Business continuity management involves preparing a business to continue in the event of a disaster. Proper planning, well-trained staff, and prevention measures can help a business recover quickly. Key tips include developing the right staff, discussing plans with vendors, and creating emergency management plans for specific events. Crisis management plans should also be in place to handle specific scenarios.
Business continuity management is the practice of preparing a business to continue in the event of a disaster. Proper planning and well-trained staff can help a business recover quickly even from devastating events. Companies can succeed in establishing business continuity in their organizations by learning how to develop the right staff, discussing plans with vendors, developing a contact list, and creating emergency management plans for specific events.
The first step in managing business continuity is deciding who will lead the planning process and who will coordinate recovery and rebuilding efforts during and after an event. A Business Continuity Management Coordinator may be assigned to each department. These team leaders should meet on a regular basis and provide updates to senior leaders who have been assigned to lead the effort.
Members of an enterprise’s supply chain should also be part of the business continuity management planning effort. Each supplier should be interviewed and questioned about their emergency management plan. Their plans should be based on any disaster scenarios they may face, from political upheaval to natural disasters to terrorism. If they were to suffer one of these losses and be unable to supply a product, the companies they do business with would also suffer. Suppliers should also be able to demonstrate that their business operations can withstand the ups and downs of their customers, even when customer demand for supplies increases dramatically.
Another key business continuity management tip is prevention. While some disasters cannot be stopped, the damage they can cause to business operations can be mitigated. For some natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, commercial properties can be strengthened to withstand high winds or severe earth shaking. For pandemics, on the other hand, HR policies, such as allowing employees to work from home, can be put in place, which could help prevent the spread of the disease.
To handle the real event as it is happening, crisis management should also be an essential part of business continuity management. Crisis management plans can be designed to handle specific scenarios, such as an approaching hurricane or a terrorist attack on a nearby corporate facility. Part of business continuity management in this case would involve planning ways to evacuate employees and ways to keep in touch with them after they leave the premises.
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