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business continuity management covid 19

Business continuity and COVID-19: lessons learned

May 2022   |  FEATURE | RISK MANAGEMENT

Financier Worldwide Magazine

business continuity management covid 19

May 2022 Issue

Adapt and survive or wither and die. That was the invidious scenario foisted upon many companies throughout the course of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – a predicament that also served as a wake-up call for business continuity processes and their real-world application.

For sure, the pandemic exposed myriad process inadequacies. While the efforts of some companies to maintain their business operations went relatively smoothly, others were less fortunate, finding that their processes were not up to scratch and essentially incapable of adapting to the pandemic-generated ‘new normal’.

“COVID-19 turned business continuity planning on its head, as it forced companies around the world to rethink their operations and, in many cases, embrace totally new models for work,” says Tim Minahan, executive vice president of business strategy at Citrix. “While many had begun moving toward remote work as part of their business continuity plans, few were prepared to do so at the speed and scale the pandemic required.”

According to Agility Recovery’s ‘Business Continuity Lessons Learned from COVID-19’ report, the top challenges companies faced in responding to COVID-19 were supporting the health and safety of their employees, followed by maintaining employee productivity and morale, which the report states is proof that many companies struggled to adapt to a work-from-home strategy.

“Many companies were reluctant to consider ‘work-from-home’ a recovery solution before the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Doug Langley, a senior consultant at Agility Recovery. “In the early days of the crisis, most transitioned to work-from-home, but now we are finding more than 80 percent of companies tell us they are in a ‘hybrid’ mode. Now, companies are redoing their risk profiles, recognising home working as a viable option.

“Those companies that had not implemented a work-from-home plan scrambled and adjusted to successfully execute and continue operations,” he continues. “And although the changes they implemented established a solid foundation, they should not assume they will be able to execute if an emergency impacts access to their facilities.”

Furthermore, the need to adapt so quickly also meant that companies had to re-evaluate their business models, especially where lockdowns caused problems for those that had complex and globally interconnected supply chains, or where face to face interactions were curtailed.

“Over the last two years-plus, it has been difficult for companies to deliver business as usual, while keeping up with the accelerating pace of change,” says Quentin Dunstan, organisational resilience market development manager at BSI. “The impact of COVID -19 created huge uncertainty in markets and leaders had to find ways of working around the challenge and ensure that colleagues were kept safe, and jobs safeguarded wherever possible.”

Learning lessons

As we begin to move beyond the most severe ravages of the pandemic, it is critical that companies validate their ability to execute a range of business continuity strategies – proving that they have learned from the harsh lessons that COVID-19 has taught them.

“Worker shortages and supply chain disruptions sparked by the pandemic challenged companies around the world to find new ways to maintain continuity,” asserts Mr Minahan. “Savvy companies placed digital workspace technologies at the heart of their business continuity strategies, and in doing so, gained the agility, speed and efficiency required to manage resources in the dynamic way that today’s business environment demands.”

So, while COVID-19 has indeed instigated a great deal of organisational change, according to KPMG, there are 10 key business continuity lessons, outlined below, that companies have particularly learned off the back of the pandemic.

First, all companies need to prepare for unexpected situations. Many companies sent their employees to work from home during the pandemic but did not have laptops or videoconferencing available. These companies did not manage risks associated with an interruption of business activities at all or completely inadequately.

“ Forward-thinking companies’ stance will be to create and review easily accessible business continuity plans – a game changing posture that will increase their resilience and allow them to structure their operations to adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape. ”

Second, processes to keep, and those to set aside. It is not possible to control all processes. Therefore, companies must focus on protecting those that are most important. These include processes that add value to customers or are essential for the operation of a company, such as production and call centres, and communication tools.

Third, do a thorough risk analysis and think about probability and impacts. Many companies have forgotten that a low probability does not mean a low risk. A low probability with a huge impact signifies a big risk. COVID-19 pandemic has taught companies to think of all situations that may arise.

Fourth, recovery plans are not enough. Continuity not only addresses system failures, but also the need to increase performance in the short term. Companies should define what procedures they will use to secure alternate supplies and train their employees in other positions they can fill.

Fifth, update plans at least once a year. An initial risk analysis should be reviewed at least every year or after each major organisational change. If the risks have remained the same, a company will not have to change the plan, but changes bring the need to rewrite the whole plan.

Sixth, practice recovery and continuity plans every year. Recovery and continuity plans are often left somewhere in a filing cabinet, all dusty. Ideally, every employee must know the plans, and everybody should know what the announcement of the plan means for them.

Seventh, manage continuity continuously. Continuity management is one continuous process which companies need to manage in compliance with guidelines and policies. It should also have its own strategy and manager. Furthermore, mistakes and issues should be recorded and learned from, with plans adjusted accordingly.

Eighth, do not subordinate continuity to operations. Companies often incorporate continuity management under operations. However, it is business that is responsible for protecting key activities such as continuity management. Therefore, companies should keep continuity management separate and ensure it is not adapted to the needs of operations.

Ninth, risk management must be aligned with suppliers. It is important that companies coordinate the protection of important activities with their suppliers. Any supplier can fail. So it is important to have others on standby who can jump in quickly and supply anything necessary. A stock of essential materials and parts should also be kept.

Finally, crises never come alone. Amid multiple crises, companies should have a team ready that will prioritise and coordinate solutions to all problems. They can also contract backup capacities with partners in advance, helping them out before they manage to restore processes.

“With governments across the globe having been forced to take action to protect their citizens throughout the pandemic, there were many things that were outside companies’ control,” observes Mr Dunstan. “However, an important lesson was that every country would go through distinct phases from survival through to getting back to the ‘new normal’.

“And while these phases were dependent on the extent and speed of spread of the virus, it enabled companies to plan despite the heightened level of uncertainty,” he continues. “Another lesson learned was that predicting the shape of the ‘bounce back’ was very difficult and what transpired was the sum of many individual actions rather than one confident point of change.”

Business continuity planning

One of the core components of business continuity is to have recourse to an effective business continuity plan – an ideally bespoke programme that can protect a company from the consequences of a major incident, such as financial losses, a damaged reputation and lost productivity.

According to Agility Recovery, companies should consider an all-hazards approach to ongoing business continuity planning and testing, including: (i) implementing pre-disaster actions to ensure a constant state of readiness and take steps to safeguard assets and vital records if an early warning is received; (ii) communicating disaster preparedness and response efforts before, during and after an emergency to keep clients, employees and regulators fully aware of the situation; (iii) utilising a cross-section of people to develop, test and implement disaster preparedness and response plans; (iv) ensuring backups are available for not only data but also personnel, worksites, vendors, equipment and other resources; and (v) treating disaster preparedness and response plans as ‘living documents’ to be updated as circumstances change.

“Business continuity testing has never been more important,” insists Mr Langley. “No longer are we just responding to a hurricane; we are responding to a hurricane causing flooding and outages during a pandemic. Organisations need to use scenarios in testing that include simultaneous incidents leading to multiple impacts with components based on lessons learned during the pandemic.

“Include all potential stakeholders such as board members, customers and third parties, and if an event is long lasting, such as the pandemic, consider after-action reviews throughout the incident,” he continues. “Companies have an increased appreciation of resilience since the beginning of the pandemic and expect leadership to impart their knowledge throughout the organisation.”

