Organizations of all sizes must take steps to ensure that every day, they can operate to the requirements of the business and to meet customer obligations. There is a general misconception in thinking that a BCMS is Disaster Recovery (DR). They are not the same. The word continuity can be defined as “the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time.” Therefore, the emphasis on a BCMS is to identify the critical aspects of the organization and its people – a business impact assessment (BIA) – as follows:
- What is needed to operate each department?
- How long can a department not operate (both physical and logical) before a crisis or breach of contract occurs?
- What is needed to resume the department’s functions if not operable for an extended period of time?
The output of the responses creates the foundation for the organization’s business continuity plan(s) (BCP). The BCP includes processes to effectively respond to, and recover from, disruptions. Companies with multiple sites or divisions can rely on the same consistent approach throughout the entire organization. DR then becomes a part of the recovery process. The goal is not to need DR in the first place!
Why implement a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS)?
- Reassurance to clients, suppliers and other stakeholders that the organization has sound systems and processes in place for business continuity.
- Create business-specific plans to ensure continuity of agreed upon legal, regulatory, contractual and business requirements.
- Identify the needs of functional areas of the business that may be impacted by a business disruption.
- Develop and train an Emergency Response Team to support critical activities.
- Determine the order for resumption of services.
The Business Continuity team at Radian Compliance has diverse experience and expertise from both previous positions and at Radian. We support our clients through our full suite of services in implementing a Management System structure to support a Business Continuity Program (BCP). Leveraging ISO 22301, industry best practices, and other BCP frameworks, our clients can create and maintain a BCP that is relevant and effective.
Why certify to a BCMS?
Radian’s 100% Successful Methodology
Certification Support
Radian’s 100% successful methodology helps ensure an organization meets the requirements of the standard and those of its business. These steps include:
Ongoing Compliance
Ongoing compliance requires monitoring and continual improvement to the certified ISO Management System. Radian supports 98% of our clients with additional services, including: