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Making the case for BCP
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If Business Continuity Planning (BCP) has a higher profile today than twenty years ago, it is in no small way due to the activities of terrorist organisations. In London, the fact that only 8% of companies affected by the Bishopsgate bomb who did not have business continuity arrangements in place were still in business 5 years after the event served as a timely reminder of the importance of having in place a series of measures which can ensure your organisation can cope in the face of adversity.
However, the most likely challenges to organisations are from much less high profile threats, such as plumbing incidents, power outages, loss of IT and even rodent infestation. A recent survey has indicated that organisations can expect to experience a major threat to business continuity on average once every five years. Your customers will still be depending on you so it is essential to have in place arrangements to keep your company or organisation functioning. These threats to business continuity are often the most challenging because their lower profile will remove the sympathy and good will factor which customers and/or the public might otherwise have.
BCP has therefore become an essential discipline for any organisation providing a time critical service to its customers. But for many the question is not: should I do it, but how do I go about it?
It goes without saying that an organised approach to BCP is essential. Those involved in BCP generally advocate the setting up of a project team with clear lines of accountability and a clear set of objectives and visible authority. But perhaps the most important element is board level sponsorship, for without it no one further down in the organisational tree will become involved. Senior level sponsorship sends out a clear signal that BCP is being taken seriously and the company is not merely being compliant with regulations but understands the value that BCP can bring.
But what exactly is that value? Organisations often find it hard to articulate the value that BCP brings. It is often likened to being an insurance policy – you never know when you will need it and you would rather not have to do it. It should be seen as an integral part of any risk management strategy in which risks are articulated, assessed for severity and appropriate counter measures are in place.
The process of BCP adds value to any organisation by providing answers to key questions; what are my critical processes, which are the ones that I need to protect more than any other? This process can be uncomfortable for organisations since no one will want to be seen as dispensable. Even asking such questions can be seen as career-limiting and this is one of the reasons why using consultants can be so valuable; they have nothing to lose by being involved with the process.
Once the key processes have been identified the next step is to articulate the main threats to those processes. These threats are likely to result to a loss to three main things: people, buildings and communications. It is the consequences of these losses which must be understood by the organisation. Only then can strategies for recovery and continuity be considered and for good reason; the economic value of the consequences will be in direct proportion to the cost invested in the recovery strategy.
Enlightened organisations are moving from BCP as bolt-on activity performed by the facilities or estates department to one where it is integrated into the ways of working of all employees in the company. Some organisations now have business continuity responsibilities written into their job descriptions and include a statement on BCP in their annual financial statements.
Indeed the term business continuity planning is being superseded by Business Continuity Management to reflect the added breadth and complexity. It is not just about planning, although that is certainly part of it, as not every adverse circumstance can be predicted. It is about having in place the management systems, the options and flexibility to be able to cope with a range of adverse circumstances, seen or unforeseen.
If you have any questions about the subjects covered in this white paper or you would like to find out more about how Oakleigh Consulting could help your organisation, please contact us on 0161 835 4100 or email us.
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