Also, what cannot be understated is the importance of good leadership. “Good leadership is essential at a time of continuing uncertainty,” says Mr Dunstan. “While no-one can predict the future with certainty, leaders can operate within the parameters of what is known and can be controlled. For some, this will involve how to ensure their companies survive, while others may see opportunities that their organisations can explore and create value from.”

Game changer

As the recovery from the pandemic continues, forward-thinking companies’ stance will be to create and review easily accessible business continuity plans – a game changing posture that will increase their resilience and allow them to structure their operations to adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape.

“The extended duration of the pandemic has confirmed for many that there is a real need to have a plan when the unexpected occurs,” notes Mr Langley. “There appears to a be a heightened recognition of the value of planning ahead and we have a window of opportunity to transition that heightened awareness into solid action.

“On top of the pandemic, there are other pressures which are causing changes in behaviour, such as the reduction in airline travel, the drive to carbon neutrality, climate change and sustainability,” he continues. “So, while COVID-19 has been an accelerant of change, there are many other game changers that are now coming into the focus of leaders, and these will all impact business continuity over time.”

For Mr Dunstan, leadership is a key component of how companies respond to the impact of a global event. “The realisation that such events can actually happen, means that leaders will be required to take a longer term view of their company’s direction of travel and performance,” he concludes. “The pandemic has been a game changer in that business is unlikely to return to the way it was prior to the pandemic, but there will be equilibrium in the ‘next or new normal’.”

© Financier Worldwide

Fraser Tennant

Five Business Continuity Management Strategies as COVID-19 Lingers

As COVID-19 continues to put businesses through a return-to-work roller coaster ride, many risk managers are asking how the Delta variant and vaccinations play a role in their overall business continuity management strategy, especially as some companies have rethought their office reopening plans.

Just as many North American businesses were beginning to carry out their post-COVID-19 pandemic return-to-work strategies, the Delta variant has forced some businesses to rethink reopening plans as COVID-19 cases rebounded. [1]

The Delta variant is more infectious than other variants and has been the cause of 93% of new COVID-19 cases in the US, with cases doubling every two weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). [2] In Canada, Delta also makes up most of the new variant cases, [3] although the spike is not yet as high as in the US, with 60% of Canadians fully vaccinated, [4] compared with 51% in the US. [5]

While organizational office reopening strategies remain in place, many have been delayed until the variant is controlled and numbers drop again. [6] A growing number of companies have also modified their requirements of employees working on site, including:

  • Mandatory mask-wearing for all, including vaccinated employees
  • Increased testing, including surveillance testing [7] to monitor current state of pandemic within organization
  • Renewed social distancing requirements
  • Mandatory vaccination requirements of employees [8]

Whether your business postpones, modifies or continues its return-to-work strategy as planned, safety and risk mitigation must be factored into your business continuity strategy, including the role of vaccinations, and potential impacts to the business should be quantified if outbreaks continue to occur.

Your business continuity management strategy should focus on reducing the impact of any potential vaccination risk to ensure continuity of your organization’s critical business operations, processes, reputation, financial stability, and more. Here are five considerations for risk managers as they proactively build upon their existing strategy:

1. Establish the foundational questions. 

For many, the biggest questions are:

  • If vaccinations are mandated by the organization, what verification or credentials will be required?
  • For organizations that monitor employee vaccinations -- as booster shots become necessary, how will they coordinate validating a staggered booster shot process?
  • If organization does not mandate vaccinations, will that change when vaccines are fully approved by the FDA?

To be able to answer these questions effectively, employers should consult with legal and HR professionals and leaders and understand the protective actions their vendors/suppliers and customers are taking. The vaccination rollout will affect every business and industry’s business continuity planning differently. It’s critical that the organization’s business continuity management plan be able to respond and flex to meet these requirements -- for instance, whether business continuity requires people to be onsite or interacting with one another and customers versus an all-virtual strategy. Employers will need to make reasonable accommodations to keep their employees safe and mitigate risk.

COVID-19 will continue to change the way companies operate for years. Among the top priorities for companies seeking to reshape their business are the new and accelerated use of technology, redeploying resources, workforce planning and rethinking the future of work, among others. How companies across the globe address new challenges and prepare for the future will be deeply intertwined with their approach to risk and resilience.

2. Continue testing and risk mitigation strategies.

Employers should comply with CDC, the Public Health Agency of Canada or local health regulations and encourage employees to continue testing, mask-wearing, continuous cleaning, and social distancing, where possible and where mandated. Effective business continuity management strategies don’t rely too heavily on any one risk mitigation measure, but rather a robust plan that considers various angles and considerations. In a public health crisis involving a highly contagious virus, for instance, employers need to consider not just their employees coming in contact with one another and customers, but also their spouses, children or other members of the household; how they get to and from work; and other aspects of their lives. Employer decision-making should track closely with their local community infection rates.

business continuity management covid 19

The most effective organizations will be willing to reprioritize risk and resilience, innovate and explore new solutions. In the insights that follow, we examine how some organizations are responding, recovering and reshaping to emerge stronger and more resilient.

3. Determine where your company can be more agile.

The pandemic continues to alter the way many companies operate, and importantly, the way they approach and implement business continuity strategies. One of the themes that’s emerged in successful business continuity management is agility -- companies should continue embedding flexibility into their business practices. By incorporating data and analytics and digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation into the operation, they will be able to build resilience and agility while managing the ongoing vaccination considerations. 

business continuity management covid 19

4. Collaborate for better outcomes.

There’s an opportunity to build a consortium among large organizations to learn from one another and establish a set of best practices and guidelines based on learnings from COVID-19. This collaborative approach proved valuable in the initial COVID-19 response. And because the role of vaccinations in business continuity management is not isolated to one organization—public and private entities should collaborate to build a wider-scoped BCM approach to help organizations and communities build operational resilience.

5. Communicate with clarity.

Since the start of the pandemic, employees have looked to their employers for information on their response, safety and risk mitigation measures, and other guidance. Many employers looked to government resources such as the U.S.-based CDC and the Public Health Agency of Canada along with experts, local government leadership, and other businesses to develop timely and relevant messaging, bringing in their HR, Legal, and Operations teams to help create consistency. These proactive practices should continue. There are established resources for business and employers from the same groups,  such as the CDC , the Public Health Agency of Canada and local councils that can provide more information at the local and regional level. Employees will continue looking to their employer as a trusted source of vetted information, so employers should ensure their communication strategies, channels, and frequency are sound. Doing so will support overall business continuity management not only during this time, but in the future. Further, employers should encourage employees to make decisions based on accurate data and information sources.

business continuity management covid 19

The COVID-19 vaccination process has a number of implications for an organization’s business continuity management plan, and that plan will create resiliency in the face of challenges brought by the vaccination rollout. By taking a thoughtful approach to the needs of the business and employees, employers can maintain a robust business continuity plan even in the face of uncertainty.   

