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What Is A Business Continuity Plan? [+ Template & Examples]

Published: December 30, 2022

When a business crisis occurs, the last thing you want to do is panic.

The second-to-last thing you want to do is be unprepared. Crises typically arise without warning. While you shouldn't start every day expecting the worst, you should be relatively prepared for anything to happen.

A business crisis can cost your company a lot of money and ruin your reputation if you don't have a business continuity plan in place. Customers aren't very forgiving, especially when a crisis is influenced by accidents within the company or other preventable mistakes. If you want your company to be able to maintain its business continuity in the face of a crisis, then you'll need to come up with this type of plan to uphold its essential functions.

In this post, we'll explain what a business continuity plan is, give examples of scenarios that would require a business continuity plan, and provide a template that you can use to create a well-rounded program for your business.

Table of Contents:

What is a business continuity plan?

• Business Continuity Types
• Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery

Business Continuity Plan Template

How to write a business continuity plan.

• Business Continuity Examples

A business continuity plan outlines directions and procedures that your company will follow when faced with a crisis. These plans include business procedures, names of assets and partners, human resource functions, and other helpful information that can help maintain your brand's relationships with relevant stakeholders. The goal of a business continuity plan is to handle anything from minor disruptions to full-blown threats.

For example, one crisis that your business may have to respond to is a severe snowstorm. Your team may be wondering, "If a snowstorm disrupted our supply chain, how would we resume business?" Planning contingencies ahead of time for situations like these can help your business stay afloat when you're faced with an unavoidable crisis.

When you think about business continuity in terms of the essential functions your business requires to operate, you can begin to mitigate and plan for specific risks within those functions.

Crisis Communication and Management Kit

Manage, plan for, and communicate during your corporate crises with these crisis management plan templates.

• Free Crisis Management Plan Template
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• Post-Crisis Performance Grading Template
• Additional Crisis Best Management Practices

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Business Continuity Planning

Business continuity planning is the process of creating a plan to address a crisis. When writing out a business continuity plan, it's important to consider the variety of crises that could potentially affect the company and prepare a resolution for each.

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• Business Continuity Plan Basics
• Understanding BCPs
• Benefits of BCPs
• How to Create a BCP
• BCP & Impact Analysis
• BCP vs. Disaster Recovery Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

• Business Continuity Plan FAQs

The Bottom Line

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

Investopedia / Ryan Oakley

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.

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Key strategic steps to create a resilient business continuity plan

Jenny Pak Director of Program Management at PandaDoc

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Based on a Forrester survey from 2019, unplanned downtime costs 35% more per minute than planned downtime.

From natural disasters to cyberattacks, the challenges are real, and the consequences are severe.

Companies are often unprepared for unplanned downtime, and their slow reaction causes a dramatic loss of productivity and money.

How can they prevent this?

This article unveils the answer: A business continuity plan (BCP) is a strategic shield against unforeseen adversities, helping companies withstand, adapt, and emerge stronger from disruptive challenges.

Key takeaways

• A well-crafted BCP empowers organizations to quickly recover and continue operations. It provides relevant recovery strategies and techniques to secure the survival and success of businesses.
• Whether you operate in fintech, healthcare, cloud services, or any other industry, a BCP is an essential tool for maintaining operations during unforeseen circumstances.
• Testing your continuity strategies offers an opportunity to fine-tune the BCP and address any issues that might only become apparent once the plan is put into practice.

What is a business continuity plan (BCP)?

A business continuity plan is a survival tool tailored to each organization’s natural course of operation.

This document merges comprehensive techniques in risk assessment and crisis management.

Companies employ BCPs to anticipate potential threats like pandemics, human error, and technological failures.

Not just recovery but prevention

A robust business continuity plan goes beyond the recovery process.

A BCP helps you foster a culture of preparedness within your organization.

While recovery focuses on responding after an event, preparedness plans for and mitigates risks before they escalate into crises.

For instance, hospitals must have backup generators and detailed protocols to ensure continuous patient treatment, even in blackout scenarios.

For online services, maintaining alternative server backup systems ensures seamless transactions and customer service even during unexpected system crashes.

This proactive approach ensures your team can either maintain or swiftly restore essential business functions during unexpected events.

What does a business continuity plan typically include?

Here’s a concise breakdown of the components you can expect to find within a robust BCP.

• Initial data and emergency contacts provide immediate access to critical contacts, ensuring swift communication during an incident.
• Revision management outlines how the plan is maintained and updated over time, ensuring its effectiveness.
• Purpose and scope define the plan’s objectives and what business areas it covers.
• Activation guidelines explain when and how to activate the BCP, ensuring a clear understanding of the plan’s implementation.
• Policy information incorporates organizational policies that directly impact business continuity and recovery efforts.
• Emergency response procedures detail the actions to be taken in the event of a disruption, ensuring an organized response.
• Scenario-specific procedures provide specific instructions for various scenarios, such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, or public health crises.
• Checklists and flow diagrams simplify complex processes and guide users through critical tasks.
• A glossary of terms defines technical or industry-specific terminology for clarity.
• Review and update schedule outlines regular assessments and revisions to maintain the plan’s relevance and effectiveness.

7 key steps to create a solid business continuity plan

Follow these actionable steps to create and implement a tailor-made BCP for your unique circumstances.

Step 1: Dive into the unknown to initiate risk assessment and business impact analysis (BIA)

Assess how much revenue could be lost during a specific disruption period.

In practice, this also involves analyzing historical data on incidents like natural disasters, cyberattacks, or supply chain disruptions.

A business impact analysis (BIA) helps you understand how those risks can specifically affect different areas of your business.

For instance, a local hospital identified a power outage as a potential risk.

A BIA helps them understand when and how many patients in the intensive care units could die if power goes down.

That’s where the emergency generators are supposed to kick in.

Answer these foundational business continuity questions to forge a robust BCP.

• Who’s in the line of fire? Who will be directly impacted by a business disruption, from customers and employees to suppliers and stakeholders?
• Who safeguards critical emergency contact information for top clients? Where’s your data center? Who holds a hard copy?
• When and how will you alert everyone?
• If phone lines go silent, what’s the backup plan? What are your alternative communication options?
• What risk management team members do you need for a swift recovery? How do you reach or relocate them when it matters most?
• What should be your first focus when restoring operations?
• What issues must be addressed within the first 24 to 48 hours?
• Does each team and department have their own BCP? Who’s the commander of each unit?
• For senior staff members, including the CEO, what’s the emergency succession plan?
• Which team members will step into emergency roles?
• Where will you convene when it’s time to strategize off-site?
• Who liaises with local emergency responders, from firefighters to police?
• Who are the key vendors, especially data backup providers?

Clearly state the objectives of the BIA to your employees that the knowledge acquired will help you allocate resources for effective continuity planning

Step 2: Stack rank your critical business functions

Assign a level of importance to the following departments or business processes:

• Customer service (ensuring client satisfaction)
• Order processing (critical for revenue)
• Supply chain management (maintaining product availability)
• Financial transactions (essential for cash flow)
• Regulatory compliance (to prevent legal issues)
• Backup equipment like desktops, laptops, and servers (to exclude workflow gaps)

Your critical business functions must remain uninterrupted.

