Business continuity plan : be prepared and keep your business running

A Business Continuity Plan to keep your business running whatever happens

You never know when a crisis is going to strike... It can take many different forms, and usually happens when least expected. A Business Continuity Plan can be deployed at a moment’s notice to reduce the negative impact.

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

It is a crisis management document designed to enable businesses, local authorities, organizations, utilities, hospitals or educational establishments, etc. to carry on operating throughout a crisis situation. The Business Continuity Plan is a life-saver for any organization that just cannot afford to suddenly grind to a halt.

Why have a Business Continuity Plan?

It is important for your team to know how to react in the event of a crisis. A Business Continuity Plan means you will be ready for different crisis situations and know what to do to reduce their impact.  A crisis can arise inside or outside the organization. In-company, it might be a strike or a fire on the premises. An external crisis might take the shape of a natural disaster (flood, hurricane, etc.), a national protest movement, or a rail strike.

When faced with situations like these, you need to focus on the core of your business, i.e. what you need to do to keep the wheels turning. A good Business Continuity Plan should be designed by a group of people from different departments, with different types of expertise, to be sure to cover every possible risk.

How does the BCP template work?

The BCP template covers the three basic stages in the development of a Business Continuity Plan: start by listing all the possible threats and their impact on the business; then define which activities must be maintained at all costs to keep the business up and running, and finally, say who will do what if the BCP needs to be implemented.

Updating the Business Continuity Plan is vital.

The Business Continuity Plan must be regularly updated to make sure it is not obsolete when you actually need it. It should also be tested in real-life simulations, just as you would with a fire or bomb scare drill. For instance, if the BCP plans for a generator to take over in the event of a power cut, it must be tested at regular intervals to make sure it will be immediately operational and will kick in whenever it is actually needed.

A step further

Some fields of activity have a legal obligation to provide a minimum service whatever the circumstances, with a mandatory Business Continuity Plan. By definition, vital services such as food supplies, water and energy networks, hospitals, transport, the armed forces, security forces, waste management, telecommunications networks or banks need to be operational at all times.

A Business Continuity Plan can be followed by a Business Recovery Plan designed to put the business back on its feet after a crisis situation. Find our Back to Business Template in the Klaxoon template library Use the Business Continuity Plan template to design your BCP as a team, building on each team member's expertise. Putting heads together allows you to cover much more ground and imagine detailed solutions for different crisis situations.  The document can easily be shared and changed with just a few clicks.