[1] More Companies Delay Office Reopenings as Covid Cases Surge

[2] COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review

[3] Public Health Agency of Canada, August 13, 2021

[4] ‘No doubt’ Canada now in 4th wave of COVID-19 as cases spike across much of country

[5] U.S. COVID-19 vaccine tracker. Mayo Clinic

[6] Déjà vu: Delta Variant Requires Companies to Rethink Return-to-Office Plans

[7] What is surveillance testing program?

[8] More businesses are mandating COVID-19 vaccines. Is that legal?

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Business Continuity Plan

A 7-step guide to creating a business continuity plan for dealing with COVID-19.

Updated on June 25th, 2023

The SMB Guide is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a strategic plan a business would follow to prevent and recover from major disruptions to business. Typically, businesses establish a continuity plan for natural disasters, such as floods, arson, and terrorism.

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak presented businesses with many unforeseen challenges due to its fast spread, global reach, and resulting lockdowns. This guide was created to help businesses modify and improve their business continuity plans during this time to be better prepared for the effects of the pandemic.

COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan Template

Use our general business continuity plan in Word format to help stay on task.

How to Prepare for COVID-19:

1. prioritize your employees' safety..

The well-being and health of your employees should be your top priority. Start by addressing the needs of employees who display COVID-19 symptoms. To keep your entire team safe, send any employees with flu-like symptoms home. In this scenario, ensure you maintain transparent communication with all your employees, as this will go a long way in reassuring them.

Look into remote working solutions. To do this, you'll need to determine if you have the tools, technology, and capacity to support a small or large remote team. In addition, you might need to consider introducing or expanding flexible work arrangements. Depending on your type of business and industry, businesses may also need to reorganize teams and reallocate resources.

One of the adjustments businesses have to make is to implement infection protection measures. You need to create a strategy that enables employees to continue to work without endangering them. You can do this by establishing employee well-being programs and policies that support a safe working environment.

2. Identify the risks and impact of COVID-19.

As a business, it's vital that you stay updated on the latest news and regulations put into place by government officials. This also provides you with more information to help identify the risks and overall impact COVID-19 will have on your business.

The following are possible impacts that businesses should consider:

Employees may be unable to travel to work due to travel restrictions put into place . For employees that make use of public transport, the risk of infection is much higher due to close contact with other individuals. Additionally, since schools are officially closed, many parents may be unable to attend work due to childcare issues.

Employees may be prohibited from attending work . In the case of national shutdowns, employees will be unable to enter workspaces.

A visible slowdown in sales. During a national shutdown, customers will be unable to purchase services and products, which will lead to a rapid decrease in sales.

Additional costs for hiring temporary employees . Depending on the type of business or industry you're based in, you may need to continue work during a national shutdown. This will generally require essential employees only and if essential employees are diagnosed with COVID-19, you will need to consider hiring temporary employees.

Diminished workforce performance. If your employees are forced to work remotely but do not have access to the same quality of resources and technology, you could see a decrease in productivity.

Additional cost of establishing a remote workforce. As mentioned above, you may need to put resources in place to help employees maintain the same level of functionality. However, this will cost your business as employees might require special equipment, communication devices, and software.

Your business might be forced to close down. If your business does not provide essential services and cannot afford a remote workforce, you will have to close down during lockdowns. This could result in unpaid time off, especially for businesses like restaurants, salons, and bars.

3. Establish open and transparent communication.

Employees will look towards their community leaders, government officials, and employers for guidance during these uncertain times. Therefore, it's important that you encourage open dialogue with your employees and be as transparent as possible.

Leave as little to interpretation as possible . Employees will expect clear and straightforward steps that they can follow. When setting up your continuity plan, consider the diverse perspectives of your employees and which communication platforms will best suit their needs. This will help you determine how detailed your plan should be.

Establish a communications plan that provides employees, senior management, customers, suppliers, and government regulators with regular updates . Make sure your updates stem from verifiable news sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

4. Reshape your business plans for continuity purposes.

As the impact of COVID-19 continues to reshape the way businesses operate, it's critical that you review existing business plans, including your current business continuity plan and business disaster recovery plan.

To help address the COVID-19 challenges, businesses should:

Monitor direct cost escalations . This should also include the COVID-19 impact on overall product margins, which may require businesses to renegotiate terms and conditions where necessary. Businesses may be vulnerable to financial stress and long-term implications if they are slow to react.

Consider alternative supply chain options. If your business needs to source products or materials but the supplier is based in areas significantly affected by COVID-19, consider looking for alternative options. Remember to maintain active communication with all suppliers.

Identify how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts budgets and business plans. Start by conducting assessments with multiple scenarios to understand the potential impact on your business's overall performance. After detailing how long the impact is expected to last, and how it affects suppliers and budget predictions, revise your business's plans.

Look into alternative funding. Many businesses will face the issue of short-term capital demands. Based on your findings from the business plans assessment, you might need to look at near-term capital raising, short-term liquidity, debt refinancing, or additional credit support from banks, partners, or investors.

5. Prioritize key business functions and processes.

Start by identifying the key products and services your business provides, as well as the customers they're delivered to. This will help determine which high-risk areas are vulnerable, outline dependencies, and estimate the potential financial losses your business may face. Then, prioritize which business functions require additional attention.

6. Make use of support policies and funding.

Across the U.S., local governments and organizations have implemented several financial, social insurance, and tax-related policies to help support small businesses during this time. It is important to note that government support may differ based on your location and industry.

Monitor nationwide government and business opportunities that could support your business during this period. For example, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing low-interest working capital loans to small businesses and non-profit organizations.

7. Review and revise your business strategy.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled, you should consider reshaping your entire business strategy. This should include an assessment of all plans, including marketing, communications, and BCP. Your current revision will be done quickly and somewhat under duress as the situation continues to change dramatically.

If your assessment reveals any deficiencies, you will need to identify:

  • Root causes.
  • Timeliness of action.
  • Lack of infrastructure.
  • Labor shortages.
  • External environment issues.

Once this is complete, consider putting new internal guidelines, plans, and policies in place based on the lessons learned. This will help you better respond to future crises and pandemics.

What is a Mission Statement?

Learn what makes a Mission Statement unique, and how to write one. Includes frequently asked questions about Mission Statements.

Mar 4, 2022

What is included in a COVID-19 business continuity plan?

  • Policies that address various types of natural disasters.
  • Processes that must be followed during this time.
  • Guidelines that detail the business processes, assets, human resources, business partners, and more.
  • An outline of the risks the business faces and how it will impact operations.
  • Safeguards and processes to help mitigate the risks.

How do I prepare my business for COVID-19?

  • Prioritize your employees' safety .
  • Identify the risks and impact of COVID-19 .
  • Establish open and transparent communication .
  • Reshape your business plans for continuity purposes .
  • Prioritize key business functions and processes .
  • Make use of support policies and funding .
  • Review and revise your business strategy .

Where can I find a COVID-19 business continuity plan template?

Download our COVID-19 business continuity plan template for free.

business continuity management covid 19

Continuity in crisis: How to run effective business services during COVID-19

What’s happening.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a serious threat to people, businesses and economies across the world.  Gartner’s recent Business Continuity Survey  shows just 12 percent of organizations are highly prepared for the impact of coronavirus. Smart leaders must focus on how they can best protect their people, serve their customers and stabilize business continuity.

