As seen in the recent post, Exploring the Evolution of Business Continuity Management, there is a growing need to address the complex array of threats that can undermine business operations. A sound business continuity management plan ensures that organizations are prepared when an incident causes potential disruption.

The most effective plans ensure that there is little to no loss of operability for the company and its customers. That is why a proactive approach to business continuity management matters.

Business continuity and its analog, disaster recovery, are often seen as insurance policies against the very real threats of cyber attacks, natural disasters, currency disruptions, and other potentially disastrous impacts. However, they are also often considered out of sight out of mind, not requiring the regular care that other key business plans require.

Consider the reality of business today. Risk comes at businesses from all areas. New technologies are changing the way businesses operate, requiring companies to consider when to invest and implement. Political decisions and actions, both domestically and abroad, are reshaping how businesses interact, profit, and access markets.

Cyber threats are an ongoing issue, with new threats identified and causing havoc to systems, companies, and the trust customers and the public have with notable, worldwide brands. Disruptive new companies, often without any history in a particular industry, can appear out of nowhere and eradicate market share and viability.

That is why business continuity needs to be at the forefront of leadership constantly. Business continuity needs to have its place in all aspects of strategic planning and day-to-day operations. Here are a few of the ways to keep business continuity planning top of mind.

• Risk assessment. Risks to the enterprise, data, operations, physical locations, people, applications, processes, and business viability need to be within a constant planning cycle. Risks need to be identified and prioritized. Solutions need to be identified, priced, and similarly prioritized. Solutions need to be implemented, tested, and measured.
• Implementation planning. Implementing new systems always carries risk. Business continuity needs to be factored into this planning to consider critical systems, data, and applications. Recovery methods need to be developed, tested, and retested to ensure that they are ready if needed.
• Daily testing. Systems, data sets, and applications need to be tested constantly, in many cases on a daily basis. Backup systems also need to be tested regularly. For companies without the resources to conduct these tests, there are alerts that can be placed on backup operations to alert to failures.
• Budget planning. When considering a new cloud-based or on-premises platform, be sure to factor in the budget to protect the data and applications stored there. Many cloud-based managed IT providers have their own safeguards and backups in place. Be sure those are fully articulated by vendors and understood before purchases are made.

A proactive approach involves the entire enterprise. All areas need to understand the importance of business continuity, comprehend the roles they play, and be involved in the risk assessment, budgeting, and planning processes.

At Denovo, we provide cloud-based managed IT solutions that ensure business continuity for your valuable data and systems. To learn more about how Denovo’s solutions can help keep your enterprise and your customers up and running, schedule a free consultation.

Learn why business continuity management has a place in the planning, budgeting, and testing components of your business operations @DenovoCloud #BusinessContinuity