You’ll want to ensure that your document management and security are robust during the continuity planning process.

For instance, document repository solutions allow you to keep all your documents in one place, making it easier to access critical documents when needed.

Moreover, these platforms provide enterprise-grade security , which is E-SIGN, UETA, and HIPAA compliant and backed by SOC 2 certification, offering the utmost confidence when dealing with sensitive data.

Step 3: Domain-specific cheat sheet: Key functions & strategies to keep them operational

• Review process documents and SOPs to understand departmental collaboration.
• Organize cross-functional brainstorming for diverse insights.
• Consult industry experts for broader, industry-specific continuity strategies.

Step 4: When every second counts — define tolerable delays for vital functions

Keeping all your critical functions running during a disruptive event isn’t always feasible.

That’s why you must define the maximum allowable downtime for these functions in your business continuity planning.

Engage with your stakeholders to understand their tolerance for disruptions and align your recovery time objectives (RTOs).

BCP industry-specific benchmarks and standards can provide valuable insights into what is considered an acceptable downtime within your sector.

Step 5: Marvel is not the sole hero to assemble Avengers — build your unstoppable continuity team

You can’t fight disasters alone.

Let’s zoom in on the key players that should always make up your continuity team.

• IT professionals’ expertise ensures the safety and accessibility of your sensitive data and systems, even after cyberattacks and hardware meltdowns.
• HR managers manage remote work setups, address staffing challenges, and maintain workforce morale.
• Risk assessment specialists’ insights guide the team in risk mitigation and emergency management strategies.
• Communication experts steer your company away from misinformation and share reliable data with stakeholders, customers, and the broader public.
• Security officers implement security measures in crisis situations. Should a breach happen, they manage a coordinated response to contain and mitigate the impact.
• Chief information officers (CIOs) align IT infrastructure with your BCP to keep data systems robust during disruptions. To preserve data integrity and accessibility, CIOs incorporate cloud platforms and data backup systems.

This squad is especially important during a crisis, as they will make real-time decisions to maintain the plan’s effectiveness.

Step 6: The alchemy of business continuity management doesn’t feel awkward anymore — craft a continuity plan that works

An actionable plan should provide step-by-step instructions, assign roles and responsibilities, establish clear communication protocols, and define each function’s RTOs.

Here’s an example of how you can craft your business continuity plan.

• Plan purpose

(Sample text)

“This Business Continuity Plan outlines procedures for [Company Name] to swiftly execute and recover business activities, minimizing disruptions during emergencies.”

• Potential threats

• Recovery team

• Crisis communication plan

• Relocation and recovery operations

• Review and testing

[Company Name] will set criteria for validating/testing the Continuity Plan, reviewing it every [time period] and conducting tests every [time period]. These tests will also serve as training for designated personnel. Testing methods include: [list the methods] .

• During or after a cyberattack, isolate affected servers by executing specific firewall rules (e.g., “iptables -A INPUT -s malicious_ip -j DROP”) and conduct a forensic analysis using tools like Volatility.
• Establish a communication protocol using encrypted channels (e.g., using the Signal app) for sensitive internal discussions.
• Utilize automated backup solutions like Bacula to streamline the recovery process.
• Leverage load balancing techniques for a seamless transition to backup servers, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous service availability.

Step 7: Warriors are made, not born — put your BCP to the test and train your team

Without tests, you can’t know for sure how well your methods and continuity techniques will work.

You won’t reveal weaknesses and areas for improvement, either.

Gather your continuity team and engage in tabletop exercises that challenge their decision-making and response coordination.

Create detailed scenarios that mimic real-world disruptions like a cyberattack, natural disaster, or pandemic, and evaluate how the BCP performs under these conditions.

Perform gap analysis after each test to identify areas for improvement.

Regularly conduct security audits and penetration tests to find and rectify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

Cyberattacks are the worst enemy for any modern business without a BCP

Businesses without a BCP are exposed to cybersecurity threats, including data breaches, ransomware attacks, and system vulnerabilities.

These threats extend beyond financial implications, touching upon reputation damage, legal liabilities, and operational disturbances.

According to a Check Point Research survey , 50% more cyberattacks per week on corporate networks were reported in 2021 compared to 2020.

Another research reported ransomware damage expenses reached $20 billion back in 2021.

The cost is forecast to exceed a mind-blowing $265 billion in 2031.

A recent incident forced a gigantic Chinese bank to drive their portfolio/trading info across town in a USB drive as their “BCP.”

This clearly sets cyberattacks as one of the most relevant threats businesses of all sizes face.

Business continuity plan vs. disaster recovery plan

What is the difference between a business continuity plan and a disaster recovery plan (DRP)?

There’s none because a disaster recovery plan is a subset of a BCP. The devil is in the details.

A business continuity plan is your organization’s central shield against disruptions.

It’s your all-encompassing strategy to reduce downtime, minimize damage, and maintain your organization’s overall health.

Meanwhile, a DRP zooms in on your information technology infrastructure and data. It’s your insurance policy for digital assets.

Disaster recovery plans provide precise procedures for data backup, recovery, and system restoration in case of data-related cataclysms.

Together, they form an unbeatable hybrid to make your organization resilient and ready to tackle any challenges that come your way.

Don’t navigate this journey alone

In a world where disruptions are the norm, your BCP is a guardian against the unexpected.

PandaDoc is your dedicated partner, ready to facilitate your document automation and provide business continuity plan templates.

We offer the tools and expertise to help you build a robust BCP. No matter the disruption, we’re here to bolster your preparedness.

If you need professional advice, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line anytime you see fit.

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ISO 22301 Business Continuity Simplified: Fortify Your Business Against Disruption

By Andy Marker | June 22, 2020 (updated September 15, 2022)

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In this article, you’ll find expert tips and implementation guides, and you'll learn how ISO 22301 can buffer your business against disasters. 

Included on this page, you’ll find an International Standards Organization (ISO) 22301 audit checklist template , a simplified ISO 22301 cheat-sheet , and an ISO 22301 self-assessment checklist , as well as examples of ISO 22301 in action and an ISO 22301 quick-start guide .

What Is ISO 22301?

ISO 22301 is a global standard for business continuity planning requirements to help organizations protect themselves against disruptions. The most current version is 22301:2019, Security and resilience - Business continuity management systems - Requirements.

The requirements in ISO 22301 address disruptive incidents that can be natural or human-made, widespread or local, intentional or unintentional, such as a snowstorm, a broken water main, an epidemic, a data breach, or a phishing attack. Large or small, for- and nonprofit organizations alike can use ISO 22301.

The Business Manager’s Quick-Start Guide to ISO 22301

The ISO 22301 standard can provide benefits for your business continuity planning, even if your organization chooses not to pursue certification, or the review process that confirms your business continuity system meets all ISO 22301 requirements. 

"Certification is nice, but not required,” says Mart Rovers of InterProm. “First, seek compliance. That way, you know that your business continuity management practices are in better shape." You can start to create a solid business continuity plan with just a few simple steps, which you can also download as this ISO 22301 Quick-Start Guide .

