Don't Just Plan for the Worst, Practice It:

Why Exercising Your Business Continuity Plan is Crucial

Many businesses understand the importance of having a business continuity plan (BCP) in place. However, simply having a plan on paper is not enough. Regular testing and exercising of the plan are crucial to building muscle memory in your team to ensure the plans are effective when a real crisis strikes.

Why Exercise Your BCP?

• Enhance Team Coordination and Communication:

  • Improve teamwork: Exercises provide an opportunity for team members to practice their roles and responsibilities, enhancing coordination and communication within the team.

  • Build rapport: Regular drills can foster stronger relationships among team members, improving their ability to work together effectively under pressure.

• Boost Employee Confidence:

  • Reduce anxiety: By practicing the plan, employees become more familiar with their roles and responsibilities, reducing anxiety and increasing confidence in their ability to respond effectively during a crisis.

  • Increase preparedness: Regular training and exercising help employees understand their role in the crisis response and build confidence in the organization's ability to weather the storm.

• Maintain Plan Relevance:

  • Adapt to changing circumstances: Regular testing allows you to adapt your plan to changing business needs, technological advancements, and the evolving threat landscape.

  • Ensure plan accuracy: Exercises help ensure that the information in your BCP is accurate, up-to-date, and reflects the current state of the organisation.

• Identify Gaps and Weaknesses:

  • Real-world application: Testing your BCP against a simulated scenario, allows you to identify potential gaps, weaknesses, and areas for improvement that might not be apparent during a desk review.

  • Uncover hidden challenges: You might discover unforeseen logistical challenges, communication breakdowns, or resource limitations during a tabletop exercise or simulation.

Types of BCP Exercises:

• Tabletop exercises or Wargaming: These low-cost, low-stress exercises involve a group discussion to work through a hypothetical crisis scenario.

• Functional exercises: These involve testing specific aspects of the BCP, such as data backup and recovery procedures or the activation of an alternate work site.

• Full-scale simulations: These involve a more realistic simulation of a crisis, potentially involving multiple teams and locations.

Conclusion

Exercising your business continuity plan is not just a box to tick; it's an essential step towards ensuring your organization's resilience. By regularly testing your plan, you can identify and address potential weaknesses, improve team coordination, and build confidence in your ability to navigate an incident or crisis effectively.

Don't wait for a crisis to strike. Start exercising your BCP today.