Business Continuity
BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING CHEAT SHEET
From those lovely people at
www.oxford-review.com
New research shows how businesses improve their continuity planning after a disaster – a lesson worth paying attention to:
THE MAIN LESSONS ARE:
Have a plan
no plan
double disaster
A USEFUL STRUCTURE FOR THE PLAN AND YOUR THINKING:
1. Reduction
2. Readiness
3. Response
4. Remedy
MAIN AREAS FOR THE PLAN:
1.Identification of critical functions,
2. A communication plan,
4. Regular training and testing
3. Information backups all supported by
5. Think redundancy – ‘what if x goes down’?
PROBLEMS ORGANISATIONS WITH PLANS ENCOUNTERED WHEN DISASTER STRUCK:
1. Over-planning - too much detail kills adaptability
2. Under planning – insufficient thought to key aspects like relocation
3. Making assumptions E.G. everyone will be back at work. What if 20,30,40,50,60,70,80 or even 90% of the workforce can’t get to work?
MAIN LESSONS Look after your staff
1
6
Consider who the leaders will be in a crisis – it may not be the existing ones – choose people who are unflappable/calm in a crisis.
Develop employee resiliency before something happens
2
7
Keep plans up-to-date
Develop good relationships before something happens (relationships
3
8
Practice them – practice is vital
Have backup communication methods & systems
4
9
Develop adaptability and opportunity hunting under stress
Have a plan for who will communicate what, to whom and when
5
10
hold teams together in times of hardship)
Get the critical functions working first – have priorities.
The idea is the plan aids adaptability and helps people to have some structure and be able to think in a bad situation in order to get things back as soon as possible.
REFERENCE Hatton T et al, (2016) “Lessons from disaster: Creating a business continuity plan that really works” Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning Volume 10 Number 1
research evidence when it matters www.oxford-review.com
From those lovely people at
www.oxford-review.com
New research shows how businesses improve their continuity planning after a disaster – a lesson worth paying attention to:
THE MAIN LESSONS ARE:
Have a plan
no plan
double disaster
A USEFUL STRUCTURE FOR THE PLAN AND YOUR THINKING:
1. Reduction
2. Readiness
3. Response
4. Remedy
MAIN AREAS FOR THE PLAN:
1.Identification of critical functions,
2. A communication plan,
4. Regular training and testing
3. Information backups all supported by
5. Think redundancy – ‘what if x goes down’?
PROBLEMS ORGANISATIONS WITH PLANS ENCOUNTERED WHEN DISASTER STRUCK:
1. Over-planning - too much detail kills adaptability
2. Under planning – insufficient thought to key aspects like relocation
3. Making assumptions E.G. everyone will be back at work. What if 20,30,40,50,60,70,80 or even 90% of the workforce can’t get to work?
MAIN LESSONS Look after your staff
1
6
Consider who the leaders will be in a crisis – it may not be the existing ones – choose people who are unflappable/calm in a crisis.
Develop employee resiliency before something happens
2
7
Keep plans up-to-date
Develop good relationships before something happens (relationships
3
8
Practice them – practice is vital
Have backup communication methods & systems
4
9
Develop adaptability and opportunity hunting under stress
Have a plan for who will communicate what, to whom and when
5
10
hold teams together in times of hardship)
Get the critical functions working first – have priorities.
The idea is the plan aids adaptability and helps people to have some structure and be able to think in a bad situation in order to get things back as soon as possible.
REFERENCE Hatton T et al, (2016) “Lessons from disaster: Creating a business continuity plan that really works” Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning Volume 10 Number 1
research evidence when it matters www.oxford-review.com
