"After a phone tunnel fire affecting 130,000 businesses including Yell,
ICM's efforts helped us to be up and running quickly with minimal disruption"
YELL
Business Continuity - Overview
Business Continuity is vital if you're looking to protect your business and achieve greater resilience for future growth and development. For many industries, it has become mandatory and in all others it is best practice at the very least.
It's a hard time for business and this means that it’s a hard time for business continuity professionals, as they are expected to do more with less. Budgets for business continuity are being squeezed despite the fact that current economic conditions are exerting increased pressure on business continuity plans and demand additional resilience.
Business Continuity Today
John Sharp, Senior Industry Advisor to ICM, explains that "Many businesses and organisations are facing their greatest challenge for many years and as a result are examining how they can reduce their overheads. There is a risk that business recovery solutions may be seen as an expensive overhead and therefore investments in these services may be delayed or reduced.
However, now is not the time to reduce continuity capabilities but rather to improve them. Any disruption of systems, whether due to technology failure or denial of access, will not only increase public concerns but may also threaten the very existence of the organisation disrupted.
By maintaining and enhancing current continuity arrangements organisations are better prepared to meet the challenges of today, and into the future, and ensure their ongoing survival."
John Sharp, Senior Industry Advisor
John Sharp FBCI (Hons) FCMI MCIM
ICM Senior Industry Advisor