to anticipate, prepare for, and respond effectively to potential threats or disruptions.

The importance of BCP cannot be overstated. From man-made disasters to both natural disasters, calamities and technological failures, businesses today face a multitude of risks that could disrupt their operations and undermine their profitability.

Table of Contents

Introduction

In an increasingly unpredictable business environment, the ability to continue operating during times of crisis is a significant competitive advantage. This is where business continuity planning (BCP) comes into play.

At its core, BCP entails developing strategies and procedures that ensure the organization can continue delivering its products or services even in the face of severe disruptions unexpected events.

Understanding Business Continuity Planning

BCP involves identifying potential threats to an organization and outlining responses to these threats. These responses aim to protect personnel and assets while ensuring the continuity of operational and business processes.

The process involves conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to identify possible vulnerabilities and then designing a strategy that minimizes the impact of any disruption on the organization’s key operations.. The primary goal of business continuity planning is to maintain the organization’s ability to function and deliver its products or services during and after a crisis or disruption.

By implementing effective BCP measures, businesses can minimize downtime, reduce financial losses, protect their reputation, and ensure the safety of their employees and customers.

One key aspect of BCP is developing a robust communication plan. This involves establishing clear lines of communication within the organization and with external stakeholders, such as suppliers, customers, and regulatory bodies.

By promptly sharing information and updates during a crisis, businesses can minimize confusion and coordinate response efforts more effectively.

Another important goal of BCP is to establish alternative arrangements for critical business functions. This may include identifying backup locations, implementing redundant systems, or establishing partnerships with third-party vendors who can provide support during disruptions.

By having contingency plans in place, organizations can quickly adapt and continue operations, even if their primary facilities or systems are unavailable.

Additionally, BCP aims to ensure the safety and well-being of employees. This includes developing emergency response plans, conducting drills and training sessions, and providing necessary resources and support during crises.

By prioritizing the safety of their workforce, businesses demonstrate their commitment to their employees’ welfare and foster a sense of trust and loyalty.

According to a Disaster Recovery Preparedness (DRP) Council study in 2019, only 27% of organizations surveyed had a formal business continuity plan.

Overall, the primary goal of business continuity planning is to enhance organizational resilience and mitigate the impact of potential disruptions. Through careful preparation, proactive measures, and effective response strategies, businesses can navigate through crises and maintain their competitive edge in an ever-changing business landscape.

Importance Of Business Continuity Planning

BCP is not merely about survival during a crisis. It’s about maintaining the highest level of operation possible during a disruption disaster recovery plan and bouncing back as quickly as possible.

A well-executed BCP minimizes downtime, maintains the integrity of critical data, safeguards the firm’s reputation, and boosts confidence among stakeholders including employees, customers, and investors.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

The Primary Goal Of Business Continuity Planning

So, what is the primary goal of business continuity planning? In simple terms, the main objective of BCP is to enable the continuation of business operations during and after a disaster or disruption. However, the concept runs deeper than that and encompasses several other important aspects of crisis management.

1. Ensuring Continuity Of Business Operations

This is the central focus of BCP. The ultimate objective is to keep business continuity plans ensure that the business remains operational despite any disruptions. This involves identifying the critical functions that need to be maintained and developing a strategy to ensure these functions continue unhindered.

From keeping the supply chain intact to ensuring seamless customer service, every aspect that contributes to the smooth running of the business needs to be taken into consideration.

Downtime due to disasters or disruptions can have significant financial consequences. The average cost of downtime per hour across all industries was estimated to be around $300,000 in 2019, according to the same DRP Council study.

2. Safeguarding Data And Assets

Another important aspect of BCP is protecting the company’s valuable assets, particularly its data. In the digital age, data loss can have catastrophic consequences for a business. As such, BCP includes measures to protect against data loss and recovery strategies to ensure quick and efficient data recovery in the event of a disruption.

3. Protecting Personnel

A successful business continuity management plan also prioritizes the safety and well-being of its employees. This means having a clear strategy for evacuating personnel from dangerous situations, providing necessary support during a crisis, and ensuring effective communication with all staff members throughout the disruption.

In a 2021 survey by Deloitte , 62% of organizations reported that they allocated between 0.1% to 1% of their annual revenue to their business continuity program.

Components Of Business Continuity Planning

BCP is a multifaceted process that involves various key components here, each of which plays a crucial role in the overall efficacy of the plan.

1. Risk Assessment And Management

Identifying potential threats and assessing their impact is the first step in BCP and risk management. This involves examining all aspects of the business and identifying areas of vulnerability. Once these threats are identified, strategies can be developed to manage these risks effectively.

2. Business Continuity Strategy

Based on the risk assessment, a business continuity and recovery strategy is formulated. This details the steps the organization will take to maintain operations during a disruption and recover fully afterwards. This strategy should be comprehensive, covering all key aspects of the business, and should be regularly updated to account for changes in the business environment.

RTO is the maximum acceptable time frame for an organization to restore its critical functions after a disruption. In a 2020 global survey by Databarracks , 63% of respondents stated that their RTO for mission-critical systems was less than four hours.

3. Business Continuity Plan Implementation

The final step is implementing the BCP. This involves educating all employees about key benefits of the plan, conducting drills and simulations to test its effectiveness, and constantly reviewing and updating the plan based on these tests and any changes in the business environment.

An effective BCP is not a one-time exercise but a dynamic process that evolves with the organization.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Role Of Leadership In Business Continuity Planning

Leaders play a crucial role in BCP. They are responsible for ensuring that the organization’s operations is prepared for any potential threats and that everyone understands their role in the BCP. Leaders also need to lead by example, demonstrating their commitment to the BCP through their actions and decisions.

In the same Databarracks survey , only 37% of organizations tested their business continuity plans at least once a year. Frequent testing is crucial to validate the plan’s effectiveness and identify potential weaknesses.

Challenges In Business Continuity Planning

Despite its importance, BCP is often met with various challenges. These range from lack of awareness or understanding by senior management of the importance of BCP, to insufficient resources or expertise to develop and implement an effective plan.

Overcoming these challenges requires a concerted effort from all levels of the organization and a recognition of BCP as a vital component of the business strategy.

Business Continuity Planning Process: A Vital Aspect Of Effective Risk Management

In today’s dynamic and ever-changing business landscape, organizations must be prepared for unforeseen events and disruptions that could disrupt their operations. This is where the business continuity planning process plays a crucial role. By having a well-thought-out and regularly updated plan, companies can ensure the continuity of their critical functions and minimize the impact of any potential crisis.

At the core of an effective business continuity plan is the business impact analysis (BIA). This process involves identifying and assessing the potential risks and vulnerabilities that could disrupt business operations.

Organizations can prioritize their critical functions and allocate resources by conducting a comprehensive BIA. The BIA helps organizations understand various scenarios’ potential financial, operational, and reputational consequences, enabling them to make informed decisions about risk mitigation strategies.

To successfully implement a business continuity plan, it is essential to have a dedicated business continuity team. This team comprises individuals from different departments and levels with the expertise and knowledge necessary to develop and execute the plan.

The team should oversee the business continuity planning process, including conducting the BIA, identifying suitable recovery strategies, and regularly testing and updating the plan. Having a dedicated team ensures that business continuity remains a priority and facilitates effective coordination during crisis situations.

Compliance with industry-specific regulations is of utmost importance for organizations operating in regulated industries, such as the financial sector. In the United States, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) provides guidelines and regulations for businesses in the financial industry.

These guidelines emphasize the need for a robust business continuity management policy. Organizations must demonstrate their ability to withstand disruptions, maintain critical functions, and promptly recover during crises.

Adhering to FINRA’s requirements helps organizations build trust with clients, regulators, and stakeholders, as it demonstrates a commitment to risk management and resilience.

A well-defined business continuity management policy should encompass several key elements. Firstly, it should outline the objectives and scope of the plan, clearly stating the organization’s commitment to business continuity and resilience.

Secondly, the policy should define the roles and responsibilities of individuals involved in the planning and execution process. This ensures accountability and promotes effective decision-making during a crisis. Additionally, the policy should address the regular testing and updating of the plan to ensure its relevance and effectiveness.

Implementing a business continuity plan is an ongoing process that requires regular review and enhancement. Organizations must conduct periodic drills and exercises to test the plan’s effectiveness and identify any areas for improvement. Feedback from these exercises should be used to update and refine the plan accordingly.

In addition, organizations should stay informed about emerging risks and technological advancements that may impact their business operations. Regular risk assessments should be conducted to identify new vulnerabilities and adapt the business continuity plan accordingly.

Cyberattacks are among the most common causes of business disruptions. According to the 2020 Cost of a Data Breach Report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute , the average cost of a data breach globally was $3.86 million, and it took an average of 280 days to identify and contain the breach.

In conclusion, the business continuity planning process is a critical aspect of effective risk management in today’s uncertain business environment.

By conducting a thorough business impact analysis, establishing a dedicated business continuity team, adhering to industry regulations, and continuously reviewing and updating the plan, organizations can ensure the continuity of their critical functions and minimize the impact of potential disruptions. A robust business continuity plan ultimately helps build trust with stakeholders, protects the organization’s reputation, and enhances its ability to withstand crises.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Business Continuity Management

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, businesses face a myriad of challenges that can disrupt their operations. From natural disasters to cyber-attacks, the potential risks are numerous. That is why organizations must have a robust business continuity plan in place.

A key component of any business continuity plan is defining recovery point objectives (RPOs). RPO refers to the amount of data a business can afford to lose in the event of a disruption. This metric helps organizations determine how frequently they need to back up their data and ensure its availability for recovery. By establishing RPOs, businesses can minimize the impact of disruptions and quickly resume normal operations.

Creating a comprehensive business continuity plan involves several steps. The first step is conducting a business impact analysis (BIA). This assessment helps identify critical business processes , systems, and assets that must be prioritized for recovery.

It also helps determine the potential financial and operational impacts of disruptions. Organizations can develop effective strategies to mitigate risks and maintain continuous business operations by understanding these vulnerabilities.

The next step is developing a business continuity plan template. This template serves as a blueprint for responding to and recovering from disruptions. It outlines key roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, and recovery procedures. A well-designed template ensures that all relevant stakeholders know their roles and helps streamline recovery.

Implementing a business continuity management system (BCMS) is another vital step. A BCMS framework enables organizations to establish, implement, evaluate, and improve their business continuity capabilities.

It provides a structured approach to managing disruptions and ensures that plans are regularly reviewed and updated. By adopting a BCMS, businesses can enhance their resilience and reduce the likelihood of downtime.

Regular testing and exercising of the business continuity plan is also crucial. This step allows organizations to identify gaps or weaknesses in their plan and make necessary improvements.

Testing can involve scenario-based simulations, tabletop exercises, or full-scale drills. It helps validate the plan’s effectiveness and familiarizes employees with their roles during a disruption.

Furthermore, organizations should establish a robust communication strategy in their business continuity planning. Effective communication is essential during disruptions to keep employees, customers, and stakeholders informed.

This includes establishing alternate communication channels and providing regular updates throughout recovery. A well-designed communication strategy helps maintain trust and confidence in the organization’s ability to manage disruptions effectively.

Lastly, continuous monitoring and review are critical for maintaining an effective business continuity plan. Risks and threats are constantly evolving, so it is essential to reassess and update the plan accordingly regularly.

This involves conducting periodic risk assessments, reviewing recovery procedures, and staying up-to-date with emerging technologies and best practices.

In conclusion, developing a robust business continuity plan is vital for organizations to ensure continuous business operations in the face of potential disruptions. Defining recovery point objectives, following a systematic approach, and implementing a business continuity management system are key steps in this process.

Regular testing, effective communication, and continuous monitoring enhance the plan’s effectiveness. By prioritizing business continuity planning, organizations can minimize the impact of disruptions and maintain their resilience in today’s unpredictable business landscape.

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Business continuity planning is a crucial element of a successful business strategy. It enables companies not only to survive disruptions but also to thrive in the face of adversity.

By ensuring the continuity of operations, in disaster recovery, safeguarding data and assets, and protecting personnel, BCP equips businesses with the tools they need to navigate through crises and emerge stronger on the other side.

