An introduction to Business Continuity Management (BCM)

Business continuity can be defined as 'the processes, procedures, decisions and activities to ensure that an organisation can continue to function through an operational interruption'.
In other words it is about making proactive and reactive plans to help your organisation avoid crises and disasters and to be able to quickly return to 'business as usual' should they occur.

Why is BCM important?..

In an increasingly uncertain world, business continuity management is more relevant than ever. BCM identifies potential threats to an organisation and the impacts to business operations that those threats, if realised, might cause. Natural disasters, network intrusions, human error, security and terrorist concerns - the list of threats to organisations keep getting longer.  In today’s integrated digital networked economy, even a few hours of service disruption can have a devastating impact.

Who is It applicable to?..

All organisations might be subject to disruption; this may include technology failure, flooding, utility disruption, pandemic influenza, fire or terrorist attack. The standard is available to any organisation regardless of the size, scope or complexity, that wishes to manage their overall business risks and develop the capability to plan for, and respond to, incidents and business disruption.

The consequence of unexpected business disruptions may be far- reaching and might involve loss of life, loss of asset or income, or the inability to deliver products and services on which the organisation’s survival might depend. By proactive identification of the impact of disruption, BCM identifies those products and services that are crucial for the organisation’s existence, and help to establish what responses will be needed if a disruption occurs.

What are the benefits?..

·         Improving an organisation’s resilience against vulnerability

·         Maintaining an ability to manage uninsurable risks

·         Developing a capability to manage business disruption

·         Minimising consequences of unexpected disruption

·         Providing a method of restoring an organisation’s ability to supply its key products and services

·         Protecting and enhancing the organisation’s reputation and brand

·         Gaining a competitive advantage by demonstrating the ability to maintain delivery of its products and services

Why use Artco Solutions?..

 The first few hours of a crisis are critical. The failure to take control in the early stages of a crisis can lead to, at best, a loss of confidence. You could be facing a real financial loss or severe criticisms from stakeholders that may last many months.

Artco solutions believe that by training, exercising and rehearsing any organisation can make its plans, people and processes more resilient to a crisis. We call this managing with certainty. Our solutions enable companies to continue operations in the event of a disruption. Artco solutions help protect your staff, your reputation and your organisation’s business.