一个深思熟虑的 业务连续性策略 can help companies not only survive but thrive after a crisis. Operational business continuity is no longer something to be glossed over, 而是一个值得认真讨论的话题. Approximately 40% of businesses do not reopen following a disaster, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Here are five steps you can take to protect your company from the next crisis.

制定运营业务连续性计划

不要等到另一场危机发生后才制定可操作的业务连续性计划. 有一个适当的计划可以在危机平息后有效地返回工作过程. It also gives direction on how to deal with any damage in the wake of the disaster.

While organizations can implement these plans alone, it often helps to bring in a 战略咨询顾问 with an outside perspective and a deep pool of experience of how 成功的业务连续性计划 取得成果.

根据我的经验，拥有此类计划的企业比没有应急计划的企业更有弹性，而且恢复的机会更大. Further, they tend to re-emerge faster than their competitors as well.

So, what’s involved in putting together an operational business continuity plan? A comprehensive contingency planning program is defined by three elements:

1. 应急响应
2. 危机管理
3. 业务恢复及复工

The structure of this plan should involve the following five core steps:

1. 确定拟议计划的范围
   在这一步中, the main focus is establishing a specific focus and identifying the crisis management team, 技术恢复小组, and business recovery teams that will work on implementing the business continuity plan. 这个团队将负责探索不同的途径，看看公司如何能最好地保护员工, 供应商, 和客户, 以及灾难中的商业运作.
   
2. 确定主要业务部门
   How many departments or sectors is the organization made up of? IT, 销售, 账户, 人力资源, 回办公室, 而前台——每个部门都需要定义和概述，以便为每个部门制定应对方案.
   
3. 进行业务影响分析(BIA)
   执行业务影响分析(BIA)以预见对关键业务操作的任何潜在影响. Business impact analysis can be facilitated by asking the following three questions:
   
   • What are the prioritized activities that are critical to the organization’s core operations?
     
   • 为了恢复这些优先活动，需要获得哪些资源? This is inclusive of both internal and external resources such as inventories, 车辆, 和人员.
     
   • 对业务运作的中断所能容忍的最长时间是多久? 这个问题确定了恢复优先活动的时间范围.
     
     一旦这些问题得到解答, it is time to assess the external risks that may affect the business. 这件事做完之后, it is easier to work through the different types of disasters that the business may face.
     
4. 根据收集到的信息制定策略
   With the data you have gathered during this due diligence process, 有可能提出战略来帮助企业应对任何紧急情况，并在事后有效地恢复运营.
   这可能是最重要的阶段之一，因为它需要对其他组织的连续性战略进行广泛的研究和研究. 有其他企业的参考点, 尤其是那些经历过挫折的公司, 将被证明是无价的.
   
5. 制定可行的连续性计划以维持运营
   When the business continuity plan has been laid out and clearly written, 必须对其进行检验. 这包括执行练习和模拟灾难事件，以了解需要进一步改进和规划的业务领域.
   在一个不确定的世界, 业务连续性计划将在很大程度上帮助保护您的业务及其利益.

测试业务连续性计划

一个经过测试的全面的业务连续性计划会让你为意想不到的事情做好准备. 它可以帮助你练习远程工作, 在不同的环境中工作, 而且工作中可能没有关键人员.

Testing helps you check systems such as your data backup recovery. 除了, 测试你的计划会发现差距或弱点，并为你提供如何最好地完善和加强计划的宝贵见解. Lastly, demonstrating rigorous testing can help your business obtain proper insurance.

So, how do you go about testing out your business continuity plan?

1. 与员工一起审核BCP
   Making your employees aware of the business continuity plan is crucial. 大多数bcp失败的原因是员工不知道在灾难发生时他们应该遵循的协议. 概述模拟演习的目标，让他们明白这不仅仅是一次演习. 他们的角色和责任必须清楚地解释，以避免在评估过程中找借口. Including partners and vendors in the simulation is also a good idea.
   
