Business continuity plan templates are available from credible disaster recovery plan website templates and business continuity consultants. These templates offer the outline structure you will need to prepare your own organization-specific plan.
With areas where you can assign risk levels to threats, emergency or crisis response information, after-effects or recovery strategies, and other pertinent data, these templates offer the most effective way to create a solid continuity plan that will reduce downtime and restore your operations quickly in the event of an untimely setback.
Utilizing these templates can significantly enhance your business continuity strategies by providing a comprehensive framework to address various disruptions.
For more information on the process of putting a detailed plan together, see the stages of performing a Business Impact Analysis, plan testing and revision, and plan implementation and periodic evaluations.
Quick Facts
- Visit sites like FEMA and Ready.gov to review their free templates.
- Visit industry-specific sites that may have a specific continuity plan template.
- Download templates offered by entities like IBM or the Business Continuity Institute.
- Templates are available from software companies that specialize in business continuity planning.
- Engage business continuity specialists to get a template customized for your needs.
What is Business Continuity Planning?
Business Continuity Planning is the process of developing a strategic guide that aids your organization in continuing or resuming essential functions during a disruptive event.
This plan is critical to your organization’s capability to endure unforeseen circumstances that may threaten the continuation of your business and reduce the downtime experienced during such an event.
A business continuity plan identifies specific actions and guides your organization in resuming business operations as quickly as possible, thus reducing the disruption’s effect on your organization.
Disaster recovery plans are a component of the overarching business continuity plan, focusing specifically on IT infrastructure and technology downtimes.
These actions or guidelines are not limited to any one type of disruption but rather cover many different scenarios, including natural disasters, cyber terrorism, or other events that may question the survival of your business.
The Nature of Business Continuity Plans
To appreciate the nature of business continuity plans, one must understand the advantages they provide.
Business continuity plans enable organizations to continue essential operations when an emergency occurs.
The Business Continuity Plan can be viewed as an offensive weapon, prepared for any attack, and demonstrating that aspect of your organization in all its forms.
When the unexpected occurs, your Business Continuity Plan will reassure employees, investors, and clients that your business is equipped to withstand the effects of the disruption and continue operating.
Presenting this type of plan demonstrates a positive aspect of your organization in that you not only appear prepared but will actually function better as a whole due to the plan’s implementation.
When major disasters and crises arise, a business continuity plan helps you allocate valuable resources to perform vital operations and maintain key essential services throughout.
With its 5 basic steps, a business continuity plan can be valuable in protecting your business’s continuity and success. By using this plan, your business will establish a resistant culture capable of adapting and overcoming setbacks that may arise unexpectedly.
Why miss out on the many advantages of a business continuity plan? Strengthen your most effective business continuity plan and reassure everyone who depends on it.
Step 1: Perform Business Impact Analysis
Before starting your business impact analysis, you must first determine key critical business functions recovery systems that keep your organization running.
You should then evaluate the risk assessments and the threats to these functions that could affect your organization.
Key Business Functions and Threats
By listing key business units, functions, and possible threats in a formal Business Impact Analysis, you will establish the groundwork for your Business Continuity Plan.
First, determine key business functions that keep your business operating. These key suppliers might include areas such as customer relations, information technology, production, supply chain, or procurement.
Second, recognize the possible threats to these functions. Examples might include natural disasters, cyber terrorism, or even human errors.
After identifying possible threats, consider how each might affect your business. For example, a data security breach could result in losing confidential customer information, decreased revenue from an operational shutdown, or a damaged company’s reputation elsewhere.
Then, prioritize these threats according to their probability and possible impact.
Step 2: Develop the Business Continuity Plan
When developing your business continuity plan, it’s important to create a detailed recovery strategy that addresses various risks and adverse situations. Developing a business continuity plan involves creating comprehensive business continuity strategies to address various risks and adverse situations.
Be sure to include plan elements such as: risk management, assessment and mitigation, emergency or other crisis management and response, communication, and recovery strategies.
Develop a Detailed Plan
Now that you are ready to begin developing your business continuity plan, it is important to create a detailed strategy for responding to and recovering from disruptive incidents.
First, identify the business continuity team members and clearly assign their respective roles and responsibilities.
All team members must know exactly what they will be expected to do should a disruptive event occur.
Second, resources must be identified to continue business operations under adverse conditions.
Outline contingency plans for vital organizational functions, including data processing and computer systems, voice, video, and wireless communications, as well as utilities such as electricity, heating and cooling, water and sewer, and other emergency management services.
Third, develop specific business continuity procedures addressing various situations and likely disruptive events that could affect your organization.
By formulating a response plan to disruptive incidents, you can effectively reduce risk and limit downtime during adverse events.