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What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

what is the primary goal of business continuity planning

Welcome to a comprehensive guide that aims to unveil the mystery behind the primary goal of business continuity planning. If you’re an entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or simply curious about the nuances of maintaining a business in a volatile environment, this article is for you. Here, you’ll find a deep dive into why business continuity planning is crucial, what its primary goal is, and how it can be effectively implemented. So, let’s get started, shall we?

If I were to condense the essence of business continuity planning into one line, it would be this: The primary goal is to ensure that essential functions of a business remain operational during and after a disruption. It’s the insurance policy that you hope you never have to cash in. But should disaster strike—be it a flood, cyberattack, or any other form of business disruption—you’ll be grateful you planned ahead.

Importance of Business Continuity Planning

Risk mitigation.

Nothing comes with a guarantee in the business world, but a well-thought-out business continuity plan can significantly minimize the risks your organization faces during unexpected disruptions.

Sustaining Operations

A business continuity plan ensures that your business operations continue with as little interruption as possible. This is critical not just for your bottom line, but also for maintaining customer trust and your reputation.

Components of a Business Continuity Plan

Every business is unique, making it vital for your plan to reflect your specific needs. This means conducting a thorough analysis of your operations, vulnerabilities, and dependencies.

Once the analysis phase is complete, the next step is to develop strategies that aim to mitigate risks and sustain operations during disruptions.

Types of Business Disruptions

Types of Business Disruptions

Natural Disasters

From floods to earthquakes, natural disasters can strike at any moment, causing severe damage to both property and ongoing operations.

Cyber Attacks

Cybersecurity is a growing concern, and your business continuity plan must account for it.

Human Error

Mistakes happen. But when they do, a robust business continuity plan can mitigate the damage.

Phases of Business Continuity Planning

The first step is to gain approval and budget allocation for your business continuity planning efforts.

This phase involves all the legwork — the risk assessments, strategy development, and planning documents.

The execution phase involves implementing the plan and ensuring everyone in the organization is well-trained.

Maintenance

Regular reviews and updates are essential for ensuring your business continuity plan remains effective.

  • What should a business continuity plan include? A business continuity plan should include analysis, strategies, and detailed action plans among other things.
  • How often should you review a business continuity plan? A business continuity plan should be reviewed at least annually or after any significant change in business operations.
  • Is business continuity planning expensive? The cost varies, but the expense is usually justified by the benefits of risk mitigation and operational stability.
  • What’s the difference between business continuity and disaster recovery? Business continuity is a broad approach focusing on the entire organization, whereas disaster recovery focuses on IT systems.
  • Who is responsible for business continuity planning? While a dedicated team usually spearheads the initiative, the responsibility lies with everyone in the organization.
  • Do small businesses need business continuity planning? Absolutely. Smaller businesses often face higher risks due to limited resources, making planning essential.

Business continuity planning is not just a one-time task but an ongoing commitment to secure your company’s future. It involves all aspects, from risk mitigation and crisis management to employee training and beyond. The primary goal, as we have seen, is to keep the critical aspects of your business functioning seamlessly, come what may.

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  9. Business Continuity Plan (BCP): Purpose, Importance, SOC 2

    The purpose of a business continuity plan is to continue critical business operations functions during and after a disaster. Often, a business continuity plan is confused with a disaster recovery plan. We will discuss what a disaster recovery plan is later in this blog (since they go hand in hand).

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  14. 9 Business Continuity Plan Objectives You Need to Survive

    Objective 1: Identify Disaster Recovery Personnel BCP Template Section: Business Continuity Organization When a crisis occurs, your organization should already know who is serving on the relevant disaster recovery team. This enables them to act quickly and avoid confusion. As part of your planning process, you'll need to address these questions:

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    A business continuity team will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of the plan. Each plan should provide the contact details of that team, while also describing the management structure and the roles that each team member will play. Protection and restoration activities. As mentioned above, the protection and restoration of ...

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  22. What Is the Primary Goal of Business Continuity Planning?

    Welcome to a comprehensive guide that aims to unveil the mystery behind the primary goal of business continuity planning. If you're an entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or simply curious about the nuances of maintaining a business in a volatile environment, this article is for you.

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