Business Continuity Management & Disaster Recovery Planning Practice

A broad range of technologies can support a company’s business continuity planning and implementation—and reduce the impact of disruptions from natural disasters, technology failures or criminal acts. Business disruptions can threaten the very survival of a company. Such disruptions cannot always be predicted or prevented, but sound planning can dramatically reduce the damage they cause. But effective preparation for disaster recovery and business continuity is a job for the entire company. Being prepared for business interruption involves analysis of every aspect of the organization’s management Tools and tactics to manage the process of business continuity planning and disaster recovery need to be used in concert with financial planning and corporate governance information systems. In the aftermath of recent natural disasters, terrorism, Internet-based data sabotage and executive malfeasance, organizations recognize the need to be prepared for the unexpected.

Developing a thorough business continuity plan is a complex undertaking, requiring a number of stages and discrete activities

Within the business community, there is a growing sense of urgency to be prepared before a disaster strikes. A significant, sustained interruption of enterprise operations or information flow will have a strong adverse effect upon an organization. Business continuity Management (BCM) and Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) address maintaining the viability of the business enterprise during an emergency. It is a holistic, cost-effective means of preparing to respond to a disaster. Business continuity plans enable organizations to protect their employees and assets and resume operations in an expedient and controlled fashion. Business continuity management contains a series of key elements:

Developing a sound business continuity plan is crucial to preventing even a minor disruption from turning into a catastrophe. A process model that effectively responds to an incident may prevent the emergence of a crisis. A BCM&DRP program begins with a business impact analysis (BIA). A BIA identifies the effects of a disaster upon an organization. This includes such areas as: loss of revenue, impact upon customers, regulatory issues, impact upon employees, and other business interruption consequences. With accurate information from a BIA, an organization will be ready to develop a sound business continuity plan that will provide a cost-benefit approach to recovery strategies. Because a BCM&DRP program is an organization's strategic response to an emergency, senior management must address such issues as:

SQC can assist clients in identifying critical business processes and exploring strategies that include:

A strong business continuity plan that maps out an organizational structure and lists distinct roles and responsibilities
An integrated approach combining Business Continuity, Emergency Response, and Crisis Management
A business continuity strategy that is based upon the needs of each firm's business functions
Well documented plans, including information technology, business relocation, manual workarounds, and data restoration

High expectations for continuity and rapid recovery demonstrate the need for the integration of business continuity planning into enterprise-level initiatives. BCM&DRP adequately supported throughout the organization, embodies the strategic framework for a corporate culture that embraces a variety of tactics to mitigate risks that might cause:

Business process failure.
Asset loss.
Regulatory liability.
Customer service failure.
Damage to reputation or brand.

The key challenge of business continuity and Disaster Recovery is not technology, but the internal marketing “business” aspects that begin at the foundation level of any project and continue throughout its life cycle: justification, executive buy-in, broad organizational support, and governance and politics. Successful plans must be updated and tested regularly; a process which includes re-training employees in their roles, re-training that should include practice in thinking nimbly and creatively in worst-case scenario examples. Such nimble thinking demands thorough knowledge of available resources and other elements of the continuity and recovery plan.

SQC provides assessments and consulting to help prepare organizations to effectively manage disruptions and disasters. In addition we also offer a comprehensive workshop on Business Continuity Management and Disaster Recovery Planning.