Disaster Recovery Journal, Summer 2010

planning purposes. The BC planning process requires employees to think through business operations, the practices, technology, information, people, and business partners required to operate the business. This end-to-end analysis provides a valuable assessment of how business functions operate and helps to identify the potential risks to the continuity of operations. This is an analysis process that, without business continuity planning, usually goes unexamined. A strong BC function provides the avenue and techniques to perform this operational evaluation and collect data that is critical to supporting an organization during a serious emergency or disruption. Without this information a company is left guessing or winging it; the emperor has no “informational” clothes.

BC Benefits:

u;Addresses;compliance;requirements;for;regulators;and;customers u;Identifies;business;dependencies;and;critical;relationships u;Requires;evaluation;and;improvement;of;business;processes u;Collects;valuable;data;on;business;processes;and;priorities u;Maintains;employee;contact;data;with;notification;procedures

Other Benefits:

n;With;a;well;functioning,;highly;maintained,;and;strong;business continuity;program;in;place,;customers;and;business;partners;will be;assured;that;their;investments;and;business;interests;are;well-protected;and;well-served.;In;the;rapidly;evolving;and;volatile;global business;climate;that;exists,;this;provides;a;positive;marketing;tool.

n;The;business;continuity;planning;process;provides;an;excellent

opportunity;for;a;company;to;model;their;business;services.;By taking;a;business;service;approach;to;BC;planning,;the;key;systems, business;functions,;and;partners;can;be;identified;as;part;of;an;end-to-end;key;business;service.;With;the;identification;of;each;business service;a;criticality;level;can;be;assigned;(e.g.,;mission;critical,;vital, critical);allowing;a;company;to;place;the;most;emphasis;on;maintaining and;testing;the;business;services;required;to;keep;the;doors;open.

One only has to look to corporations who encountered severe losses after events as minor as a power outage to major disasters like earthquakes to realize that a strong business continuity program is not a luxury or a choice. Managers who turn a blind eye to this need, or who allow the BC function in their organization to be relegated to ineffective areas or dwindled to the task of merely addressing audit issues, are living an illusion. Without the protection that an integral, up-to-date, and organization-wide BC function provides, it’s not a question of whether there will be business losses, but when and how great.

The crucial first step is to assist executive managers of an organization in recognizing that their emperor is wearing no clothes. Once that is recognized, the next steps of “dressing him” in an effective BC program will assure the strongest protection in today’s global business environment.

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Randall Till, MBCP;is;principal;and;founder;of;Till;Continuity;Group.;Till;is;a business;continuity;professional;with;more;than;20;years;of;experience;creat- ing;and;implementing;business;continuity;programs;for;business;organizations.