Absolute Business Continuity Solutions

 

ABC Solutions provides assistance to companies in the preparation of their contingency plans.

Business Continuity Planning Process Overview

If you are just starting then you may need a roadmap to clarify the process. If there are some plans in place you may want to do a review to clarify any gaps that may exist. If the business has gone through a period of change then a review may be required to ensure that all critical activities are covered.

There are a number of steps to be followed:

• Identify critical activities - Under normal conditions the business will be doing many day-to-day activities. However if an incident occurs you will need to concentrate on the most critical tasks leaving the less critical to be looked at once the situation is stabilised.
• Look at recovery strategies - Once you have identified the critical activities you will need to look at how these can be restored following an incident within an acceptable timeframe.
• Document the plan - This phase will involve putting the plan into a suitable format. Contact details for all staff will be required. Detailed recovery procedures will be needed especially if key staff are impacted by an incident.
• Testing the plan - In the event of an incident staff will need to work to restore the critical activities most likely under enormous pressure. By carrying our tests staff can become familiar with the process. Also by testing you may identify problems that might go unknown.
• Plan review - Once the plan has been prepared it is vital that regular reviews are scheduled. A plan that is out of date is nearly as bad as having no plan at all.
• Awareness and training - All staff will need to be aware of the contents of the plan. Some of this will be achieved while carrying out the tests. Senior management will need to be aware of the plan so they understand the restoration timeframe and critical activities.

Each of the above steps are explained in greater detail on the web site.