What are BCP, DRP and ITSCM?
The terms Business Continuity Planning, Disaster Recovery Planning and IT Service Continuity Management are quite often used interchangeably or confused with one another and can be very emotive. Disaster Recovery (or for those organisations working in an ITIL framework ITSCM) is a subset of BCP which addresses the IT continuity requirements of an organisation. Whilst nearly all organisations rely on IT, remember IT supports your business but it is probably not your core business, so do not think that by having a DR plan your business has a BCP.
Business Awareness & Impact
It is important for organisations to consider the impact on their business should an event incapacitate the normal operations. It is also important to recognise that BCP & DR are not insurances but they are business processes that are used to support the business at many levels for a variety of planned events.
There can be other drivers other than the obvious financial ones for developing continuity plans, such as local, national and international regulatory requirements. Your customers may wish to know that your business has continuity plans, and a good BCP will establish what continuity plans your suppliers have in place – an area often overlooked.
A key question any business should ask is “how long can the business survive in the event of a disaster” For sure we have all seen the statistics, which make for some disturbing reading.
"80% of businesses affected by a significant disruption close within 18 months of the event taking place because they had no plan."
Source: Department of Trade and Industry – United Kingdom
Continuity planning is an iterative process and must be maintained to ensure it is effective in the event it is required. Continuity plans should be tested, reviewed & updated on a regular basis. It should bean integral part of your business plans and evolve with those plans.
How Cumulus Can Help
Deciding where to or how to start BCP or DR can be a daunting task, but at Cumulus we will guide your business through the process whether you are looking for a complete BCP, DRP or ITIL compliant ITSCM. You may have an existing plan for which you would like an independent review or assessment, and if this is the case Cumulus can help.
Cumulus can provide BCP, DR & ITSCM consultancy involving workshops, testing, planning, reviews and assessment services for BCP, DRP & ITSCM.