2. 决定一个时间来测试这个计划
   With the staff briefed on their business continuity roles and responsibilities, it is time to select a time to carry out the testing exercise. Depending on what the team in charge of implementing this exercise has decided, this simulation may take anywhere from one day to a few weeks. 关键不在于时间的长短，而在于衡量组织的准备程度和员工的反应.
   
   Good days to schedule simulation exercises are Friday and Saturday. 如果你只是计划与你的高级管理层和员工进行桌面会议, 你可能希望在周末进行这些活动. The reviews can then be held during the week without disrupting normal business operations.
   
3. 模拟灾难情景
   灾难可以以任何形式出现——洪水, 龙卷风, 飓风, 网络攻击, 股市崩盘, 或像当前COVID-19疫情这样的全球大流行. Select any of these and create a simulation that you present to the employees. They are expected to take this drill exercise as if it is actually happening. 他们的回应应该与业务连续性计划中所列出的内容一致.
   
   记录控制局面所花费的时间. 如果您的组织在IT系统等关键功能上依赖于其他公司, 您可能希望将他们包括在这个模拟练习中，这样您也可以评估他们的准备情况. 一次完整的模拟应该多久做一次? 至少一年一次. You can employ different scenarios so you get to test out a variety of potential problems.
   
4. 评估测试活动
   When the testing period is over, get everyone together for an evaluation session. 让员工说话. Listen to the feedback given, it will help you fine-tune the business continuity plan. Areas that still need to be polished will come to the forefront, and the strategies that worked well will also be highlighted. 有时, 为了获得更好的结果，交换团队中不同人的职责可能是必要的.

业务连续性计划最佳实践

在制定良好的业务连续性计划的过程中，有以下最佳实践作为补充:

1. 有经验丰富的担保人
   任何打算制定业务连续性计划的公司都可以很好地与一个 经验丰富的团队 that can build, review, and help with the testing of the BCP. Someone needs to ideally be in charge or oversee this entire process.
   
2. 选择策略性策略
   A strategic policy will guide decisions and will act as a roadmap on the way forward. 员工必须拿到一份保单副本, 以及完整的业务连续性计划, 使熟悉:使自己熟悉. 在理想的情况下, 所有的事情都应该写进手册里，作为员工持续培训的一部分.
   
3. 有方法地工作
   您将使用什么系统和方法来执行您的业务连续性计划从开始到测试? 方法应该清晰易懂. 一个好的方法会受到审核员的赞赏，他们会评估你的业务连续性计划. 例如, understanding the operational process that is required to originate, 办理, and manage a sale is imperative to document so that in the event of business disruption, the company can immediately identify and resolve the gaps that are created. 该方法应尽可能接近于一成不变，以允许所有员工以相同的方式开展业务，而管理层则始终致力于改进流程，使其更高效、更精简.
   
4. 定期进行评估
   评估您的业务连续性计划的唯一方法是经过深思熟虑的评估. These assessments are a way of gauging your preparedness as a business. It’s good to conduct regular risk assessments, perhaps even once every quarter. 这些并不需要涉及到所有的员工. You can simply gather team leaders from different divisions or departments.
   
5. 部署频繁的测试
   演练或测试计划，以便在时机成熟时知道它的工作效果如何，这是您可以部署的最佳实践之一. 每个季度至少进行一次演练，使用不同的场景，让你的员工了解灾难发生时对他们的期望.
   
6. 安排报告和反馈会议
   还必须有一个适当的报告协议. How does the team that’s coordinating and running with this project report to management? 在计划的开发和测试之后, 应向管理层提交一份报告，总结该组织在紧急情况下的准备程度.

结论

根据我的经验, the better defined and more tested your business continuity plan is, the higher your chances are of recovering efficiently and protecting your employees, 客户, 以及商业运作.

组织中的每个人都应该了解业务连续性计划及其在灾后恢复中的作用. 没有人能幸免. 每个层次的参与都可以使企业更快地反弹，并顺利过渡到业务运营的新阶段.