Master the three phases of business continuity planning

Abstract

Purpose

One of the biggest hindrances to corporate growth lurks in the shadows – emergency disruptions. How companies deal with them will govern how rapidly they are able to grow. There is too much emphasis on “major disasters” like floods, earthquakes and terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, there is not enough emphasis on “daily disruptions” like security violations, supply problems and equipment breakdowns. It's the little things that can destroy productivity and leave a company scrambling for survival.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive review of the literature related to business continuity and disaster recovery planning served as a foundation for this article, though the real‐world stories of how companies handled disasters was more valuable.

Findings

Most companies create lengthy manuals full of disaster response information. This material is difficult to understand and maintain. Worst of all, there is little emphasis on prevention.

Practical implications

Companies must separate business continuity planning into three phases: planning and prevention (resolve phase), disaster response (respond phase) and, return to normal (rebuild phase). They must also think about three levels of disruption because disasters vary widely in scope and complexity.

Originality/value

Breaking down business continuity planning into phases and levels is a new approach. Senior executives, middle managers and business owners should embrace the concepts outlined in this article.

Citation

D'Amico, V. (2007), "Master the three phases of business continuity planning", Business Strategy Series, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 214-220. https://doi.org/10.1108/17515630710684213