Business Continuity Planning

Emergencies and business disruption don't just happen to other people - or other companies.

Could your business survive a serious disruption, such as...

• A major fire or flood affecting access to your premises?
• Loss of a significant number of staff?
• A major ICT failure?
• Loss of utilities for an extended period of time?
• Do you know and understand the threats and risks to your business?
• Are you prepared for a disruption?
• Have you addressed the continued delivery of your critical functions?
• Do you have a Business Continuity Plan? If so, is it integrated with your normal business operations?
• What if a disruption prevented delivery to your main customer? Would they stay with you or go to a competitor?
• How easy is it to contact your customers and suppliers to inform them of any problems - even if you did not have access to your premises or database?
• Can you alert staff in the event of a disruption?
• Could you deal with the media during a disruption?
• Is your business continuity plan regularly reviewed, tested and audited?
• Are you satisfied with the level of resilience within your organisation?

If not, you need to know more about Business Continuity Management.Many businesses and commercial organisations are familiar with planning for business risks. For example, the loss of an important customer or supplier. However it is becoming more common to see a wider range of events as presenting a risk to business resilience.

Business Continuity Management is widely recognised as a good management process. It is also part of the planning needed to build resilience within your organisation and the community you operate in. This has been recognised nationally by the government. As a result the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 has been introduced to address this and other issues. The Act will help protect you and your business.

Emergencies and disruptions can and do occur suddenly - and sometimes, without warning. These situations can threaten your business and have a significant impact on you and your organisation.

You will have invested significantly in your business and need to ensure it remains safe, workable and secure. Being prepared reassures your customers and suppliers and shows you take resilience seriously.