• Check If You Already Have Continuity Plans: Find out if your organization already has business continuity plans. Search through your document management system and ask management or long-time employees. Organizations sometimes create and quickly forget about resources, or store responses locally in an informal system.  As Andrew Nichols of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center suggests, if your organization already implements other ISO standards, such as ISO 9001 or ISO 27000, you can leverage some of the common requirement elements for your 22301 plan.
• Identify Missing Components: Conduct a gap analysis of existing policies and processes to see what business continuity resources you need. According to Mart Rovers, one way to conduct a self-assessment is to copy into a spreadsheet each phrase of the ISO 22301 standard that contains the word "shall." Then, determine gaps between your company and the standard. "Use the standard as your guide to establishing a coherent set of practices to address business continuity management for your organization," says Rovers. You can also use Smartsheet's ISO 22301 Self-Assessment Checklist and ISO 22301 Simplified Cheatsheet for your gap analysis.
• Keep It Simple: Having binders full of perfectly formatted procedures won’t help in an emergency. Create easy-to-follow guidelines and checklists and, more importantly, build "muscle memory" in your employees through training and drills. That way, in a panic, people understand what to do without having to be told.
• Make Your Plan a Living Document: Ticking off items on an audit checklist doesn't mean you’re prepared. Frequently read, revise, and practice your plan to keep it relevant and to train new staff.

• Communicate Your Plan to Staff and Other Stakeholders: Even the most well-written plan is useless if the people who can benefit from it don't know about it. Inform everyone covered by the plan that it exists, including your supply chain and other outside stakeholders.

ISO 22301 Requirements

The ISO 22301 standard offers a framework for planning, testing, and monitoring a business continuity management system (BCMS). The ISO 22301 document contains 10 sections, which introduce the standard and definitions, as well as actionable requirements of the standard. 

As with other ISO requirement documents, ISO 22301 describes only what organizations must do to reach minimum proficiency — it does not prescribe how to achieve these standards. Each organization must consider its distinct conditions and obligations to find the best way to follow the requirements.

Here is an overview of the clauses in ISO 22301 that impact an organization most: 

• Clause 4, Context: Your organization must understand what it is, what it does, and what outputs and processes it must sustain. You must also determine who has a stake in the continuity of your operations — in other words, the interested parties. For example, customers have a stake in your organization continuing to function.
• Clause 5, Leadership: Few organizational initiatives thrive without the sustained support and championship of top management. Management must commit to a business continuity plan and make available any resources — human, financial, or otherwise — to ensure its success. 
• Clause 6, Planning: To plan for sustainability, you must understand what disruptions could potentially occur and how these incidents affect the business — in other words, potential risks and their impact. Set measurable business continuity objectives to guarantee the minimum viable products or services, as well as compliance with any legal or regulatory requirements. 
• Clause 7, Support: No program can advance without resources and support. Decide what personnel, roles, and teams you need for threat response and how you can best enhance their effectiveness. Create internal and external communication procedures for reference, and communicate the continuity plan to all necessary parties before and during a crisis. Establish a document management system for key continuity documents, such as procedures.
• Clause 8, Operation: Conduct your risk assessment and business impact analysis , and plan your disruption recovery approach. Implement the recovery plan with detailed procedures, and test it regularly to verify that it works. Make sure people can find the procedures (and other documents) they need, and revise your plan as necessary.
• Clause 9, Evaluation: Establish a process to regularly measure and assess your continuity policies and procedures and their execution. Review and revise your plan and documents to ensure they are effective and relevant
• Clause 10, Improvement: Seek continual improvement in all functional and operational areas, including through periodic management reviews. Improvements in day-to-day activities help bolster the organization in times of disruption. When processes veer from the standard or fail to conform with ISO and quality management standards, implement corrective action.

Key Definitions Related to ISO 22301

Some of the following key terms and concepts originate with ISO, some with ISO 22301, and some with business continuity and risk management:

• Context: The purpose and character of the organization and the environment in which it operates. This includes internal and external influences that shape the business continuity management system.
• Disruptive Incident: A disruptive incident is an event that stops or slows the everyday work of an organization. Examples of disruptive incidents include earthquakes, internet stoppages, broken fans in a data center, or food poisoning in a cafeteria. 
• Interested Parties: Interested parties are stakeholders in the successful operation and outcomes of your business continuity plan. They can include customers, employees, suppliers, or regulatory officials.
• Leadership: In ISO 22301, leadership refers to top management or the person or people who run the organization and champion the business continuity effort. 
• Maximum Acceptable Outage (MAO): The length of time an activity or process can be unavailable or ineffective before the health and survival of the organization are threatened. 
• Minimum Business Continuity Objective (MBCO) : The lowest level of products or services that is acceptable for a business to offer during a disruption.
• Recovery Timeframe Objectives (RTO): This refers to the prioritization of key activities and the timing that makes those activities operational.

Benefits of ISO 22301 and Business Continuity Management System

If teams are already overwhelmed with their workload, they may not like to think about disasters. Furthermore, organizations might think that ISO standards include difficult jargon and that pursuing a continuity plan adds unnecessary work. However, management systems practitioners suggest that continuity preparations produce substantial gains.

“I think it's a truism that many organizations can benefit from the principles and some of the practices of resiliency and contingency planning,” says Andrew Nichols, Quality Program Manager at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center .

As an example of the benefits that risk analysis and preparation can yield, Nichols relates his experience of visiting a small northeastern town during a widespread winter power outage. The whole town was closed, with the exception of one restaurant that had a generator. 

“They had a line of people out the door every mealtime because nowhere else was capable,” Nichols remembers. “Somebody had the foresight to think about the loss of power. And that organization cleaned up financially because they were able to provide what the customers needed.” 

Consider these specific benefits to using ISO 22301 business continuity planning:

• Protect against and recover from disruptive incidents.
• Identify and control current and future threats.
• Improve your risk management planning efforts.
• Prevent large-scale damage.
• Become proactive in preventing problems and recovering from incidents, rather than reactive to damage and disruption.
• Reduce downtime and increase recovery time.
• Keep important activities running during disruption.
• Deliver quality products consistently. 
• Provide dependable service. 
• Prove you’re a reputable supplier.
• Prove your resilience to all stakeholders.

Experts also assert that ISO 22301 can be a simple and effective continuity tool. “All these ISO standards, they’re like hidden gems because of how fast they can get you up to speed without having to reinvent the wheel,” says Mart Rovers, President of IT consulting firm InterProm . 

“I cannot emphasize enough how within reach this standard is. Anytime people hear the word ‘ISO,’ they think, ‘Oh, that's for large organizations. Oh, that's way too formal. It's too much. It's overkill.’ I understand where this is coming from because the word ‘standard’ itself is scary for many organizations. However, the size of organization really doesn't matter. The things you should be doing in ISO 22301, you can do at a smaller scale,” says Rovers. 

Some also hesitate at the thought of certification. Both Nichols and Rovers stress that certification is not necessary for every enterprise. Although certification may be a condition of doing business for some companies, those who don’t need certification can still gain advantages from following ISO 22301. 

