A business continuity plan is an organized set of proactive strategies that are designed to avoid disasters or other disruptions that are unexpected. The plans help companies stay clear of regulatory, financial, and reputational consequences that could harm their market value or undermine confidence of customers. The creation and management of a business continuity plan requires a significant amount of resources and expertise. Alongside IT personnel and other employees from key departments such as marketing, accounting and human resources as well as legal have to be involved in the process.

A solid business continuity strategy will include a detailed analysis of the company’s main functions. This analysis helps determine the most crucial processes and what they rely on to ensure their success. The analysis should also include an evaluation of the impact an event could have on these processes. In ideal circumstances, the business continuity plan should contain recovery procedures for each of these critical tasks.

Once read the analysis of business continuity has been completed, the organization must develop and implement its business continuity plan. The process is often complicated by the need for a balance between the business’s requirements and the limitations of its resources.

The business continuity plan must be tested regularly and kept up-to-date. The process of conducting these tests that can range from easy as tabletop exercises, or as complex as simulations of workplaces and confirms that the plan is useful and efficient. Tests can also show instances where the theoretical solutions don’t work in real-world scenarios and allow the organization to alter its procedures to accommodate. In addition, regular plan review and updates ensure that the business continuity plan is in line with the latest technologies, processes and staff.

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