Well prepared for an emergency

Damage due to a fire or other disaster cannot always be prevented. But with a business continuity plan, you can prevent any extra damage being caused by your business not being (fully) operational. Find out how to make such a plan. And get to work on it before it is too late.

What is a business continuity plan?

A business continuity plan (BCP) sets out what you need to do to keep your business going after a disaster. You do not have to have a BCP for your business, but it helps you make the right decisions faster after an emergency. The aim is to minimise the damage done to your business. It includes, for instance, the contact details of your most important customers are so you can reach them quickly. Or details of how to keep your most important ICT systems running so you can access important business information.

A BCP is not a company emergency plan

A BCP is not the same as a company emergency plan. A company emergency plan tells you what to do during an emergency. For example, who has what duties in the event of a gas leak or a fire. A BCP is about how to act in the period afterwards. Both plans are important and they complement each other. A business emergency plan is also called a contingency plan or a company emergency response plan (BHV plan). 

Preventing extra damage

A BCP is important because it provides guidance in the period after an emergency. The plan tells you what to do so that you can continue doing business. So, you do not lose extra time and money. It also helps give confidence to your employees, customers and suppliers. They see that you keep your head cool and make the right decisions.

Without a BCP, there is a greater risk that your business will shut down after an emergency. So as well as the damage caused by the disaster itself, you face extra losses from the period when you cannot continue doing business. In addition, there is a chance of damage to your company's good name. Because you cannot deliver to your customers, for instance. Or because your business attracts negative attention online or from the press. A disaster is out of your hands, but how you take action afterwards is.

How to make a BCP

Think about what elements are most important for you to keep doing business. These are often the things that will cause the greatest damage if they fail. In your BCP, describe for each element how you will minimise this damage.

• A BCP is always tailor-made, but it includes at least:
• An overview of the most important parts of your business. People, processes, equipment, premises, but also things like knowledge and company information.
• Contact details of your employees and of your most important customers and suppliers.
• Who is on your crisis team and how and how often these people meet.
• Where important documents and backups of these are located. Think business information and knowledge.
• Information about permits and insurance. Your contact people at your municipality, bank, and insurance company.
• How to get your ICT systems working . And who can help you with that. For example, your ICT partner, if you have one. Or a cyber security specialist in the event of a cyber incident, such as a ransomware attack.
• Where and how to temporarily locate your business if, for example, part or all of your premises are destroyed.
• How to continue making and delivering your products and services.
• How and with whom you communicate about the situation in your company. Think of employees, customers, suppliers, but also the press.

You can find templates for a BCP on the internet, such as this one for SMEs from the British government. You can also search online for ‘business continuity plan example template’, for example.

Keep your BCP up to date

Your business and the environment change. So, keep your BCP up to date. And make sure you can always easily find your BCP in an emergency. Online documents are often not available during an emergency so also keep hard copies, both at home and on your premises. You can also make sure some of your employees have copies online and at home. 

Want to know if your BCP works? Then do a ‘disaster exercise’ and practise putting your plan into action. Compare it to an evacuation drill.