During times of crisis,  business operations —the intelligence engine of an organization—are more important than ever. Business continuity and disaster recovery plans are being tested by rapidly evolving challenges, such as travel restrictions, and as large-scale  remote working  becomes a reality.

of organizations are highly prepared for the impact of coronavirus, according to Gartner’s recent Business Continuity Survey.

of senior executives rarely update their operating model, according to initial data from an ongoing Intelligent Operations survey by Accenture and Oxford Economics.

Organizations must respond rapidly and robustly to maintain business continuity. Accenture recommends the following:

business continuity management covid 19

PREVENT: What to do now

Take immediate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of employees. Prioritize actions that put your people first and exploit the capabilities that global business services offer:

  • Enable people to work and connect with colleagues from diverse and secure locations and create safe working environments through regular sanitization.
  • De-densify workspaces, curb large meetings and ensure that protocols are followed in canteens, elevators and areas of common use. Limit all non-essential business travel and client visits and align with local health and safety guidelines.

business continuity management covid 19

PREPARE: What to do next

Identify priority processes and establish a command center. Take actions to meet the needs of your key stakeholders:

  • Identify priorities and critical processes, including functions such as employee payroll, healthcare and supply chain (to keep goods moving and services ongoing); also, highly important processes and other services such as payments, and necessary services in healthcare, insurance and banking.
  • Establish a  command center  for a virtual workforce to measure quality, productivity, compliance, insights and intelligence, people engagement and workforce well-being.

business continuity management covid 19

PREDICT: What to do for the longer term

Be proactive and create a customer-oriented plan that is sustainable. Prioritize actions that help you pre-empt the impact of volatility:

  • Bring together highly skilled, distributed teams that can log in anytime, anywhere and deliver on customer commitments at scale.
  • Build a broader ecosystem around the organization’s workforce to enable collaboration across a broader set of priorities—including healthcare and childcare. This will lead to improved morale and engagement levels resulting in better business outcomes.
Remember, empathetic leadership and communications are two key areas that aid human resilience in difficult times.

business continuity management covid 19

Where next?

Here are five ways to help your organization achieve intelligent, resilient operations:

business continuity management covid 19

1. Establish a resilient culture

Organizations should continue to execute work in a collaborative manner—with critical knowledge workers augmented by digital capabilities.

business continuity management covid 19

2. Create broader ecosystems based on social collaboration

Move beyond employee workspaces to broader ecosystems that employees can access, such as healthcare or childcare.

business continuity management covid 19

3. Employ agile, elastic workplace models

The best combination of  working from home and the office , depending on the nature and type of work and relevant skills required, can be enabled by technology, data, security and  cloud  computing.

business continuity management covid 19

4. Build a human+machine workforce

Make transactional processes more digital and focus on value-led, proactive operations driven by data and analytics to reduce stress on operations.

business continuity management covid 19

5. Adopt a distributed global services model

Use a mixture of service models to de-risk the organization in a volatile world. Distributed global services mean that high performance can be delivered anytime, anywhere.

Client case studies

As the situation unfolds, we will continuously update our materials, so please check back regularly.

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business continuity management covid 19

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business continuity management covid 19

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Business Continuity Planning in COVID-19

What to do if you had no plan or if your plan isn't working

business continuity management covid 19

The purpose of a business continuity plan is to ensure that your business is able to survive a critical incident. It permits an immediate response to crisis in order to shorten recovery time and mitigate impact. This pandemic has presented a "critical incident" for the world like no other. With unknown reach and duration, worldwide implications and no precedent to accurately base projections, it is fair to say we are in unchartered territories.

As the world reacts to COVID-19, it is likely not an ideal time for management to focus on developing complex business continuity plans. However, some key business continuity planning points may help your organization enhance its recovery time and trajectory. Once you are on your way through the recovery phase of this pandemic, you can then begin the exercise of reviewing and renewing your business continuity plan - using the lessons learned from COVID-19 to bolster your plan, increase efficiencies and allow you to respond more efficiently to future critical incidents.

While you consider the basics of business continuity planning - keep in mind that in order to succeed, you should prioritize critical business activities, stabilize cash flow, extend financial resources to keep operational and maintain your reputation.

How do business continuity plans help

A business continuity plan functions in phases:

business continuity management covid 19

Prevention is built upon the risk management principles of identify, analyze, evaluate and treat your risks. Preparedness focuses on analyzing the impact of events on an organization. It helps prioritize key functions, personnel, equipment, offerings and activities that could be impacted by a critical incident. Response is a plan detailing the list of steps to take immediately before (if possible), during and following an incident in order to contain, control and minimize impacts. Finally, recovery planning is the organization's roadmap to minimize disruption and reduce the amount of time it takes to achieve recovery.

Although it is reasonable to conclude that we are in the response phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, for many organizations, the stages of the crisis associated with this pandemic are just picking up speed. Meaning, there is still time to consider all four of the phases - prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

1. Prevention

Consider the risks that your organization could face in the months ahead - do not stop with the obvious ones; dig deep, speak to employees and to stakeholders, look at competitors and at similar industries. For example, if your business has been designated an essential service, you have likely considered the health and safety concerns and may have provided staff with personal protective equipment (PPE); however, the use of PPE also creates additional risks like the issue of its acquisition - is there sufficient supply of PPE? Do you have multiple distributors in case one source is not available? If not, can you find alternate sources?

As you identify your risks, review your service lines one by one and consider how they might operate in this COVID-19 environment. Think critically about what might go wrong so that you are prepared should those eventualities occur. It is also important to have a plan in the event that one of your employees show symptoms of/tests positive for COVID-19 - including, employee self-reporting, income compensation programs or availability, corporate reporting obligations, self-isolation requirements, notification protocols. The employee self-reporting requirements should be communicated to all employees and updated in accordance with PHAC guidance.

While it may seem like a simple or obvious task, it can be quite difficult to identify all the risks that your organization may be facing - particularly in the first months of a global pandemic that could impact the world economy beyond anything we have experienced in our lifetimes.

business continuity management covid 19

When thinking about your risks, you can use various risk identification tools to help with the brainstorming. One such tool is the risk quadrant. As you identify your initial strategic, operational, financial and hazard risks, you can then consider how each of these individual risks will snowball to create others. Each risk that you identify can trigger multiple secondary risks, each of which need to be considered. We have prepared a non-exhaustive list of risks organizations could be facing as a result of this pandemic, which can be found here . This is a general list and does not reflect all of the risks that your organization may be confronted with. It may also include risks that are not applicable to your organization. It is meant purely as a list to provoke thought and assist you in the development of your own list of corporate risks.

Once you have identified your risks, analyze them for likelihood and impact. Make a heat map, list every risk you have identified on your map and continuously update it as you move forward. This exercise will help you determine which risks you should address first and prioritize your focus moving forward.

business continuity management covid 19

Evaluate the consequences of these risks materializing and think of ways you can mitigate - or treat - these risks. For example, do you rely entirely on one supplier? What happens if that supplier closes its doors? Can you start diversifying your supply chain now so that if one supplier is impacted you can rely on others? Have a clear plan of action for every identified risk. This will help you navigate the unpredictable.