Step 3: Test and Evaluate the Plan
Testing and evaluating your business continuity plan is an important step in the development and business continuity planning process.
Simulate potential natural disasters and situations through exercises that will reveal weaknesses, allow assessment, and provide effective employee training.
Continually testing and evaluating your plan will also keep it up-to-date, updated, and relevant to your organization’s changing needs.
Test the Plan for Effectiveness
Perform exercises to simulate adverse situations and test your business continuity plan’s effectiveness. Based on the test results, identify weaknesses and improve the details of the business continuity plan example above.
Active business continuity plan testing will reveal deficiencies or poor points that could reduce the plan’s effectiveness in a disruptive event.
Exercises will help you better understand the business continuity plan’s weaknesses and strengths and allow you to make necessary adjustments to improve overall readiness. With this continuing effort, the plan will better tackle any disruptive incident your organization may face.
After each test, be sure to publicize any plan changes based on the results to ensure all employees understand their roles and responsibilities under the plan.
This will help personnel develop a sense of confidence in the strategy and allow for a more organized response to a real emergency situation.
Continually testing and evaluating the business continuity plan and making appropriate adjustments is key to keeping it relevant and effective in protecting your business.
Step 4: Actively Execute the Plan
To actively operate, effectively execute, and maintain your business continuity plan, do the following:
- Establish specific responsibilities.
- Create a set of response actions.
- Perform periodic testing.
Keep the plan relevant and effective by consistently updating it, communicating with employees and stakeholders, and ensuring compliance with regulatory agencies and internal systems.
Determining key business processes and providing employee training will be crucial to executing your plan during a disruptive incident.
Execute the Plan
Implementing a business continuity plan is the process of integrating it with your organization’s daily operations. This ensures that every phase of the plan will be executed when required.
Employee training will be critical in this effort, as they must learn their duties during a disruptive event. This increased level of awareness will also bring personnel into the plan, making them more prepared and better able to handle emergencies.
Periodically reviewing the plan with your team will also be key to keeping it relevant and effective as your business changes and grows. This continuous plan implementation cycle of executing, training, and reviewing will be vital to maintaining a solid business continuity strategy.
Ensure all personnel within your organization know the plan and understand their duties during disruptive incidents.
By actively executing the plan, you will increase your organization’s ability to resume critical operations after unexpected events or disruptions quickly.
Step 5: Annually Evaluate and Update the Plan
Evaluating and updating your business continuity plan is critical in contingency planning and process.
Plan updates should reflect organizational changes, technology, regulations, and potential threats.
Performing periodic evaluations will help identify critical functions and determine any weaknesses that should be corrected before they result in plan failures or deficiencies.
Continuous Business Continuity
The key to keeping your business continuity plan effective is in the organization’s periodic evaluation and update of the document to ensure it remains relevant and useful in protecting increasingly demanding business requirements and anticipating possible threats.
By reviewing the business continuity plan regularly, you can quickly update it to reflect changes in operations or address new or emerging threats. Continuously monitor and adjust the plan to ensure success in maintaining business operations and continuity when the unexpected occurs.
To improve its effectiveness, you should ensure that any changes in your business are reflected in the BCP. Monitor and adjust the plan often to meet constantly changing business operations and threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I write a business continuity plan template?
How do I create a BCP plan?
To create an effective BCP, identify key business functions, establish a response team, document specific actions, test frequently, and communicate with employees and stakeholders.
Templates are available for various industries and should be considered, as they offer a structured approach that addresses risks and adverse situations common to specific business areas.
Where do I start a business continuity plan?
Identify key business functions, perform business impact analysis, establish a business continuity team, create communication strategies, and conduct employee training.
These initial steps will be critical to effectively creating and implementing a detailed business continuity plan.
How do you document a business continuity plan?
Include descriptions of key business functions, possible risks, and strategies for continuing operations during disruptive incidents.
Outline response actions, communication procedures, and resource availability. Develop, test, and evaluate the plan frequently to ensure all personnel know how to execute it in emergency situations.
Conclusion
A business continuity plan template protects your organization when unexpected events or incidents occur.
Specific industry business continuity plan templates or general BCP templates can be used to develop an effective strategy that addresses organization-specific risks and adverse situations.
Be sure to evaluate and update the plan frequently to maintain its relevance and effectiveness in protecting your various business assets.
Always be prepared and keep yourself organized with the appropriate plans.
Chris Ekai is a Risk Management expert with over 10 years of experience in the field. He has a Master’s(MSc) degree in Risk Management from University of Portsmouth and is a CPA and Finance professional. He currently works as a Content Manager at Risk Publishing, writing about Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity Management and Project Management.