Business Continuity Management – how the BCM implementation process looks.
Thanks to business continuity management, an organization is able to continue functioning despite the occurrence of a crisis situation. Importantly, this is not a one-time process carried out during a disruption but a daily set of activities that both help prevent incidents and ensure readiness for an immediate response. This is proven by Polish and international companies where PBSG has successfully implemented BCM – examples of these are highlighted in the article.
Disruptions to an organization’s operations not only incur serious costs but also result in a loss of credibility and a decrease in competitiveness. The coronavirus pandemic proved that it is essential to prepare for crisis situations. As many as 67% of organizations implemented a business continuity plan in response to COVID-19 (according to the Global Crisis Survey 2021 conducted by PwC). This was possible because these organizations had already implemented business continuity management (BCM). However, it is not just the plan that matters – BCM is a comprehensive management approach that includes identifying, preventing, and preparing for events that may disrupt operations.
What is Business Continuity Management?
Business Continuity Management (BCM) refers to anticipating incidents and disruptions related to business operations, as well as responding to them in a way that allows the organization to continue functioning.
BCM includes processes and procedures for risk management aimed at preventing interruptions to critical services and restoring the organization’s operations as quickly and smoothly as possible. The fundamental requirement for maintaining continuity is ensuring the essential functions of the organization remain operational during a crisis. This includes considering various unpredictable events such as natural disasters, fires, disease outbreaks, cyberattacks, and other external threats.
Business Continuity Management – support during a crisis
The implemented business continuity management system should include plans and scenarios that allow the organization to operate at least at a minimal (acceptable) level during a crisis. Importantly, the procedures should be regularly tested for their effectiveness, efficiency, and usefulness.
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Why is Business Continuity Management important?
Every business should have a business continuity management system in place. Why? We live in times where downtime is unacceptable, and certain threats, such as cyberattacks and extreme weather conditions, seem to be intensifying. The advantage of BCM is that once the strategy is created (and updated), it helps to build the organization’s resilience.
Three key benefits of Business Continuity Management (BCM) are:
- It helps maintain resilience by quickly responding to threats and disruptions.
- It protects against the negative consequences of emergencies and unforeseen events, saving money, time, and the organization’s reputation.
- By enabling resource recovery, it enhances security.
Below, we present a few selected examples of BCM implementation from our own experience – in state and public organizations, hospitals, as well as large and small private companies.
Example of Business Continuity Management in a hospital
The hospital in Koszalin, as an operator of essential services, had to adapt its security management system to the national Cybersecurity Act (KSC). First, we conducted an audit, followed by a risk analysis and assessment. Based on the gathered information and identification of organizational and technical gaps, we proceeded to update the documentation to ensure it met the requirements and obligations set for essential service operators. A crucial stage was also the training for selected staff, which significantly increased awareness of procedures and risks within the organization, playing a key role in maintaining business continuity.
Full description can be found here: Case study – Wojewódzki Hospital in Koszalin, M. Kopernik.
Example of Business Continuity Management in the pharmaceutical industry
Another example of effective business continuity management comes from US Pharmacia, which sought support in improving the functioning of its IT infrastructure. The project included, among other things, the implementation of IT service management according to the ITIL v3 framework. We conducted analyses based on the best practices of ITIL and ISO 27001, and also carried out a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). We examined service catalogs, user roles and responsibilities, applied templates, including SLAs with business recipients. An important stage was training for employees – after developing procedures for incident and problem management, we organized a workshop to introduce the updated procedures and best practices for managing IT services.
Full description can be found here: Case study – US PHARMACIA.
Example of Business Continuity Management (BCM) in a manufacturing company
For the Swiss company Geberit, a manufacturer of sanitary technology, we implemented a comprehensive Business Continuity Management (BCM) system. The primary focus was on developing complete documentation with procedures and management plans, defining the scope of competencies and authorities for individuals involved in BCM, and providing employee training. As part of the process, we conducted a full audit to ensure compliance with ISO 2240 and ISO 22301 standards, along with a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and a risk assessment. The client received a full report with recommendations, enabling them to proceed with the ISO 22301 certification.
A full description can be found here: Case study – Geberit.
Example of Business Continuity Management (BCM) in the healthcare industry
Neuca, a leader in the wholesale distribution of pharmaceuticals in the country, needed to verify its organizational and technical readiness to fulfill the obligations of a critical service operator. The focus was placed on meeting the requirements of the Critical Infrastructure Act (KSC) and the potential for further improving cybersecurity processes within the organization. Based on a security audit and risk analysis, we developed a package of recommendations and provided consultancy, allowing the company to identify the systems that would help ensure business continuity, considering the infrastructure in use.
Full description can be found here: Case study – Neuca.
At PBSG, we provide comprehensive implementation of the Business Continuity Management (BCM) system. As seen in the examples above, our work begins with a risk and business process analysis to develop and implement an appropriate methodology tailored to the business. For more information, please visit the Business Continuity Management section.