Business Continuity Plan

What Is Business Continuity?

Business continuity planning is to disaster recovery what disaster recovery is to data backup. That is to say that a holistic business continuity plan from CTMS is designed to take the surprise out of a disaster scenario and grant peace of mind that your systems will be preserved. 

If a disaster recovery solution from CTMS can restore your systems after a cyberthreat has taken its toll, our business continuity plans ensure that you have everything in place ahead of time to continue on with operations as soon as possible.

Lost productivity can cause an avalanche of negative effects for your business. The good news is that these can all be prevented when the right systems are put in place in advance.

Minimize System Downtime – First, if your systems are down or locked (perhaps due to a ransomware attack), your staff may just be sitting around the office, the factory floor, or the retail space. Sure, you can keep them occupied temporarily with various tasks, but when business isn’t getting done every second counts. System downtime can cost tens of thousands of dollars per day in some instances and can make the difference between staying in business and closing your doors. A business continuity plan could prevent that.

Build Confidence in Your Brand – Soon enough, products aren’t being shipped on time and services can’t be rendered. Brand loyalty depends on the quality and confidence that you can provide what is being paid for. Sure, you could have that customer who has been with you for decades, but even they can only last so long without choosing an alternate provider.

Both proprietary internal data and customer information may be at risk if your systems are not fully protected or can be restored quickly. There is nothing that kills confidence in a brand like a data breach. A business continuity plan will factor in this known risk and keep your data safe even in a disaster scenario.

Save Money in the Long Run – Planning to keep your business running, regardless of circumstances, isn’t free. However, locks on your front door aren’t free, parachutes aren’t free, and ambulances aren’t free either. What all of these things have in common is that they keep you insulated from the very worst possible outcomes. Business continuity planning from an experienced provider like CTMS can deliver peace of mind that will allow you to focus on your mission-critical goals.

Business Continuity Planning Vs. Disaster Recovery

You may be familiar with the concept of disaster recovery—the systems and protocols that are put in place by a provider to restore your technology and get business back on track. Make no mistake, robust disaster recovery services are absolutely essential. However, disaster recovery is, by its very nature, a service that engages after a disaster has already occurred. Contrast that with preventative cyber security services that are engaged to prevent disasters in the first place.

Business continuity plans take a birds-eye view of all of your technology to create a plan for every possible eventuality. The fundamental goal is right in the name: business continuity. Whether your system is infected by a virus that is slowing operations down or you are hit with a ransomware attack that has paralyzed the organization, a business continuity plan will allow your organization to bounce back without delay.