Given that one of the key risks facing all organizations is the financial implication of the pandemic, look at your short-term liquidity. Become more disciplined in your cash flow monitoring so that you can react quickly to reduce unnecessary exposures. Reduce or eliminate all non-essential expenses and look at ways to raise capital. Monitor supply chain issues that could result in operational and financial exposures that could cripple your business unless remediation measures are implemented. If you would like more information regarding government funding programs please go here .

As you are addressing risks during COVID-19, look to your existing contracts, leases and insurance policies. In your contracts and leases, look for force majeure, delay, relief and excusable conditions clauses. As you work with stakeholders through this process, renegotiate contracts wisely - be on the alert for cost escalations, long-term obligations and contingencies that may be out of your control.

2. Preparedness

What is your organization's critical business activity? Who are your critical personnel? What are the vital elements of your supply chain? Answering these questions is critical to conducting a business impact analysis.

Have contingency plans in place for modifying your activities going forward. You may not be able to offer services the way you previously did - virtually instead of in person? delivery instead of on-site? Maybe you will change the services that you offer entirely - producing hand sanitizer instead of beer? building ventilators instead of vacuums? Consider these eventualities so that you are positioned to transition when necessary.

Should you need to transition, be aware of the added risks that come with these changes, update your heat map and re-evaluate your mitigation steps to ensure that you are protected once these changes come into effect.

Also, ensure that you identify and source all the resources necessary to support these key activities. If possible, do so before you need to transition.

Should you be unable to perform your key activities (or source alternatives), consider what the impact would be on your business. Is there any mitigating measure you could put in place to reduce that impact? Are there any forms of assistance that you can make use of to prolong your business' survival?

As for your key personnel, make sure that you have delegates who can step in should they become incapacitated. Have key information, including plans (business continuity, incident response, recovery), policies (insurance, corporate), financial data, key agreements and contact lists available, such that the delegates have access to the key information necessary to keep your business running. This information is often found in a corporate emergency tool kit. If you do not have an emergency tool kit in place already, start compiling one such that should a key personnel handoff become necessary, the emergency tool kit can act as the delegate's guidebook forward.

3. Response

Your incident response plan is your roadmap of what to do in the face of a critical incident. These plans vary based upon the triggering event, your organization's size, structure and business activity.

First is activation: who has authority to activate the plan and in what circumstances.

Second is team: who is involved in the response. Depending on the size of your organization, this may range from all hands on deck to a select portion of the leadership team. Large organizations may have sub-groups charged with various elements of the plan. The key personnel should also have alternates in the event they become incapacitated. If your organization has various departments, it is important to have representatives from the legal, finance and human resources departments. It is also helpful to have a person appointed as secretary to record discussions and track all action items.

Third is communication. This is both an internal and external issue. On the internal side, the plan must address how all members of your organization receive communication in various circumstances. Do you have an emergency communication mechanism (like "Send Word Now") to send updates to employees in a crisis? Is there a contact list with all employees' personal phone and email addresses? Externally, you should have a list of all emergency services you may need to reach, all customers and clients who you might need to access and all suppliers and producers who you may be relying upon.

Fourth is recording. You should have an event log to record all relevant information, decisions and actions taken during the crisis. This will be an invaluable tool when addressing any liability concerns raised during the crisis (breach of contract, employment disputes, health & safety allegations, privacy breaches, etc.) but also as a debriefing tool to use once the dust settles and you are able to reflect on what was done well and what could have been done better. This log will prove very important as you create or renew your business continuity plan post-pandemic.

4. Recovery

As we push through this crisis, think of the recovery phase. Your recovery plan will assist you to respond effectively so that you can minimize loss and reduce the time necessary for recovery. The basic question asked in your recovery planning is "how will you get your business back in line after a crisis".

Timing: Consider the realistic amount of time it would take your business to recover from being unable to engage in its critical business activities (as identified in the business impact analysis). You may have multiple critical business activities depending up on the nature of your operations and, if that is the case, each one should have its own recovery timeframe.

Strategies: Consider what your business needs to operate and develop strategies that prioritize the key elements of your operation. Some sample strategies:

  • Retrieve your emergency tool kit (or collect all of the information that should be in the kit);
  • Identify a recovery team or teams: identify key people who are tasked with focusing on the recovery of individual aspects of the business;
  • Communicate: keep communication open, frequent and transparent with internal and external stakeholders;
  • Identify Alternatives: look at what you need to keep your operation running and identify alternative suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, locations, facilities, equipment, etc. that you could use in order to keep operational;
  • Keep operational: consider ways to reduce operating costs and/or increase alternate sources of cash flow so that your business can survive through the crisis;
  • Monitor the process using a checklist: this checklist reminds you to do all the things you should be during the crisis (recording information, communicating information, contacting the right people, seeking support from all available resources, obtaining tax advise and assistance, and reviewing your recovery). Gowling WLG's checklist can be provided to you upon request to Gowling WLG partner Jahmiah Ferdinand-Hodkin.

As it pertains to COVID-19, this recovery plan will gear you towards the questions of when and how you will be returning to normal business operations and what that "new normal" may look like for your organization. As there are so many unknowns at present, this plan may include multiple contingencies that you can narrow as various government decisions and funding programs are announced.

What to do now

If you do not have a plan or your plan isn't working, please do consider these steps, tricks and tools to help you navigate this crisis. These tools can be implemented by organization presently closed as well as those operating as essential services. For additional information regarding how to bolster your business continuity plan and manage incidents as you move though this pandemic, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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The role of business continuity management during COVID-19 - Did business continuity planning pay off?

Business Continuity Management

Did business continuity planning pay off?

For organisations that continued to operate throughout the pandemic, it is interesting to see whether having a business continuity plan (BCP)  actually helped them in the response to the crisis – with various surveys conducted throughout this challenging period.

Around a quarter of businesses surveyed in February 2020 were only just developing their first ever business continuity plan in response to the COVID-19 outbreak 1 , and by June 2020, 21% admitted that they still didn’t have a pandemic plan and process in place 2 .

Organisations with a well-established business continuity capability have generally been able to achieve a swifter activation of remote work and other required contingencies. For example, their BCP has provided a framework for incident management and decision making, critical IT staff and networks were ready to respond, and altered work areas were quickly leveraged to achieve social distancing.

While some BCPs required amendments, having a defined plan in place gave organisations a basis from which to define their response.

What happens from here?

A year of an altered working environments has brought a number of predictions for business and operating models. These include an increase in remote working (treated as the ‘norm’ where it may not have been embraced before), an increase in robotics and automation, especially in industries with a high reliance on site-based staff, and the diversification and localisation of supply chains. In a report created by the Business Continuity Institute, for example, it was highlighted that fewer than half of organisations surveyed had an adequate contingency plan in place to protect their supply chain and over 57% of organisations are looking to diversify their supplier base post-pandemic, in many cases reducing their reliance on the Far East (29.9%) 3 .

Data also shows that 95% of businesses said they will assess whether they need to revisit their enterprise risk management  framework and continuity plans as a result of COVID-19 4 and 45% of SMEs creating or changing continuity plans say they need to improve their risk assessment practices 5 . Another key consideration is identifying critical products/services that must be delivered in a crisis – a concern for 33% of SMEs 6 .

