5 Steps for Developing a Business Continuity Plan

10/30/2019 (Permalink)

Hopefully putting a continuity plan into action never has to happen

The Development of a Plan Should Include Five Elements

While you hope your business in Leawood, KS, won’t be hindered by flooding, storm damage or other natural or accidental disasters, planning for the worst can reduce the potential of disastrous downtime. Successfully navigating the unexpected and recovering from it as quickly as possible is the key role of a continuity plan. The development of a plan should include five vital elements.

1. Risk Assessment

The first step in a continuity plan is evaluating what potential risks your business or property may face. A walk-through of the property and understanding of a building’s location can help you assess what you prioritize what you may face.

2. Impact Analysis

After prioritizing, it’s necessary to look at everything it takes to keep your business running. From security to IT to vendors, reviewing how every step works will help you prioritize and develop strategies to keep them up and running or get them back to running quickly. This includes determining how long your business can run while not operational.

3. Development

Preventing disruptions is the ultimate goal. After the first two steps, you may find potential structural issues that can be repaired before an incident happens. For nature related events, it provides a means to strategize ways to protect resources, employees and tenants while minimizing damage. Part of this plan may involve setting up a response team as well as having a professional service already researched to assist with cleanup.

4. Implementation

This vital step involves sharing the plan with everyone involved. Every employee, tenant and even vendors should know what to do in an emergency.

5. Review

The best plans only work if the people involved have a clear understanding of what to do. A quick memo can easily be forgotten six months down the road when an event happens. Doing a run-through throughout the year will ensure key players know their roles and provide insight on ways to optimize the plan.
Hopefully putting a continuity plan into action never has to happen. Whether small or large, having one is still the best bet in keeping your business afloat during trying times.