If this past year has taught businesses anything it is that continuity is key to success and growth.
Whether it is a change in management, a sudden employee loss, a natural disaster, or something beyond your control, it is important to have a strategy in place to ensure business continuity. Many businesses are not prepared and often find themselves having to scramble when the unpredictable happens.
Having a business continuity strategy will ensure that both management and team members have a complete picture of how the business will pivot during a disaster. But what are the key things you should keep in mind when developing your business continuity strategy? In this article, we will look at how you can keep your business on track in any circumstance.
What Should My Business Continuity Plan Cover?
The first thing you should think about when developing your business continuity plan is what factors could negatively impact your ability to do business? Can your business continue to operate if management is unreachable or incapacitated? Would weather, illness, or other significant disaster prevent your business from operating? The business world is always changing so if you already have an existing continuity plan, review it against any new potential issues to see what solutions can be carried over and which ones should be adjusted to address new risk management.
Many people discovered that COVID-19 had a significant impact on their ability to do business either due to employee absence or supply chain disruption.
By identifying the issues that could impact your business, you can begin to lay the foundation for your business continuity plan.
Who should be included in the business continuity strategy?
Different employees have different roles within your company. This is also true during a disaster. The first people you should include in your business continuity strategy are your management team. Ask them to provide you with a list of issues they can see arising during a disaster and then begin to build solutions into your strategy.
This is a great opportunity to identify areas where your employees could be brought in to take on additional roles. Creating as much redundancy as possible can ensure that employees can take over the jobs of other employees at short notice and continue with the business.
How To Ensure Your Business Continuity Plan Will Work?
Keep Your Team Informed
Once the strategy has been agreed upon, begin a comprehensive review with your organization to ensure everyone is on board and knows their role in the event of an emergency. Do regular reviews of your business continuity strategy to ensure your response is always up-to-date and reflects your organizational structure and business goals.
Have A Contingency Plan
Even the best-laid plans can hit a snag, so make sure your business continuity plan includes a backup. This may mean planning for remote working or outsourcing IT.
Develop a Change Management Strategy
In addition to a plan in the event of a disaster, it is critical to have a change management strategy. This will guide your business through change management to ensure your team stays on course and continues to move toward business and profit growth?
Have A Recovery Strategy
Not only is it important to prepare for the unexpected, but it is also critical to have a recovery strategy in place. Disaster is the catalyst for change, and with change comes new directions and new ways of doing business. Create redundancy within your organization so you are not left with missing links in skill or management.
Make sure you have all the necessary health and safety measures in place to ensure a safe return to work. Review your rights and responsibilities with your HR staff to ensure you are doing everything you can to help your team get through a disaster situation and move ahead in a positive way.
Review Your Plan
Once you have developed your business continuity plan, then begin reviewing it with your team for feedback. Never assume your employees do not have a perspective that can be helpful to ensure the continuity of your business. Remember, they are on the ground and “in the trenches”. They see issues every day that could potentially affect your business. As a good leader, it is critical to listen to your employees and make them a part of your business continuity strategy.
Contact Saudi Technologies and learn how we can help your company develop a continuity strategy that will ensure your business is prepared for an interruption in operation and can respond effectively.
