How to Protect Businesses from the Next Pandemic

It is necessary to determine when and under what conditions the plan will be invoked. Invoking a business continuity plan appears to cause chaos, so determining when to invoke it is an essential decision.

Fremont, CA: COVID-19 continues to transform company operations in ways that would have been impossible at the beginning of 2020. Some of these changes are going to be lasting, and others are only for now before our "new normal" arises.

One shift that is certain is the value of business continuity and the need to clearly recognise and record one's business in a way that promotes rapid change in operations. Seeing business continuity as a "make it on the fly" operation is a risky tactic, considering that good business continuity can make a difference between business survival and failure.

Knowing the Value of Assets

One's business continuity plans should always prioritise their vital assets and show how long their business will operate without them. A business impact assessment is relevant here, assisted by risk assessments so that one fully understand the probability of an incident happening and its potential impact. These evaluations would also ensure that one recognises the risks and vulnerabilities; one will be able to will some of the vulnerabilities to make it less likely that there would be an incident.

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Writing a proposal

One needs to include relevant stakeholders in writing their proposal. One will need to involve those who understand the asset well enough to make a complete commitment, usually from around the sector. It is necessary to base one's plans on realistic scenarios for potential disasters, based on their risk assessments.

Using the context provided by a business impact assessment (BIA), one can need to consider alternate facilities for essential business processes or systems. This can include hot, warm or cold locations, depending on one's business requirements. However, these choices come at a price; one's BIA and risk assessments will help them determine if this money is well spent.

It is necessary to determine when and under what conditions the plan will be invoked. Invoking a business continuity plan appears to cause chaos, so determining when to invoke it is an essential decision. It's not anything to do lightly; also, it's not anything to wait until the situation has worsened. The decision to depend on it should be made by senior management, with input from appropriate subject matter experts.