BCP ’ s effectiveness and strength will vary . Testing is typically carried out immediately before an audit , as has been seen in many instances . You need to test your BCP on a frequent basis once it ’ s developed . Regular testing assists you in evaluating the Plan ’ s suitability for your purposes , finding flaws , streamlining procedures , anticipating changes , and implementing essential improvements . You can also observe how staff members behave under pressure while participating in tabletop testing , walkthroughs , emergency enactments , and crisis communication .
Organizations are evolving quickly in the current business climate in terms of processes , new technology , new business lines , as well as employee turnover . If the BCP document is not updated frequently , it might very soon become outdated and unusable . Because their continuity plans weren ’ t updated before the pandemic hit , several organizations were severely impacted when Covid-19 struck . They lacked reliable backups and were utilizing old software . You must routinely review your continuity plans to make sure you are tackling the most recent risks and utilizing the best solutions .
Regularly validate your Critical Third-Party Ven-
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Commercial insurance is not a business continuity strategy . In some circumstances , your insurer may even insist that your company establish a business continuity plan .
dors ’ BCPs
Make it a priority to validate your third parties ’ Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans . Especially your critical third-party vendors . What should you be doing to ensure your third parties are taking Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery seriously and have well-developed , fully tested BCPs in place ? Your critical thirdparty vendors should be able to provide you with the following elements if they ’ re taking Business Continuity Planning seriously : Risk Assessments , The Business Impact Analysis , Recovery Strategies , Business Continuity Plans , Disaster Recovery Plans ,
Pandemic Plans , Testing and Exercises .
Reactive to proactive
Too frequently , businesses begin with good intentions but fall short of developing a thorough strategy that will ensure success in the face of challenges . They might gather experts from various fields and solicit feedback , even going so far as to pinpoint their core processes and suggest improvements . But without the existence of a robust Business Continuity Management system , it ’ s easy to overlook critical elements that speak to extremely disruptive events . In addition , without the necessary infrastructure , the organization could easily miss out on opportunities that arise .
We do not know what could be a Black Swan until we see it . However , we are aware of several Grey and White Swans that will return . While being ready for the effects of negative Black , Grey , and White Swans , we must expose our organizations to positive Grey and White Swans .
Reuben Kisigwa is a strategic consultant and a certified competency-based curriculum developer . You can engage him vide mail at : RKisigwa @ gmail . com .