Business continuity management & its critical services and functions

Business Continuity Management (BCM) refers to all the measures put in a place in a company entity to enable it performs critical services and functions. The purpose, therefore, allowing the company pick up in case of an emergency, disaster or crisis after disruption of a corporation. These measures help a business pull through awaiting recovery, hence, return to normal. In this regard, there exist standards that govern both the private and public sector. The first drafting of standards occurred in the year 2006, in United Kingdom. The nation had at this time gone through massive crises and disasters. For this reason, they felt a dire need to develop standards for BCM (NCEMA, 2012:20). This paper discusses the requirements of BCM standards.
This century, businesses are at significant risks, which if not well managed may end a business. Therefore, there should be minimum legislative requirements for any business continuity plan. The purpose is to enhance business security through effective disaster management plans. Increasing requirements ensures business survival after a catastrophe. However, where the law requires a business to only trade with other companies in compliance with the regulations, it would slow down if not destroy a business in totality (Gittleman & Stuart, 2013). The minimum requirements could also lead to closure of firms not in conformity with the law. In addition, managers could face dire consequences after a disaster that would result in disruption of the entities. The regulations would be acting as a discipline to such managements (Business Continuity Institute, 2013).
While coming up with business continuity plans, disaster management and recovery of a company after crises drive the process. In this regard, various management tools face enforcement. Some of the most important activities of the enterprise to pay attention to include business security, management of documents, audit, information system, service level agreements, among others. All these components are of great importance in ensuring the survival of a business after a disaster (Civil Contingencies Act Enhancement Programme, 2012). Business continuity management is thus a significant bit of an organization’s disaster management plans.
Reference List
Business Continuity Institute, 2013, right practise guidelines.
Gittleman and Stuart, 2013, U.S. regulators urge firms to improve business continuity and disaster recovery plans
NCEMA, 2012, Business Continuity Management Standard and Guide.
Civil Contingencies Act Enhancement Programme, 2012, Business Continuity Management.