Category: Business Continuity

> Archive by Category "Business Continuity"
March 3, 2015 |
by Jim Mitchell
Mar 3, 2015

Responders are Human – With Limits

Business Continuity Planning is often theoretical.  After all, we can’t really know what we’ll need until a disruption occurs (and by then, it’s too late for planning!).  As a result, we have little choice but to make our best guess as to what we’ll need when something hits the proverbial…
By Jim Mitchell
February 18, 2015 |
by Jim Mitchell
Feb 18, 2015

Don’t Plan for Snow – Plan for Impacted Assets

The harshness and repeated ferocity of the winter of 2015 (especially in the New England states) sent many businesses scrambling to update their Business Continuity Plans.  The earlier Ebola crisis in West Africa set off the same kind of frenzy.  As a wise Business Continuity Management (BCM) guru once said…
By Jim Mitchell
November 18, 2014 |
by Jim Mitchell
Nov 18, 2014

Why Incident Management Matters

Throughout its history, the Business Continuity industry has maintained a steady focus on Preparedness – understanding the organization’s most critical business functions (both technological and operational) and development of Plans to respond to any disruption of those critical functions. That makes sense.  How that can be accomplished has been refined…
By Jim Mitchell
October 14, 2014 |
by Ramesh Warrier
Oct 14, 2014

Outsourcing – The BCM Conundrum

Very little quantitative progress has been made in Business Continuity Management since IT-Disaster Recovery programs began to morph into BCM programs in the 1980’s.  Standards and best practices have been hashed and rehashed but nothing substantial has changed. BCM programs still struggle to attain “management buy-in”.  Newcomers to the industry…
By Ramesh Warrier
October 6, 2014 |
by Jim Mitchell
Oct 6, 2014

Event Documentation – Don’t Leave it for Later

Suppose your business suffers a temporary disruption.  (The cause of the disruption doesn’t matter; neither, necessarily, does the length of the disruption.)  A disruption that impacts customers, prospects or finances (and almost every disruption – even for a few minutes – will), may trigger compliance obligations.  You may need to…
By Jim Mitchell
September 18, 2014 |
by Jim Mitchell
Sep 18, 2014

Standby Generators – 4 Questions You Should Ask

Whether you already have one or are contemplating acquiring one, having a Standby Power Generator is not a ‘set it and forget it’ responsibility. As a Business Continuity professional you should not rely on that generator to mitigate electrical disruption risks unless you ask – and get satisfactory answers to…
By Jim Mitchell
September 3, 2014 |
by Ramesh Warrier
Sep 3, 2014

Incident READINESS is the new BCM

The challenge of Business Continuity Planning is to plan for the unknown event that might disrupt an organization’s ability to service their critical customers, or may impact their brand or reputation. Odds are that Mother Nature and serendipity will collide to ensure that the disruption is far different from any scenario used in…
By Ramesh Warrier
August 25, 2014 |
by Jim Mitchell
Aug 25, 2014

Alternate Site Logistics – the Devil is in the Details

In our haste to cover all the high-level strategies that may be needed to respond to a business disruption, Business Continuity Plans often miss critical details that can mean the difference between success and failure – especially when time is a major factor. Many BCP’s have a strategy for “Loss…
By Jim Mitchell
August 21, 2014 |
by Jim Mitchell
Aug 21, 2014

Evacuation Assembly Points

Every organization should have an Emergency Action or Evacuation Plan.  Even when it is not required (by the building owner, fire department or occupancy regulations) it is a ‘best practice’ for every organization to plan and practice to evacuate all personnel from the workplace.  Often, evacuation focuses on getting out…
By Jim Mitchell
August 12, 2014 |
by Jim Mitchell
Aug 12, 2014

Who Holds the Purse-strings on Incident Management Spending?

During the process of developing a Business Continuity Plan or strategy it is easiest to focus on the larger picture; to understand the major impacts and potential roadblocks.  But when putting that Plan on paper (figuratively or literally) it is time to think about more granular logistical needs and issues. …
By Jim Mitchell