12 Attributes of a Successful Business Continuity Plan - Sponsored Whitepaper

Business Continuity Planning is the one of the four commonly linked components of an organization's risk management strategy. The distinction and relationship among the four components are commonly misunderstood. Often one component is confused with the other three. Frequently all four are combined into an overall process, which is good, but then handed off to a single person, or a small team of people who are charged with trying to satisfy the basic requirements of all of them in one fell swoop. This has generally proven to be an impossible task. All are important and each one has a specific critical role to play in resolving serious disruptions, but each one is a complex process and can require more effort than a single person or small group of people can accomplish. In Business Continuity Planning, shortcomings are like mistakes made in parachute packing. Neither one is recognized until it's too late, with very poor results.

This paper will take a look at Business Continuity Planning from a unique perspective: the end. Over many years of Business Continuity Plan development, I've come to recognize twelve telltale signs that often foretell the fate of the business continuity planning effort. Let's look at the role of Business Continuity Planning within risk management and these twelve indicators of success.