What Is Business Continuity Planning.docx

What Is Business Continuity Planning (BCP)?

Business continuity planning (BCP) is the process involved in creating 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. The BCP is generally conceived in advance and involves input from key stakeholders and personnel. 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 cyberattacks. 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. Understanding Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

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 IT 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. Developing a Business Continuity Plan

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

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The 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.

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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 is 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 identified and corrected.

The Four Phases of a Business Continuity Plan Posted on Tue, Dec 21, 2010

Business Continuity is a complex arrangement of the critical processes that allow for continuation of business activities after an emergency. Companies that establish Business Continuity Plans (BCP) have a greater chance that their business could withstand an unprecedented operational disruption. Business Continuity planning can be divided into four stages. Each phase should be reflected in a site-specific BCP.    

Initial Response Relocation Recovery Restoration

Business Continuity Initial Response This phase covers the organization’s initial response to a business interruption. The processes and procedures that incorporate the Initial Response Phase includes, but is not limited to, the following:

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Initial Notifications Business Continuity Team (BCT) activation Business Unit personnel activation Initial BCT briefing Review of recovery strategies for implementation Implementation of Business Continuity Action Plan

Business Continuity Relocation Phase The relocation phase involves mobilization of resources and relocation of equipment and personnel to Alternate Facilities or Redundant Sites. This is where the recovery phase can be fully implemented to sustain minimum service levels defined for each critical process. This stage includes “Work from Home”, as well as, “Alternate Facility” relocation strategies. The Relocation Phase includes, but is not limited to:    

Confirmation of Department staff relocation schedules and assignments Mobilization and Scheduling of transportation resources Activation of alternate facility equipment and infrastructure resources Occupation of alternate facilities by necessary department members