In weighing the pros and cons of ISO certification, Rovers suggests buying a copy of ISO 22301 , and then copying and pasting each sentence that contains the word “shall” into a spreadsheet (these sentences represent the requirements you must follow). From the spreadsheet, consider whether full ISO adoption and certification are too complicated for your organization. Regardless of your decision, you can always use the spreadsheet to conduct a self-audit.

ISO 22301 in Action

The following image provides a small sample of the possible outcomes to business continuity management.

How a Management System Helps Business Continuity

For those familiar with other ISO standards, the management system component of ISO 22301 might be a new concept. Rovers describes management systems as follows: 

“The best way to explain a management system is to imagine opening up an old watch. It has these spinning wheels, these gears. In the case of an ISO standard, you're looking at a number of requirements to put that watch together with all these spinning wheels. That watch is a coherent system. You take out one of those gears, and then the watch fails. 

“A management system for continuity follows the same idea — every requirement that the standard asks for represents one of those gears. And every requirement serves a distinct purpose (otherwise, it would not be a requirement). If you don't meet a particular requirement, the watch, so to speak, may not function as it could or should. These ISO requirements are not just there to keep you busy.”

ISO 22301 and PDCA

Each segment of the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle for continuous improvement corresponds to at least one ISO 22301 clause. Organizations can use ISO 22301 to test continuity procedures, review outcomes, and implement updates or fix problems in a continuous cycle that leads to an increasingly resilient business continuity system.

ISO 22301 and Maturity Models

A maturity model measures an organization’s ability to pursue continuous improvement in key areas. ISO 22301 does not have a maturity model.

As Rovers explains, “It was never the intent of ISO 22301 to be a maturity model. You either meet all the requirements of the standard, or you don’t. You could say that by not meeting the requirements of the standard, you’re not mature. Or better said, your business continuity management practices are not mature.”

BCM Lifecycle ISO 22301

The business continuity management (BCM) lifecycle represents industry best practices and some of the core requirements of ISO 22301. These practices offer a solid foundation for resilience, while offering flexibility to adapt to changes in the organization. 

Guided by leadership, these are the key activities for the lifecycle:

• Conduct a business impact analysis and risk assessment.
• Establish a business continuity strategy.
• Establish and implement business continuity procedures.
• Exercise and test the procedures regularly before a disruption occurs.

ISO 22301 Audit Checklist Template (Excel)

Use this detailed checklist to determine if your business continuity plan aligns with ISO 22301 standards. You can use the template whether you’re applying for certification or simply pursuing a continuity management plan. 

Download ISO 22301 Audit Checklist Template

Excel  | Smartsheet

ISO 22301 Self-Assessment Checklist

This self-assessment checklist is divided into sections that correspond to clauses in ISO 22301. Use it to confirm whether your business continuity system meets the requirements for leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and continual improvement.

Download ISO 22301 Self-Assessment Checklist Template

Excel | Word |  PDF

ISO 22301 Implementation Guide

This guide states the essential information from ISO 22301 in plain English. For best results, read it with the full standard, which is currently available for free online to support the COVID-19 response. 

Download ISO 22301 Implementation Guide Template

Excel | Word | PDF

ISO 22301 Simplified Cheat-Sheet

Use this simplified cheat-sheet to understand the basic elements of creating a business continuity plan. The template walks you through the process of determining critical aspects of your organization, writing the recovery plan, and exercising the plan to ensure proficiency. 

Download ISO 22301 Simplified Cheat-Sheet Template

ISO 22301 Business Continuity Policy Template

A business continuity policy describes the processes and procedures an organization needs in order to function well daily, including in times of disruption and crisis. This policy template includes space for BCMS objectives, a leadership description, a policy outline, and any certification details.

Download ISO 22301 Business Continuity Policy Template

ISO 22301 Business Continuity Template

Use this template to create a business continuity plan. Describe the results of your risk analysis and business impact analysis, detail your disaster recovery and continuity procedures, and list key contacts and important assets. 

Download ISO 22301 Business Continuity Template

Word |  PDF

ISO 22301 Business Continuity Sample

The Community Nonprofit Center of New York made available this business continuity template to support the response to coronavirus. Find space to detail responses to minimal and critical emergencies, a risk matrix template, and lists for information about insurance, critical assets, and responses to disruptive events.

For other most useful free, downloadable business continuity plan (BCP) templates please read our  "Free Business Continuity Plan Templates"  article.

Disaster Recovery Plan Templates

After you perform a risk analysis and business impact analysis, consider writing a disaster recovery plan. Disaster recovery plan templates , available in different formats, provide an easy-to-use structure for documenting continuity plans. Download templates specialized for IT, payroll, small businesses, and more.

To learn about the difference between recovery plans and continuity plans, visit our "Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery: Their Differences and How They Work Together" article.

ISO 22301 Versus ISO 27301

ISO 27301 provides requirements that organizations use to ensure their information and communications technology (ICT) continuity, security, and readiness to survive a disruption. The standard is often staged with ISO 22301 because both are based on similar management system approaches.

The full name of this standard is ISO 27301 - Information Technology - Security Techniques . Originally published in 2011, it is soon to be revised.

“Both [ISO 27301 and ISO 22301] ask for top management involvement and commitment, both ask that you have the right resources, that you have documentation management, that you do performance evaluations, and that you make improvements,” explains Rovers. 

They differ in the focus of the risk assessment: ISO 27001 addresses security, whereas ISO 22301 addresses business continuity. “Each area has different risks, but the approach to the risk management assessment and mitigation follows the same steps. There's enormous overlap.”

IT security continuity has significant relevance in the remote work environment. For example, while using your work laptop at home or signed into the work network, what happens when someone innocently plugs in a thumb drive that infects your laptop and corrupts the network? Both ISO 22301 and ISO 27001 work together to prevent such incidents and mitigate problems that occur.

For additional resources, visit " Free ISO 27001 Checklists and Templates ."

General Requirements Across Management System Standards

Some ISO requirements are commonly stated across the management system standards, which include ISO 22301; ISO 9001 , Quality Management; ISO 20000, IT Service Management; and ISO 27001, Information Security. Examples of common requirements include establishing objectives for the business continuity management system as appropriate to the organization, obtaining management’s commitment to supporting the system, implementing a documentation management system, conducting internal audits, and pursuing continual improvement. This functional overlap enables organizations to undertake combined audits for these standards.

Historical Foundations of ISO 22301

The concept of business continuity was borne out of the IT boom of the 1980s and 1990s. Public and private organizations realized the need to ensure continuity of service and key supplies and to mitigate the effects of disruptive events. The first formal standard reflecting these concerns was the United Kingdom’s British Standard (also known as BS) 25999, which introduced the management system concept to the business continuity discipline. 

In 2012, the global standards body ISO released ISO 22301:2012 as the first international standard for business continuity. Based on the contributions and comments of continuity professionals from assorted industries in over 60 countries, ISO 22301 superseded BS 25999. 

ISO’s consensus-based standards, such as 22301, cover practices and industries ranging from quality management, IT service, and food safety to environmental safety and information security. ISO standards aim to increase the quality and safety of many products and services, including most common household items, appliances, and cars. Although large enterprises and manufacturers usually follow ISO requirements and guidelines, organizations of all sizes and types can benefit from ISO principles. 

