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Comprehensive BCP
Development
The Issue | What You Should Know | How Can EMSS Help?
The Issue
Every year, emergencies take their toll on businesses worldwide. Fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, violence in the workplace, loss of computer files, or something as small as a broken sprinkler head can create havoc, downtime, and cost millions. How your enterprise reacts to an emergency can make a difference to the continued success of the company. Businesses that develop and maintain continuity plans can limit injuries, return to work more quickly, and reduce financial loss. Having a plan enables them to:
- Respond to emergencies in an organized and practiced manner.
- Ensure that critical business functions continue to operate regardless of the event.
- Identify the people, places, things, communications, authorities, and actions that need to be performed.
- Respond effectively and adapt quickly to the changing circumstances of an emergency.
A Business Continuity Plan is a management-approved document and process that defines resources and tasks required to recover functions critical to the survival of an organization within an acceptable timeframe following a business interruption. In other words, it’s what a company needs to do, and in what timeframe, to “get back on its feet” following a disruption to its business. BCPs focus on the business aspects of the company.
A Business Continuity Plan should not be confused with a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP). A Disaster Recovery Plan defines the technology resources (including telecommunications), tasks, and data required to support an organization’s Business Continuity Plan. DRPs focus on the technology aspects of the company within the guidelines of its business needs.
The following “Frequently Asked Questions” explain Business Continuity Planning further:
What is an emergency?
An emergency is any unplanned event that could cause death or injury to employees, customers or the public, shut down the business, disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage, or threaten an organization’s financial standing or public image. Emergencies could be relatively minor incidents such as loss of electrical power or short-term loss of access to the office, or it could be something that partially or completely destroys the company’s premises, such as a fire, bombing, or earthquake. An emergency could also be an event that doesn’t affect the company’s physical presence, per se, but which impacts it nonetheless, such as the public health risks associated with epidemics or pandemics.
What is the goal of a BCP?
The BCP document, and the process used to create the document, are intended to help organizations prepare to respond to a variety of incidents in an organized and professional way.
What are the key phases in the BCP planning process?
The five key phases of Business Continuity Planning are as follows:
- Phase 1: Plan Kick-off
The kick-off phase sets the stage for the rest of the process. This is where the processes that will guide the rest of the project are developed and the team that will guide the planning process is identified. A kick-off meeting with all key managers is then held. - Phase 2: Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Assessment
In this phase, the events that can result in business disruption and the impact of those events is identified. Events that can result in business disruption are identified in a Risk Assessment. The impact of that disruption is identified in a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). - Phase 3: Business Continuity Plan Development
Once the BIA and a Risk Analysis is done, this phase will develop a plan that will enable a timely and coordinated recovery of critical business functions as defined in Phase 2. - Phase 4: Incident Management Plan Development
In order for a Business Continuity Plan to be effective, there must be a well-developed management strategy that oversees the entire event process. The purpose of an Incident Management Plan (IMP) is to provide a central hub for communication, control, coordination, and collaboration during an event. - Phase 5: Plan Exercise
Although the completion of Phases 1 through 4 will result in a BCP document, the plan can’t be considered complete until it is exercised. The usual process is for the first exercise to be a ‘tabletop’ exercise, which is a practical session, intended to exercise staff in the application of the Business Continuity Plan, and ensure any gaps are identified and fixed.
The duration of a BCP project depends on many factors, including, but not limited to, the number of employees, number of physical offices, buildings, and warehouses, presence across the country or the world, complexity of the business model and functions, availability of the planning team, and support of upper management. Please contact Emergency Management & Safety Solutions for a more detailed estimate.
How can we ensure the success of the BCP project?
Regardless of who you select to guide your BCP project, your firm’s senior management must actively participate in both the planning and execution of the BCP project. They must be prepared to review and formally accept the key deliverables of the project in accordance with the project timetable.
How much does it cost to develop a BCP through these five phases?
Consulting fees vary based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to executive support, existing plans, compliance drivers, size and structure of the organization, corporate culture, and depth and breadth of the contracted scope and agreed-upon final deliverables. Please contact Emergency Management & Safety Solutions for a formal quote request.
What can our company do to prepare for an overall BCP project?
To get the most out of the project and ultimately the development of the Business Continuity Plan itself, please consider the following for your office/department:
- What key threats and risks does your business face, both physical and brand-related?
- What are your critical business processes?
- Are there any legal, reputation, or financial ramifications if services are not performed?
- How long would you or your clients accept your company being unable to conduct business for one day? For one week? For one month?
- What would be the impact to your business if you lose access to your office for a prolonged period of time?
- How would your office operate on a skeleton (i.e., 50%) staff?
- Do you have any potential single points of failure that present key risks to your department?
For example, do you have any sole-source vendors?
Any key functions that can only be performed by one specific employee? - What are delivery lead times for core infrastructure and equipment?
- What level of reliance does the business have on its IT systems?
- Do you rely on another department to give you work in order to do your job?
- Do you give work to another department that is critical to their performance?
- What are the regional or cultural differences that need to be considered between your offices, if any?
- • Do any plans currently exist? If so, what are they?
Following such standards as NFPA1600 (National Fire Protection Association Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs) and BCI (Business Continuity Institute) guidelines, Emergency Management & Safety Solutions can work with you through the process to develop a Business Continuity Plan appropriate to your specific needs.