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Business Continuity Planning.
A business continuity plan (BCP) enables a company to continue functioning
when a disaster occurs by implementing "work-arounds" to maintain critical
business processes until normal working conditions are restored. A business
continuity plan typically involves relocating key functions, facilities
and people, e.g: to another building or, in extreme cases, to another
city or even to another country. Business continuity planning is distinct
from disaster recovery planning (DRP), which repairs damage or restores
assets affected by a disaster. Market Ridge uses a template for business
continuity planning which is customised for individual businesses. The
template comprises:
- A set of instructions for maintaining critical business functions and services,
activating the plan and the management process, and reverting to normal
business after the disaster.
- Supporting processes on which the plan depends, e.g: maintenance procedures.
Customising the template involves:
- Identifying critical business processes, personnel and facilities
- Identifying back-up facilities and requirements
- Adapting the step-by-step instructions to meet the client's requirements
- Adapting the supporting processes to meet the client's requirements Management review.
The Market Ridge template for business continuity planning produces a very effective, low-maintenance
plan at significantly lower cost than other approaches. Some of its key benefits are:
- It is management-driven, balancing prior planning with the flexibility of management control
- Instructions are brief and simple, making it is easy to use and maintain
- It can be tested to an extent which is appropriate for the level of risk faced by the business
- It requires minimal maintenance.
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