For ISO 22301, the standard provides a consistent BCMS framework and a universal language among organizations for communicating about continuity and aligning processes.

When they get certified in ISO 22301 and other ISO standards, organizations can demonstrate to management, legislators, regulators, customers, and other stakeholders that they follow good practices. For ISO certification, organizations need third-party verification that they comply with all requirements of a standard. 

“Certification shows you have some level of competence,” explains Rovers. “It shows you take the standard seriously. For organizations buying your goods or services, it can be a compelling reason to choose you.”

Guidance Documents for ISO 22301

For in-depth discussions of aspects of the 22301 standard, ISO offers a series of guidance documents. To those considering pursuing ISO 22301 certification, these documents provide additional insight:

• ISO 22313 - Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Guidance on the use of ISO 22301
• ISO 22316 - Security and resilience — Organizational resilience — Principles and attributes
• ISO 22317 - Societal security — Business continuity management systems — Guidelines for business impact analysis (BIA)
• ISO 22318 - Societal security — Business continuity management systems — Guidelines for supply chain continuity
• ISO 22330 - Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Guidelines for people aspects of business continuity
• ISO 22331 - Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Guidelines for business continuity strategy

What Is the Latest Version of ISO 22301?

The requirement document ISO 22301:2019, Security and resilience - Business continuity management systems - Requirements , was released on October 31, 2019. The update from the original 2012 version reflects changes in management system approaches and clarifies specifications around clause 8.

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The 1-2-3 guide to business continuity planning.

Table of Contents

Business continuity planning aims to prevent disruptions and respond to business interruptions or disasters effectively and efficiently. As such, it typically ensures the safety of employees, customers, contractors and visitors and minimizes the impact of these disruptions. 

We recommend doing this by accelerating recovery efforts, and safeguarding the company's operations, reputation and stakeholder relationships. 

"Plans are only useful as evidence that planning took place." U.S. military service members often use this quote when discussing "the plan" any mission, tactical plan or even military business administration decisions.

That cadence is partially true with business continuity plans (BCPs). A BCP should remain flexible enough to respond to changing circumstances.

Organizations should also design them to address the loss of people, work, equipment, IT services and suppliers (or other third parties). Additionally, a business continuity plan should outline how your teams can implement the recovery strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• Threats to business continuity--and the reason you need a business continuity plan--include global crises, natural disasters, utility outages and cybersecurity.
• There are varying types of business continuity planning, each with its own purpose within your organization's overall business resilience. 
• Not having a plan for an emergency can lead to financial loss, loss of consumers (and team members), loss of confidence and brand reputation damage.
• Creating a business continuity plan is paramount to running a resilient and agile business.
• Finance teams need to know efficient and agile planning strategies while fostering transparency for effective business continuity planning in finance.  

Source: YouTube

Threats to Business Continuity

We recommend designing a plan for all potential outcomes. Common business disruptors to look out for are as follows:

Global Crisis

In 2020, we all learned the necessity of a business continuity plan when  responding to the COVID-19 pandemic . Employees  were required  to work from home while many employers  were unprepared for a remote workforce. 

IT infrastructures were unable to manage people working outside of the office.  Equipment and supplies were scarce. The situation only got worse as shutdowns persisted. 

As concerns with the global pandemic began to ease, worldwide inflation, a war in Ukraine and other economic insecurities continued to impact businesses. 

Your organizations must be prepared for global crises and this is where a continuity plan comes in.

Natural Disasters and Utility Outages

Natural disasters refer to anything related to weather, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis or other natural phenomena , including: 

• Wildfires 
• Earthquakes 
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Meteor Strike

These catastrophes are tricky to predict and occur in a matter of moments. 

They can cause severe damage to structures and disrupt supply chains in affected areas. Natural disasters can also cause utility outages, such as power, water and communication lines.

Cybersecurity

Cyberattacks include ransomware attacks, SQL injections, data theft and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. At best, until the issue gets fixed, the IT infrastructure may function. At worst, without a backup, all your business's data can become inaccessible. 

Types of Continuity Planning

Business continuity planning concentrates on the implementation, management and maintenance of systems designed to protect against disruptions and restore services, resources and activities necessary to maintain critical business functions. 

Source: The Hustle Story

Effective recovery strategies can resemble a set of business continuity plans departmental team leads execute in order of priority and revise regularly. There are four major types of continuity plans:

1. Crisis Management Plans

Many refer to a contingency plan as an "incident management plan." This provides a structured response to incidents that can lead to devastating consequences for the company if poorly managed. Crisis management plans tell an organization what to do in a disruption.

2. Crisis Communications and Emergency Response Plans

Design your crisis communication plan to complement crisis management activities by coordinating with communications stakeholders.

Executive management prepares the emergency response plan for the worksite and focuses on ensuring a safe working environment and protecting and sustaining life. Business continuity plans may contain different sets of steps for various threats.

3. IT Disaster Recovery

An IT disaster recovery plan focuses on recovering IT systems, telecommunication and data assets. It focuses solely on the IT infrastructure and ways to recover data and get the organization's tech stack operating again after a catastrophe. 

4. Business Recovery

A business recovery plan (often the heart of a business continuity plan) focuses on the continuation and restoration of business resources and activities supporting the delivery of goods and services. These often involve manual workarounds, procedures and alternative methods for managing the loss of equipment, personnel, technology and suppliers. 

Benefits of Business Continuity Planning

A business continuity plan is essential for any business as disruptions are often expensive. We're talking about everything, including DDoS attacks , which temporarily bring down websites, warehouse fires causing loss of products and disruptions in the supply chain.

Not having a plan for an emergency may lead to loss of customer (and employee) confidence, financial losses and damage to an organization's reputation. 

Here are some key benefits of continuity planning: 

• Quickly recovers operations after a disruption
• Keeps your business operating during and after a disaster
• Reduces costs and length of any interruptions
• Reduces financial risks and exposure
• Safeguards the company's reputation
• Builds considerable customer trust and confidence
• Develops confidence within the organization
• Insures against otherwise unforeseen and unacceptable risks
• Complies with legal or regulatory requirements
• Saves lives during hazardous events, such as fire

Business Continuity Framework

A business continuity plan is paramount to managing a resilient and agile business . Your business continuity team and other employees need to understand the significance of a continuity framework. Here's how this framework helps your teams:

• Identify the goals and objectives of the plan
• Establish an emergency preparedness team
• Perform a risk assessment and business impact analysis (BIA)
• Identify essential e-commerce business functions
• Prepare a plan for each essential function or service
• Review and make sure every business function has been addressed
• Train staff, test, revise and update the plan

What Finance Teams Need To Know About Business Continuity Planning

It's no secret that the world is still navigating uncertainty today. The ripple effects from the past (almost) two years have upended the economy, forcing companies around the globe to shift strategies, explore alternative business models and make on-the-spot operational changes.

For finance leaders, this presents a tremendous challenge. As strategic partners to the business whose insights help influence key decisions, how can finance pros help their organizations weather the storm? And how can they do so while also planning for sustained growth?

The answer to this is multifaceted and will vary between companies depending on size, structure and industry. But one key principle rings true--every organization needs to have a BCP. Or at least prepare to develop one quickly.

