Today’s business world faces constant threats—from natural disasters and cyberattacks to supply chain disruptions. These events can halt operations and damage finances, reputation, and competitiveness. That’s why Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a vital strategy every organization should prioritize.
This article outlines strategic methods for planning and developing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP). An introduction guidance based on international standards and widely accepted best practices.
Understanding the Basics: BCM is not just a plan, it's a strategy
Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a systematic management for business interruptions. Its objective is to ensure the organization can continue functioning at an acceptable level during and after a disruption.
Strategic approach selection
Some basic examples of strategic approaches are as follows:
This approach focuses on risk analysis and response through Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Assessment. It aligns with ISO 31000:2018 (Risk Management Guidelines) and ISO 22301:2019.
The primary factor in decision-making or planning is risk. Priority is given to high-risk areas or processes to ensure efficient resource utilization and to minimize the impact of potential incidents.
This approach emphasizes strict adherence to both external and internal requirements. These include laws, regulations, standards, and organizational policies. It helps ensure full compliance and prevents violations or breaches of obligations.
This compliance-driven approach is ideal for organizations with strict regulatory obligations, such as labor laws and oversight agency requirements. It helps minimize legal and contractual risks, including fines and lawsuits.
This planning and operational approach focuses on building and maintaining essential capabilities. These supports the organization’s missions and objectives. It may include personnel, systems, processes, or the organization as a whole.
A strategic planning helps organizations prepare for various situations —whether crises, changes, or opportunities. It focus on identifying “what must be achievable” to build recovery capabilities. Examples include backup power systems, IT redundancy, or emergency response teams.
Selecting a business continuity strategy is not merely about “choosing the lowest-cost backup option,”. It requires a thorough understanding of the organizational context and a comprehensive evaluation of available alternatives.
The key to effective BCM strategic planning
Additional reference standards support strategy development in Business Continuity Management. ISO/TS 22331:2018 , a Technical Specification, supplements ISO 22301:2019 by focusing specifically on the development of business continuity strategies or BC Strategy Development. This phase is essential within the BCM framework.
Fundamental principles of BC strategy development from ISO/TS 22331
The strategy must align with the organization's context.
There’s no “one-size-fits-all” strategy. Organizations must consider both internal and external factors. The Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Assessment should serve as the starting point.
Strategies should be flexible.
An effective strategy should be both flexible and scalable, enabling adjustments based on different scenarios. Organizations may also consider a blended approach to provide multiple contingency options and enhance overall resilience.
The strategy must be practical and actionable.
A good strategy must be practical. It should align with the organization’s actual limitations, such as staff capacity, budget, and existing systems. The strategy also needs to reflect the organization’s structure, culture, and available resources.
The strategy must be clearly communicated and testable through exercises.
A strategy must be clearly communication to ensure that all relevant stakeholders understand and are prepared to act on it. It should be effectively translated into a Business Continuity Plan (BCP). Ultimately, even the best-designed plan is worthless if the team does not understand it. 😭
Conclusion:
Ultimately, organizations that develop a well-suited and flexible Business Continuity Management (BCM) strategy can do more than just survive a crisis—they can recover and grow. Success doesn’t come from choosing “the best” approach, but from identifying the most appropriate strategy for the organization’s unique context.