As we enter the next phase of the pandemic, the decisions made by organisations will define their future – particularly decisions around managing risk and business continuity.

How Gallagher can help

We have experienced and qualified BCM specialists within our Risk Management Solutions team who can assist you in all aspects of business continuity. This can range from initial business continuity plan development , through various types of exercise, to reviews and gap analyses of mature BCM programmes.

1. https://www.me.mercer.com/newsroom/covid-19-companies-have-no-businesscontinuity- plan-to-combat-coronavirus-outbreak.html 2. https://www.internationalsos.com/news-releases/second-wave-of-covid-19-feared-asleading- threat-to-business-continuity-jun-09-2020 3. https://www.thebci.org/news/3-out-of-4-supply-chains-adversely-affected-bycovid- 19.html 4. https://www.avetta.com/sites/default/files/2020-12/THE%20COVID-19%20EFFECT.pdf 5. https://www.trinet.com/about-us/news-press/press-releases/trinet-and-the-harrispoll-reveal-survey-results-highlighting-covid-19-preparedness-and-resiliency-of-smalland-medium-size-businesses 6. https://www.trinet.com/about-us/news-press/press-releases/trinet-and-the-harrispoll-reveal-survey-results-highlighting-covid-19-preparedness-and-resiliency-of-smalland-medium-size-businesses

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Best practices for updating your business continuity plan during COVID-19

business continuity management covid 19

In recent weeks, circumstances surrounding the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic have prompted many businesses in the financial services industry to revisit and update their business continuity and pandemic plans. An effective business continuity plan (BCP) is a necessary tool to guide your organization through unexpected scenarios and ensure no disruption of service to your customers.  

Lessons Learned from COVID-19  

One of the most critical lessons from COVID-19 is the importance of effective business continuity planning. A BCP reflects the time and effort your institution has put forth, and there is no substitute for a thorough and tested plan. As your institution continues responding to the COVID-19 situation, ensure your BCP is up to date and comprehensive with the following best practices.  

  • Identifying gaps: If your BCP is not regularly reviewed, gaps in your plan or processes can easily develop, and your institution should identify and create responses to address these gaps. For example, most plans likely included the provision that most employees should work remotely in the event of a pandemic. However, that requires businesses to test virtual private network (VPN) connections and coordinate logistics, including plans for those employees who don’t use laptops or have required technology at home. Many businesses were recently forced to confront those IT issues quickly as they adapted operations in response to COVID-19, showing that identifying potential gaps is a critical step.
  • Responding to Unique Scenarios: There is no silver bullet when it comes to continuity planning—an institution’s BCP should be formulated on a case-by-case basis. Every organization has different scenarios to consider and respond to, especially during an event like COVID-19. For example, some institutions chose to take employees’ temperatures as a precaution against inadvertently spreading the virus, making it necessary to include information about Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) rules and state specific privacy regulations in the BCP. Organizations should also include plans and procedures addressing potential changes to business operations in response to unexpected events, including identifying essential workers for your institution.  
  • Maintaining Communication: In response to COVID-19, many financial institutions are closing their lobbies, reducing hours or encouraging the use of digital banking channels. These changes should be clearly and consistently communicated to employees and customers. Employees need updates on business operations and policies, while customers need information about accessing bank facilities and their accounts, making deposits and obtaining loans. Open communication will ensure that all parties stay engaged and aware of relevant updates, which is especially important in an evolving pandemic situation.  
  • Revisiting Strategic Plans: Since most strategic plans include specific goals set before an unexpected event, your institution should revisit those plans and adjust accordingly after experiencing disruption. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, many organizations are undergoing impromptu strategic planning to update their plans based on operational and business changes, and institutions should also consider an increased demand for certain products and services, such as digital banking, during the planning process.

Preparing for Future Pandemics

Though a BCP and a pandemic plan have distinct differences, the global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of planning for both. Health experts have discussed the possibility of COVID-19 returning in the fall, so businesses should begin planning for this outcome during the upcoming summer months. Consider addressing these important topics as your institution begins reviewing your pandemic plan.  

  • Coordinate with Vendors: When planning, businesses must communicate not only with employees and customers, but also with critical vendors. If your institution relies on a vendor to help provide an essential product or service and the vendor experiences a disruption, your operations—and customers—will be affected. If you haven’t already done so, your institution should plan to acquire feedback from critical vendors on their specific action plans. This also applies to third-party and even fourth-party vendors.  
  • Anticipatory Planning: Your pandemic plan should also include processes for tracking employees and any potential impact that absences could have on day-to-day operations. If an employee contracted the virus during a pandemic, how would your operations be affected? By identifying back-ups for essential employees and systems, your institution can avoid disruption. Don’t wait until your business is confronted with an unexpected situation—act now to ensure your customers will continue to be served if key individuals cannot work.  
  • Changing Business Needs: When updating your pandemic plan, your institution should consider how a pandemic could affect your day-to-day operations. Because of COVID-19, many customers are relying on digital banking solutions . Institutions should consider how they will service and setup accounts for customers who have been slow to adopt digital banking, all while complying with necessary regulations. Additionally, institutions should develop a documented strategy to scale response efforts accordingly.  
  • Cyber Insurance: With cybercriminals preying on fear and panic during a pandemic, cyber insurance is an important component in protecting your institution and customers, but there are a variety of factors that must be considered. For example, if your institution has retained a forensic investigator, were plans made to have the investigator approved by your insurance company? Your institution should also consider whether your insurance includes coverage for only a certain number of customers impacted versus only a certain dollar amount. Or does it cover both? Another consideration is whether your insurance covers specific services, such as credit monitoring protection for customers affected.  
  • FFIEC Guidance: The Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council (FFIEC) updated its Business Continuity Management Booklet in 2019 , which is a useful resource for business continuity planning and also includes information on pandemics .  

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is changing the landscape of banking, and your institution must be ready to adapt. A strong BCP and pandemic plan will allow your institution to focus on developing new business opportunities and serving your customers.

Keith Monson

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Business continuity management lessons learned from COVID-19

Affiliations.

  • 1 New World Resilience.
  • 2 American Tire Distributors.
  • PMID: 35619223

This paper reviews how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted established best practices in the field of business continuity management (BCM). It reviews the lessons learned and provides suggestions on how business continuity programmes need to evolve in order to reflect the changed landscape. By walking through the BCM life cycle, the paper considers the various changes required at each phase of the BCM programme.

Publication types

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Disaster Planning*

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Business continuity, disaster readiness and performance in COVID-19 outbreak aftermath: A survey

Jamal el baz.

⁎ Ibn Zohr University, ERRETLOG, BP 32/S, Riad Salam, CP 80000, Agadir, Morocco

Salomée Ruel

⁎⁎ KEDGE Business School, MOSI – Sustainability Excellence Center, 680 cours de la Libération, 334 05 Talence, France

Anchored in the COVID-19 context, this research seeks to examine the role of business continuity practices in improving both disaster readiness and business performance. A survey of 322 French firms was conducted and data were analyzed using structural equation modelling. The findings corroborate the postulates of resource-based view and organizational information processing theories regarding business continuity practices in COVID-19 context. Firms that improve their disaster readiness ( B = .243; p-value=.008**) and their business continuity practices ( B =.173; p-value=.038*) are more capable of enhancing their performance. The findings raise some questions regarding the validity of the preexisting knowledge on business continuity and disaster readiness in the context of COVID-19.