Business Continuity Planning in Finance

Business continuity planning involves policies and procedures that keep the company running during transformational periods or in the wake of a major disruption. 

For finance leaders, aspects of continuity planning can include realigning capital investments and taking on some debt. Alternatively, it can also include ensuring there's enough cash on hand to cover any unforeseen expenses. 

As resident experts on the drivers of revenue and growth in an organization, finance leaders know how to keep their companies in the black better than anyone.

Efficient and Agile Planning

Finance pros  cannot  plan effectively without clear and up-to-date insights into long-term business implications. That is why rolling forecasts are so essential to maintain . Unlike static annual budgets, rolling forecasts are based on real-time financial data. They typically look ahead at least five quarters beyond the original budgeted period. 

With rolling forecasts, finance pros have the flexibility to change their plans quickly for easy analysis of how new budgetary assumptions would affect the company's outlook for the next two to three years or more. 

Stay nimble with rolling forecasts. Get started with Vena Rolling Forecast Software .

That level of foresight enables leaders to confidently chart the best path forward through uncertain times. It also helps them sleep soundly, knowing they based their decisions on reliable, actionable data.  

Perhaps even more essential during times of uncertainty? Fast and efficient integrated planning. And this means aligning every business function toward the same strategic goal. 

After all, organizations cannot expect finance leaders to take the helm of a company's continuity planning process. Especially without support from the entire crew during periods of change. 

We break down the basics of extended and integrated planning  in this post .

How To Foster Transparency AND Prioritize Efficiency in Business Continuity Planning

To foster transparency, accountability and collaboration while still prioritizing efficiency, finance leaders need to ensure that:

• They have a single source of truth for all financial and non-financial company data.
• All internal stakeholders have visibility into the planning process and the means to actively participate.

All of this is much easier said than done, even for the savviest finance leaders out there. 

At the end of the day, an effective integrated planning process requires an agile analysis of critical metrics and the ability to consolidate data from multiple sources for fluent, more accurate reporting. 

Suppose finance teams are bogged down with manual Excel processes and locked into static annual budgets. In that case, they'll have a much harder time responding quickly to adverse conditions requiring more forward-thinking analysis. 

Discover everything you need to know about financial planning and analysis in this guide .

With a clear plan, the proper tools and the right resources at their disposal, finance leaders won't have to fear periods of uncertainty. Instead, they'll be able to confidently approach every situation and develop a data-driven game plan--ultimately aligning the entire company on strategy and leading the charge toward updated targets and goals.

And, of course--we're here to help.  

Did you learn a lot about business continuity planning in this post? Here are three more to read next:

• Why are Dashboards Important to Performance?
• How Vena's New Modeler Makes What-If Analysis Even Easier
• The Top 3 Things You Need To Know To Plan for Today and Tomorrow

At Vena, we offer solutions for businesses of all kinds that make reporting, planning and other critical processes more efficient and successful.

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About the Author

Steve browning, vice president, data privacy & corporate security, vena.

Steve Browning is Vice President, Data Privacy & Corporate Security at Vena. His 25 years of experience in software management, coding, networking, security design and support give him the expertise required to develop and implement Vena's global privacy and data protection strategy. His ability to explain complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical users alike—combined with his acute knowledge of new and emerging technologies—have earned him a reputation as a trusted thought leader in the industry.

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Business Continuity Planning

Last Updated: 03/23/2020

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What Is Business Continuity?

Art Wittmann | Content Director | April 26, 2024

In This Article

Business Continuity Explained

Business continuity faqs.

All organizations face risks—competition, changing customer preferences, supply chain disruptions, catastrophes both natural and otherwise, process failures, and those wild cards that come out of the blue. Business continuity planning, or simply business continuity, requires minimizing the likelihood of problems occurring and then creating plans to cope with threats that become realities.

For most businesses, risk management is baked into every discipline: Marketing teams message customers using diverse channels. Procurement sources from a variety of suppliers. Facilities are spread out geographically to avoid multiple locations being hit by a natural disaster and to allow for failover when one site needs maintenance. Manufacturing develops more capacity than it currently needs. Controllers worry about cash flow. And boards of directors and CEOs keep a close eye on the competitive landscape.

While business continuity is everyone’s business, one area that’s grown in importance over the years relates to an increasing reliance on technology and IT systems. Senior executives understand the exposure that comes with heavy dependence on technology, so in most organizations, business technology continuity planning is the domain of the CIO, who works with the CFO to create systems that cost-effectively mitigate risk. The CIO’s team is further tasked with developing procedures to recover from a myriad of scenarios that could take down some or all IT operations.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll discuss business continuity from the CIO’s perspective.

Business continuity refers to the plans, technologies, and processes an organization puts in place so it can maintain critical functions in the event of a disruption or disaster, whether planned or unplanned.

A business continuity plan (BCP) has four main components.

Scenario planning involves identifying potential threats and assessing the likelihood that each will occur. Universal areas of consideration include natural disasters, power or internet outages, cyberattacks, human error, and equipment failures, but it’s smart to think about other scenarios, such as a key employee leaving the company or the loss of a major customer or market. While it’s near impossible to prepare for every eventuality—few companies had accounted for a global pandemic and lockdown in their plans for 2020—the more what-ifs you consider, the more complete your BCP will be.

CIOs will do well to pull together a cross-functional team for planning and impact assessment . In this phase, the team looks at each scenario and evaluates its potential impact on operations. How bad would the impact of each be, ranging from a minor loss of revenue to potentially putting the company out of business?

Incident response planning often centers on IT and finance. It involves thinking through, costing out, and documenting the steps to take during and after a disruption, focusing more resources on those events that are both more likely to occur and have a high potential cost to the company. Common questions include: What are our available alternative work locations or remote options using cloud-based systems ? Is our data backed up in a way that keeps it accessible and safe from ransomware?

Finally, there’s BCP maintenance. The threat landscape and technology options change constantly. Your team should review the plan at least annually and evaluate current realities and any new offerings from vendors that could assist with the BCP.

A key reason to constantly reevaluate any business continuity strategy is that the cost of achieving better resilience tends to go down over time as advanced technologies become mainstream. So once the IT team understands which systems are most critical to the business, business continuity planning becomes increasingly about removing single points of failure while keeping an eye on the price tag.

Eliminating all single points of failure starts with the mantra “never just one server, never one storage system, never one network switch.” Particularly in storage and networking, redundancy needs to be designed in from the start. The concept of N+1 design is critical to fault tolerance: Each system needs an extra power supply, and data must be spread over an array of storage devices such that one failure doesn’t stop the business in its tracks. Similarly, redundant networking and switches with fault-tolerant designs are essential for business continuity.

Software architectures can also help. If an application is architected to avoid single points of failure, it becomes easier to use commodity hardware and fail over to other sites if the need arises. Virtualization , containerization—where applications are abstracted from the hardware they run on—and applications designed to rely on microservices are all important in developing IT systems that not only run continuously but can also scale up and down as business needs dictate.

