The importance of Business Continuity Management
There are many reasons why every organization should have an active business continuity management program. In some cases the initiative comes from pressure to respond to the recommendations and demands of the auditors or insurers. Sometimes, the driving force is the concern of non-executive directors who are conscious of their responsibilities under the requirements for good corporate governance.
Regardless of these pressures, BCM should be regarded as an integral element of good management. It is foolhardy for management not to consider and plan for business continuity and minimize the disruption that would be caused to the
business.
But BCM is about more than this. It is concerned with:
? safeguarding share value and shareholder interests;
? demonstrating good management;
? protecting employment;
? managing and protecting reputation and brand value.
Many organizations today are demanding that their first-tier, and in many cases second-tier, suppliers have documented disaster recovery and business continuity plans in place.