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Business Continuity Planning in a Post-COVID-19 World

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In the months since the first news reports about a mysterious “pneumonia strain” — now known as the “novel Coronavirus” — were first flagged from Wuhan, China, the outbreak has left the world reeling. It is not just individuals who have been badly hit. National economies, governments, and businesses too have been counting the (many) costs of the crisis — costs that are unlikely to abate anytime soon.

Furthermore, national lockdowns, social-distancing rules, and other restrictions (traveling, working from home, etc.) have badly damaged several industries in countries worldwide. Major industrial production chains have ground to a halt which has led to massive falls in industrial production. Many industries have been massively hit where it hurts most — their bottom lines. For all these reasons and more, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that the global economy will shrink by 3% in 2020. No wonder it is believed that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a “crisis like no other.”

Now, if the global economic situation is so gloomy, should organizations even bother to continue business operations? Assuming the answer is YES (and how can it not be? Commerce makes the world go round, after all!), what do organizations need to do in order to do so? Can Business Continuity Planning (BCP) help them keep going in the face of this crisis, or is it a case of “too little, too late”?

Business Continuity Planning: Showing the Way Forward

The answer to the last question is: Of course, BCP can help, and it is definitely not a case of “too little, too late”! Organizations that realize this will be better prepared to deal with the many more challenges COVID-19 is sure to throw in their path over the coming months.

According to the Disaster Recovery Journal , business continuity is “the strategic and tactical capability of the organization to plan for, and respond to incidents and business disruptions in order to continue business operations at an acceptable predefined level.”

A BCP ensures that in the event of a crisis, the organization is prepared to continue business operations with minimal impact or downtime. But BCP looks beyond dealing with the current crisis in the short term. It takes into account a number of factors and linkages and considers what will be required to keep the business going in the future. In addition, it also:

  • Helps to build customer trust and confidence
  • Helps build confidence among the company workforce and leadership
  • Provides a competitive advantage over organizations who do not do it
  • Supports legal requirements and provides other compliance benefits
  • Mitigates business and financial risk
  • Improves organizational decision-making
  • Preserves brand equity and reputation

Conversely, failure to implement a BCP will affect a company’s crisis-preparedness, which in turn will disrupt its operations, increase the risk of financial loss, raise the probability of noncompliance with legal and statutory norms, and even adversely affect its brand image and market reputation.

COVID-19 is no longer simply a vague threat on the future horizon but a massive crisis in the present moment. However, a BCP can still help organizations deal with its effects today and mitigate its effects in the future.

In fact, rather than “too little, too late,” a BCP is more about “better late than never” — even if resolving the current crisis feels like a Sisyphean undertaking!

The COVID-19 Crisis: An Opportunity to Learn

In the midst of such an all-encompassing crisis, businesses would do well to learn some lessons from it and utilize these learnings to develop their Business Continuity Plan.

Here are five such lessons that will prepare them for current as well as future crises:

1. Actions taken today can and will determine future success. Smart, pragmatic organizations do not simply complain about the crisis, or wait passively for someone else (say, the Government) to solve the problems it has created for them. Instead, they take quick action to understand the repercussions of the crisis on their business, and then gather all relevant “data points” to design their Business Continuity Plan. They then leverage the BCP to ensure that their operations continue with no (or at least minimal) impact on their topline or bottom-line.

2. The future has changed, but it is not necessarily bleak. “Business as usual” is a nice “theoretical” concept, but COVID-19 has changed the world in such unprecedented ways that the definition of “usual” itself has changed. Consequently, the way business is done, and the way businesses operate need to evolve. Organizations that think about these issues are able to create a BCP that can effectively deal with these changes with minimal disruptions. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!

3. Crisis management is not and never has been a “oneman show.” A number of entities are cooperating closely to combat COVID-19 and its effects. The lesson here is in realizing that managing a crisis and mitigating its effects — an effort that requires BCP — can be best achieved when multiple parties pool their resources together in pursuance of a common goal. Only then can they find a feasible solution for everyone involved or affected by the crisis.

4. You can never be “too” prepared. Business is not and should never be a “play it by the ear” game. Although it is impossible for anyone to predict the future, it is possible to look back on past crises, review current realities, and use this information to create a workable future plan. Businesses that make this effort are better able to successfully deal with whatever it throws at them.

Keep reading to know more about the value of “proactive” and “predictive” decision-making in Business Continuity Planning!

5. Alternatives are available — the key is to look for them. It is important to understand the available alternatives and make the most of them. This requires resourcefulness, a quality that differentiates organizations able to weather storms from organizations that simply fold under at the first sign of trouble. A BCP forces organizations to harness their resourcefulness so they can deal with any surprises the crisis throws up — even the nasty ones.

Business Continuity Planning: The Importance of Predictive and Proactive Decision-making

The best way to deal with chaos in the future is to be prepared today. A crisis like COVID-19 requires ingenuity and decisive action. Equally important, it requires proactive thinking and decision-making, not reactive approaches and non-agile business models. These qualities and benefits are what BCP tries to bring to the fore.

A proactive organization has proactive leaders who are able to study trends, critique (and criticize) their own decisions, and find ways to convert challenges into opportunities. They invest time (and money) in preparing for future crises and in planning their possible responses. They also make use of data to get better insights about their performance and about the landscape they operate in, in order to improve their decision-making.

The use of predictive tools and technology is an important aspect of proactive organizational behavior and informs Business Continuity Planning to a large extent. One such technology is of course, Artificial Intelligence. In fact, AI is becoming an important aspect of business continuity, affecting it in several positive ways:

  • It helps predict potential threats and outcomes, often with a very high degree of accuracy.
  • It can suggest precautionary measures that an organization can take to prevent a disaster or at least to mitigate its effects.
  • It can strengthen incident response processes, automate disaster recovery, and minimize unplanned downtime.
  • It offers insights that can help with the design of effective disaster recovery strategies.
  • It can “learn” from past and current crises, and intelligently analyze this information to provide protection from future problems.

business continuity management covid 19

Business Continuity Planning: Proven Best Practices

A particular organization’s Business Continuity Plan will probably look very different from the Business Continuity Plans of other organizations, even those that operate in the same business area, industry, or country. This is why, it is not possible to create a general BCP “template” that applies to every organization, everywhere.

However, there are certain BCP best practices that have worked well in the past for organizations of all types and sizes, and there is no reason why they will not work well in the future as well.

Here are five such best practices or “rules of thumb”:

1. Start by doing a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) A BIA helps you look at your organization’s processes and determine which are most critical to keep operations going. It also determines which areas are vulnerable and identifies the costs of a sudden loss of these functions. This information can provide an excellent starting point to setting goals, identifying objectives, making priorities, and designing the actual BCP.

2. Identify the main “levers” of your BCP Before you develop a BCP, identify its scope. What will it cover? What will it not? Also, identify key business areas, critical functions, and dependencies between them all. If possible, determine an “acceptable” level of downtime for each process and a strategy to deal with downtime that goes beyond this level. Include checklists with information about key personnel, emergency responders, critical vendors, the location of data backups, and everything else that may be required to maintain operations close to pre-crisis levels.