Data centers themselves can also become single points of failure. The time required to recover from disaster-induced outages is often longer than systems such as uninterruptible power supplies and diesel generators will run. Building more data centers is expensive, so for years the go-to option has been to recreate the most critical systems in colocation facilities, which saves the cost of the building but still requires duplicate systems and software.

Increasingly, organizations are choosing to either move critical systems to the cloud or create a hybrid architecture where the cloud is the second site for critical systems. Large cloud providers such as Oracle offer CIOs better resiliency and comparatively fast paths to improving their business continuity strategies. By distributing services in many regions around the world, CIOs can choose a strategy that also improves service performance in key markets or that meets local data sovereignty requirements.

Cloud services let CIOs take full advantage of resilient software strategies by easily accommodating virtualized workloads and highly resilient microservice architectures.

Note that disaster recovery , which focuses on how you’ll fully restore operations to normal after a disruption, is its own discipline, and use of cloud computing has revolutionized the ability of IT teams to manage many disruptions with barely a blip. When addressing disaster recovery, look for the ability to quickly fail over and automatically recover business systems with minimal downtime or data loss.

Finally, your BCP is effective only if employees are trained on their roles and responsibilities. Regularly conduct drills and simulations to identify gaps in the plan and make sure everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Whenever there is a change in your business operations, technology, or the threat landscape, revisit your BCP. The future of your organization may depend on it.

Disruptions happen, but your business doesn't have to stop. Explore how cloud-based solutions can provide a safety net for business continuity, plus nine more top trends.

What are the four pillars of business continuity?

The four pillars of business continuity are assembling a team for scenario planning, assessing business impacts, incident response planning, and ongoing BCP upkeep. By focusing on these four pillars, organizations can prepare for and respond to disruptions and ensure continuity.

What are other benefits of business continuity?

A well-defined and well-implemented business continuity plan can help minimize downtime and increase the likelihood of a faster recovery from disruption, which demonstrates resilience and helps maintain customer and investor confidence.

Knowing there's a plan in place can also reduce employee stress and anxiety during a crisis—that’s especially true if the team has done tabletop or live training exercises so key personnel know exactly what to do. And finally, certain industries, such as financial services, utilities, and healthcare, have regulations that require organizations to have a detailed business continuity plan.

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Business Continuity and Crisis Management Consultants

What are the most effective frameworks for business continuity planning?

Discover effective business continuity planning frameworks. Learn how to implement and maintain these strategies for optimal resilience in your organization.

September 21, 2023 By //  by  Bryan Strawser

Business continuity planning frameworks are pivotal in ensuring the resilience and sustainability of an organization during disruptions. These strategic blueprints guide businesses to maintain operations, safeguard stakeholders’ interests, and ultimately survive potential crises.

The importance of these frameworks cannot be overstated as they provide a structured approach towards identifying risks and developing mitigation strategies. They offer clear guidelines on how to respond effectively when disaster strikes.

Yet, despite their significance, many organizations struggle with implementing effective business continuity planning frameworks . This can lead to unpreparedness that could jeopardize the very existence of a business in times of crisis.

This post will delve into understanding what these frameworks entail, their benefits, different types available such as ISO 22301 or NIST 800-34 among others, and how best to implement them for optimal organizational resilience.

Want to learn more about Business Continuity?

Our Ultimate Guide to Business Continuity contains everything you need to know about business continuity.

You’ll learn what it is, why it’s important to your organization, how to develop a business continuity program, how to establish roles & responsibilities for your program, how to get buy-in from your executives, how to execute your Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Business Continuity Plans, and how to integrate with your  Crisis Management  strategy.

We’ll also provide some perspectives on how to get help with your program and where to go to learn more about Business Continuity.

Read our Ultimate Guide to Business Continuity

What is Business Continuity Planning?

In the realm of commerce, where unforeseen circumstances and disturbances are unavoidable, having a sound strategy to manage these issues is essential. This is where business continuity planning (BCP) comes into play.

At Bryghtpath, we understand that business continuity isn’t just about developing an emergency response plan; it’s about designing plans for resilience and recovery strategies that will help your organization weather any storm.

The Essence of BCP

From natural disasters to cyber-attacks and supply chain disruptions, modern organizations must be prepared for threats from any direction. A comprehensive business continuity plan ensures not only operational survival but also safeguards financial stability and brand reputation during times of crisis.

A well-prepared organization stands tall amidst adversity because they have proactively invested in its future through an effective risk management framework. “The best defense against unforeseen events is being well-prepared.”

Anatomy of Business Continuity Planning

A sound BCP consists of several key elements: identifying potential risks with a thorough assessment, understanding how those risks could impact operations via detailed business impact analysis (BIA), and outlining steps needed for restoring functions post-disruption with strategic recovery plans, among others. All this information then converges into actionable procedures tailored specifically to meet organizational-level requirements.

Benefits of Business Continuity Planning

In the world of business, expecting the unexpected is a rule rather than an exception. At Bryghtpath, we understand this reality and recognize that effective business continuity planning (BCP) protects businesses against potential disruptions or disasters.

Risk Identification and Mitigation Strategies

The cornerstone of any robust BCP lies in risk identification. It’s about understanding your organization’s vulnerabilities to various threats and how they could disrupt operations. But it doesn’t stop there; having identified these risks, devising mitigation strategies becomes paramount – measures designed for prevention and recovery post-disruption.

We believe in creating comprehensive plans that detail procedures for restoring critical functions within stipulated time frames, ensuring minimal downtime – because every second counts during crises.

Crisis Response Efficiency

Much like our own at Bryghtpath, a sound business continuity plan provides organizations with detailed response blueprints tailored to different types of crises or disruptions. The power of preparedness cannot be overstated here as it eliminates panic-induced inefficiencies during crisis situations leading to more streamlined decision-making processes.

This efficiency goes beyond minimizing operational disruption by protecting stakeholder interests by maintaining customer service levels even when facing adversity, safeguarding brand reputation amidst chaos.

Safeguarding Stakeholder Interests & Regulatory Compliance

An effective BCP does more than protect assets, it builds trust among stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, etc. Moreover, certain industries mandate formalized BCPS under regulatory norms, further underscoring their importance.

Adherence not only ensures legal compliance but boosts credibility too. Many financial institutions rely on firms such as Deloitte for assistance in meeting stringent industry regulations related to business continuity management.

After delving into some benefits of implementing solid business continuity plans, let’s focus on international standards guiding BCM practices, specifically ISO 22301.

Key Takeaway: 

Business continuity planning (BCP) is a must-have shield for businesses, offering protection against disruptions and disasters. It involves identifying risks, devising mitigation strategies, ensuring efficient crisis response, safeguarding stakeholder interests and maintaining regulatory compliance. In essence, it’s about expecting the unexpected to ensure minimal downtime during crises.

ISO 22301: The International Standard for Business Continuity Management

The foundation of any solid business continuity plan is a robust framework. ISO 22301 serves as this sturdy structure, providing guidelines on constructing and maintaining an effective BCMS (Business Continuity Management System). It’s like the blueprint that guides you in building your organization’s resilience against potential disruptions.

