In today’s business world, which is filled with various uncertainties—from natural disasters and cyber attacks to disruptions in the supply chain—business processes can be interrupted, leading to significant impacts on an organization’s finances, credibility, and competitiveness. Therefore, Business Continuity Management (BCM) has become a critical strategic approach that organizations should prioritize.
This article presents strategic approaches to planning and developing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), along with introductory 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 process designed to prepare for events that may disrupt business operations. 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 emphasizes risk analysis and response through Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Assessment, in alignment 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, including laws, regulations, standards, and organizational policies, to ensure full compliance and prevent any violations or breaches of obligations.
This compliance-focused approach is particularly suitable for organizations subject to clear regulatory requirements, such as labor laws and regulations from oversight agencies. It helps mitigate legal and contractual risks, including potential fines or litigation.
This approach to planning and operations emphasizes the development and maintenance of essential capabilities needed to achieve organizational missions and objectives. Such capabilities may include those of personnel, systems, processes, or the organization as a whole.
A strategic planning approach is used to prepare for various situations —whether crises, changes, or opportunities—by focusing on “what must be achievable” in order 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,” but 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 are available to support the consideration of strategies 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 —an essential phase within the BCM framework.
Fundamental principles of BC strategy development from ISO/TS 22331
The strategy must align with the organization's context.
There is no “one size fits all” strategy. Both internal and external factors must be considered, using the results of the Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Assessment as the starting point.
Strategies should be flexible.
An effective strategy should offer flexibility and scalability, allowing it to be adjusted in response to different scenarios. A blended strategy may also be considered to provide multiple contingency options.
The strategy must be practical and actionable.
An effective strategy must be realistically implementable within the organization’s actual constraints—such as workforce capacity, budget limitations, and existing systems—while taking into consideration the organizational structure, workplace culture, and available resources.
The strategy must be clearly communicated and testable through exercises.
A strategy must be clearly communicated 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 can develop a well-suited and flexible BCM strategy will not only “survive” during times of crisis but also have the ability to “recover and grow.” Choosing the right path is not about finding “the best” approach, but rather about identifying “the most appropriate” one for your organization’s specific context.
