Business Continuity

What is it?

Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Definition

"A holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organisation and provides a framework for building resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value-creating activities" (BCI 2001)

                                                 or

A necessary and important management process that helps keep an organisation going, even in the most trying of times

Interwork Solution Approach

Interwork Solutions specialise in developing bespoke Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans tailored to clients needs. Albeit, a Business Continuity plan needs to be holistic it is essential to customise plans to focus on critical needs as no two organisations are the same. It is important to recognise that Business Continuity is not only about IT and must address areas including people issues, finance, buildings, security and others. Having developed Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery plans it is equally important to test, audit and update plans to meet business change. Interwork Solutions recommend all Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans are exercised every six months – once by Desk Top exercises (DESTEX) and one full Simulation exercise (SIMEX). To audit a Disaster Recovery plan a sample of factors to be considered are:

Written disaster recovery with continual updating

Designated hot site or cold site

Ability to recover data and systems

Process for frequent backup of systems and data

Tests and drills procedures

Data and sytems backups stored offsite

Appointed disaster recover committee and chairperson

Emergency procedures

Substitution of key players

Hardware and Software information

Composition of Recover Committees and Recovery Support Team

Business Continuity Management

To be effective Business Contintuity management must take account of the the 'seven Ps':

People

Programme

Processes

Premises

Providers

Profile

Performance

The Way Forward

In a changing world where an organisation’s business can be servely disrupted by accidental or deliberate events, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery have never been so important. Interwork Solutions recognise and understand the need to minimise the risk to organisations and are committed to working with clients to ensure their business is best placed to deal with any disruptive event.

Summary

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are best served by partnership arrangements -

            Business and Interwork Solutions working as one.