3. Prioritize Simplify business continuity with a “tiered” approach. Prioritize the most important processes and applications that must be recovered first. Design your plan so that any backup and other supporting infrastructure for these specific processes become available first. In addition, identify obsolete or unneeded applications so that you can optimize the use of precious resources with minimal wastage.

4. Test your plan A controlled testing strategy can provide an opportunity to identify gaps in the BCP and implement improvements before a crisis strikes. Identify challenging scenarios and test your plan at regular intervals. Common tests include structured walkthroughs with drills and disaster role-playing, disaster simulation testing with relevant equipment, supplies and personnel, and table-top exercises which involve team brainstorming and ideation for plan improvement.

5. Get organizational buy-in at every level Management buy-in is crucial to formalize and evangelize a BCP. Instead of just stating the benefits of a BCP, focus on the potential costs of not having a BCP. The workforce should also be made aware of the BCP. Only then will they be able to react appropriately during a crisis.

Simplifying Business Continuity with ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 22301

The best way to deal with chaos in the future is to be prepared today. And this is what BCP is all about.

In 2012, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a new standard for Business Continuity Management (BCM). This standard, ISO 22301, can be used by organizations of all sizes and types. It emphasizes the need for timely escalations as well as transparent communications. ISO 22301-certified organizations can demonstrably prove to government legislators, regulatory bodies, customers, prospects, and other interested stakeholders that they are adhering to good BCM practices and can maintain operational continuity in the event of a disaster. An organization can use ISO 22301 to measure itself against good/standard BCP/BCM practices, and to design a well-defined incident response structure.

Another standard, the ISO/IEC 27001, speaks particularly of the “information security aspects of Business Continuity Management.” It determines whether an organization’s information security ecosystem supports the continuance of its operations and helps certified organizations demonstrate that cyber security is a top priority for them.

ISO 22301 is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and has many of the same management elements as ISO/IEC 27001. These include documentation control, internal audit, corrective actions, management review as well as training and awareness. This means that an organization that has implemented these elements for ISO/IEC 27001 is also fully compliant with ISO 22301. Furthermore, some other elements of ISO/IEC 27001, such as risk management are fully compatible with ISO 22301. Since both information security and business continuity protect the availability of information, ISO/IEC 27001 includes business continuity controls in its Annex A. Thus, since many of the elements of ISO 22301 are the same as in ISO/IEC 27001, organizations can implement both standards at the same time.

To make ISO 22301 work well for them, organizations must first thoroughly understand its requirements. They must also realize that BCM and BCP are ongoing processes that require competent people with appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience to respond to incidents when they occur. Strong leadership is also required to ensure that strong support systems and robust organizational structures are provided that will perform appropriately as and when needed. The organization must also undertake Business Impact Analysis and Risk Assessment to understand how the business could be affected by disruption and use this information to develop a strong business continuity strategy.

Adapting to the New Normal

Everyone is talking about how COVID-19 has led to the creation of a “new normal.” Without a doubt, organizations that have invested resources in Business Continuity Planning will be in a better position to adapt to this new normal than organizations that did not. A BCP can prepare organizations, regardless of their industry, to deal with potential crises and allow operations to continue despite disruptions. Of course, creating a BCP is only the first step. As already mentioned, it must be regularly tested, maintained, and whenever required, updated. Only then they will be able to take full advantage of its many benefits now and in the future.

  • Business Continuity Planning

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AlMahdi Mifdal

Al Mahdi Mifdal is an information security subject matter expert with over 12 years of senior information security compliance and consulting expertise for fortune 500 companies, cloud service providers, Silicon Valley start-ups and international companies in healthcare, technology, and critical infrastructure sectors. Al Mahdi has extensive experience managing a wide range of consulting projects (Risk Management, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Security Operations Center Design, etc.) and compliance assessments (PCI, SOC, ISO/IEC 27001, HIPAA, etc.). He currently serves as the Global ISO Assurance Practice Principal at Coalfire Systems and manages ISO assurance services and programs for clients worldwide. Al Mahdi has earned several industry-recognized certifications, including the Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Master, CISM, CISA, and PCI QSA.

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Title: Organisational factors that favour the development of the unity of effort needed to ensure organisational adaptability

Authors : Delphine Micouleau; Benoît Robert

Addresses : Industrial Engineering Department, École Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada ' Industrial Engineering Department, École Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada

Abstract : Events such as COVID-19 and the related unforeseen issues highlight the importance of adaptability for crisis management. Since this kind of situation is hard to predict, planning alone does not allow for speedy, effective emergence from the crisis. Many studies have sought to characterise adaptability and develop tools to analyse it before and after an event. However, in the case of a long-lasting event such as COVID-19, organisations must be able to analyse adaptability during the disruption in order to make the necessary adjustments. Work done by the CRP with its various industrial partners has made it possible to suggest organisational factors on which organisations can rely to support the unity of effort needed for adaptability. To promote the implementation and analysis of these factors during disruptions, the authors propose the concept of sense of coherence to execute speedy diagnostics and identify the crisis management factors that must be adjusted.

Keywords : resilience; organisational adaptability; crisis management; crisis cell; unity of effort; sense of coherence; consensus building; situational awareness; operational management requirements; OMRs; organisational constraints.

DOI : 10.1504/IJBCRM.2024.137241

International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 2024 Vol.14 No.1, pp.1 - 13

Received: 23 Nov 2022 Accepted: 05 Mar 2023 Published online: 06 Mar 2024 *

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  2. COVID-19 business continuity plan: Five ways to reshape

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  3. 6 Business Continuity Strategies to Implement Post COVID-19

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  5. Managing business continuity and finance during COVID-19

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  6. Managing business continuity and finance during COVID-19

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  8. The Global Pandemic's Affect on Business Continuity

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  9. Reduced Appetite: How COVID-19 Will Impact Future Business Continuity

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  10. Business Continuity Planning in COVID-19

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  11. The role of business continuity management during COVID-19

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    This paper reviews how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted established best practices in the field of business continuity management (BCM). It reviews the lessons learned and provides suggestions on how business continuity programmes need to evolve in order to reflect the changed landscape. By walking through the BCM life cycle, the paper considers the various changes required at each phase of ...

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  17. Business continuity, disaster readiness and performance in COVID-19

    The findings corroborate the postulates of resource-based view and organizational information processing theories regarding business continuity practices in COVID-19 context. Firms that improve their disaster readiness ( B = .243; p-value=.008**) and their business continuity practices ( B =.173; p-value=.038*) are more capable of enhancing ...

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    2. The future has changed, but it is not necessarily bleak. "Business as usual" is a nice "theoretical" concept, but COVID-19 has changed the world in such unprecedented ways that the definition of "usual" itself has changed. Consequently, the way business is done, and the way businesses operate need to evolve.

  21. COVID-19, business continuity management and standardization: case

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  24. Specific Business Continuity Management Practices During the Covid-19

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    Abstract: Events such as COVID-19 and the related unforeseen issues highlight the importance of adaptability for crisis management. Since this kind of situation is hard to predict, planning alone does not allow for speedy, effective emergence from the crisis. ... International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 2024 Vol.14 No.1 ...