Diving Deeper into ISO 22301

To truly appreciate the beauty of this standard, let’s dissect its key components:

• Contextual Understanding: This involves gaining insights about your operational environment – stakeholder needs, strategic objectives, and compliance requirements are all part of the mix.
• Risk Assessment: Here, we identify threats capable of disrupting normal operations. A bit like foreseeing storm clouds before they unleash their fury. MHA IT offers expert guidance during these crucial risk assessment stages based on specific business continuity methodology.
• BIA (Business Impact Analysis): This stage evaluates each identified disruption’s impact across various organizational levels, such as financial stability or reputation management.
• Mitigation Strategies & Plans: We then develop strategies to prevent possible disruptions and response plans should they occur despite our best efforts. This includes designing plans for recovery strategies and operational recovery procedures, among others.

Audit by an independent certification body forms the crux step towards achieving ISO certification. Bryghtpath’s ISO 22301 Maturity Model for Business Continuity helps streamline the audit process, thereby making the path smoother. Certification validates commitment and instills stakeholders’ confidence regarding the company’s resilience capabilities. In today’s volatile world, it can provide a much-needed competitive edge too. So while ISO offers a strong base, other frameworks are worth exploring.

Consider ISO 22301 as the blueprint for your business continuity plan, helping you foresee and weather any storm. It’s all about understanding your environment, assessing risks, analyzing impacts, and crafting mitigation strategies.

Other Frameworks for Business Continuity Planning

The journey of business continuity planning is not a solitary one. Multiple frameworks can guide organizations, such as NIST 800-34 and NFPA 1600.

NIST 800-34: A Guiding Light in Federal Information Systems Contingency Planning

In our quest to build robust business continuity plans, we encounter various tools such as NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-34 Rev.1 . This framework, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, provides us with an effective process to develop contingency strategies, including conducting a BIA and identifying preventive controls, among others.

NFPA 1600: The Holistic Approach towards Disaster/Emergency Management

As part of this exciting expedition into building resilience against disruptions or disasters, NFPA offers another perspective on disaster/emergency management, encompassing prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery aspects.

How to Implement a Business Continuity Plan

In the Bryghtpath team, we value thoroughness and precision. To ensure a successful business continuity plan, we focus on recognizing the risks that could affect operations by conducting comprehensive risk assessments. We engage in meticulous risk assessment activities that identify potential threats and vulnerabilities which could impact operations.

Risk Assessment & Analysis

The process of identifying risks isn’t one-dimensional; rather, it involves considering various types of disruptions such as cyber-attacks or natural disasters that can interrupt normal functioning. Further analysis includes evaluating these impacts on different aspects within the organization like finance or reputation.

Developing Mitigation Strategies & Response Plans

An integral part of effective business continuity planning lies in developing strategies aimed at mitigating identified risks – think robust cybersecurity measures or backup plans for essential processes.

• Beyond strategizing mitigation efforts, response plans outlining how organizations should react amidst disruptions need development.
• This step ensures readiness by detailing actionable steps following disaster strikes. Corporate Security Advisors provide valuable guidance here.

Plan Documentation & Training

• A well-documented plan outlines roles clearly so everyone knows what they’re responsible for during incidents.
• Training employees is equally important; their familiarity with procedures helps ensure smooth execution if faced with unexpected events.

At Bryghtpath, we recognize that maintaining your BCP over time is just as vital as its initial creation – regular reviews based on organizational changes keep your plan up-to-date.

Implementing a business continuity plan is all about precision. It starts with understanding your organization’s risk profile, identifying potential threats and impacts, then developing mitigation strategies and response plans. Remember to document the plan clearly, train employees accordingly, and keep it updated over time for true resilience.

Exercising & Maintenance of Business Continuity Plans

A few weeks after I started working in the field of business continuity planning, a colleague asked me about my approach to testing and maintaining these plans. My answer was simple: “It’s not enough just to create a plan; it needs constant refinement.”

The Role Exercises Play

In many ways, conducting exercises with your business continuity plan is akin to rehearsing with your band before a big gig. You simulate disruptions or disasters that could impact operations and evaluate how well you’re prepared for them.

This process helps identify any potential weaknesses in the rhythm section, allowing necessary adjustments.

Maintenance – The Constant Refinement

Your organization isn’t static, it evolves, and so should your business continuity plans. New processes are introduced, systems get updated, and personnel changes occur – all factors necessitating updates to your business continuity program.

This ongoing task requires regular reviews and revisions based on feedback from rehearsals (tests) or live performances (real-life incidents).

Just like a band’s rehearsal before the big gig, business continuity plans need constant testing and refinement to keep up with evolving organizations. Don’t shy away from external help for an objective assessment and expert guidance – it could be your ticket to smooth sailing amidst crises.

The significance of business continuity planning in today’s volatile world cannot be emphasized enough. It forms the backbone for organizations to ensure their operations remain unaffected, even when faced with potential disruptions or disasters. Frameworks such as ISO 22301 , NIST 800-34 , and NFPA 1600 provide a solid foundation for companies to build comprehensive plans.

These standards not only guide an organization through identifying risks but also assist it in developing strategies to mitigate them, creating robust response plans, and testing those regularly. They are instrumental in setting up your Business Continuity Management System (BCMS).

Beyond just following established frameworks, you must understand your organization’s risk profile thoroughly while implementing a business continuity plan. This involves assessing threats specific to your industry sector or geographical location and vulnerabilities within the system.

An effective BCMS isn’t static – it requires regular exercising to ensure its effectiveness during real-life scenarios.

Want to work with us or learn more about Business Continuity?

• Our proprietary  Resiliency Diagnosis  process is the perfect way to advance your business continuity program. Our thorough standards-based review culminates in a full report, maturity model scoring, and a clear set of recommendations for improvement.
• Our  Business Continuity  and  Crisis Management  services help you rapidly grow and mature your program to ensure your organization is prepared for the storms that lie ahead.
• Our  Ultimate Guide to Business Continuity  contains everything you need to know about Business Continuity while our  Ultimate Guide to Crisis Management  contains the same for Crisis Management.
• Learn about our  Free Resources , including articles, a  resource library , white papers, reports,  free introductory courses , webinars, and more.
• Set up an  initial call with us  to chat further about how we might be able to work together.

About Bryan Strawser

Bryan Strawser is Founder, Principal, and Chief Executive at Bryghtpath LLC, a strategic advisory firm he founded in 2014. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in the areas of, business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis management, enterprise risk, intelligence, and crisis communications.

At Bryghtpath, Bryan leads a team of experts that offer strategic counsel and support to the world’s leading brands, public sector agencies, and nonprofit organizations to strategically navigate uncertainty and disruption.

Learn more about Bryan at this link .

PO Box 131416 Saint Paul, MN 55113 USA

[email protected]

Our Capabilities

• Active Shooter Programs
• Business Continuity as a Service (BCaaS)
• IT Disaster Recovery Consulting
• Resiliency Diagnosis®️
• Crisis Communications
• Global Security Operations Center (GSOC)
• Emergency Planning & Exercises
• Intelligence & Global Security Consulting
• Workplace Violence & Threat Management

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Business Continuity 101

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5-Day Business Continuity Accelerator

Communicating in the Critical Moment

Crisis Management Academy®️

Managing Threats Workshop

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Exercise in a Box®

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Maturity Models

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