Business Continuity Plan: Why It's Time to Draft

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is the document that allows the company to continue operating even during an unexpected event, such as technological failures, computer crises, fires, floods, or service disruptions. The BCP defines essential activities, maximum acceptable downtime (RTO and RPO), response procedures and responsibilities.

A good plan is built in three phases: business impact analysis (BIA), definition of continuity strategies, and periodic verification of the plan through testing. Without a BCP, an outage can shut down the business, generate high costs, breach contractual obligations, and put reputation at risk. The business continuity plan serves to ensure the resilience of the organization, protect customers and suppliers, and restore services in the shortest possible time.

What is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)?

A Business Continuity Plan is the document that establishes how the company continues to operate even when unexpected events disrupt normal operations. The BCP identifies what is essential to business and defines procedures for keeping critical processes running without stopping production, services, or operations.

The plan was born to protect the company from increasingly frequent risks: cyber attacks, computer failures, blackouts, fires, extreme weather events, sudden staff absences, and supply chain crises. Without a continuity strategy, even a stoppage of a few hours can generate economic losses and reputational damage that are difficult to recover.

The BCP doesn't just indicate what to do in an emergency. It defines roles, decision paths, alternative systems, operational priorities and communication modalities. For this reason, it represents a pillar of modern resilience and is increasingly integrated with cybersecurity, risk management, and strategic planning.

An effective Business Continuity Plan follows international standards, in particular ISO 22301, which sets the characteristics of the management system for business continuity. This reference allows you to create a coherent, up-to-date plan recognized by customers and partners, especially in sectors where continuity of services is a contractual requirement.

What is BCP used for?

The Business Continuity Plan serves to ensure that the business continues to operate even when an unexpected event disrupts normal operation. BCP allows you to keep critical processes active, reduce downtime, and restore services without compromising customers, suppliers, or strategic activities.

The plan protects the organization from the costs generated by an outage: data loss, lost revenue, production freezes, contractual penalties, reputational damage. A technological failure or cyber attack can also become a structural problem if there is no clear procedure to contain it. A BCP avoids this scenario, because it determines how to react in a coordinated, rapid and coherent way.

The BCP also serves to improve organizational maturity. It defines responsibilities, decision-making roles, priority levels and alternative systems to be activated when ordinary operation is not possible. This allows for continuity in both physical structures and digital infrastructure, ensuring a uniform response across all business levels.

The plan also supports compliance with standards and regulations. In many industries, business continuity is required by customers, partners, and regulators: having an up-to-date BCP helps you meet obligations, demonstrate reliability, and strengthen your reputation. For this reason, companies that implement a BCP are more competitive and resilient than those without a structured model. What are the three phases that constitute a good Business Continuity Plan?

A good Business Continuity Plan is built through three phases: analysis, planning, and verification. These three phases allow you to understand the risks, define the responses, and ensure that the plan actually works when needed.

The first stage is analysis. The company identifies critical processes, assesses the impact of an outage, and calculates maximum acceptable downtime. This analysis includes both Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and risk assessment, which allows us to recognize internal and external threats. Without this basis, the plan risks being incomplete or unrealistic.

The second stage is planning. The company establishes strategies to ensure business continuity, defines procedures to be applied in an emergency, and assigns roles and responsibilities. Alternative solutions, recovery actions, and internal and external communications are established here. It is the phase in which the operational part of the plan is built, the one that guides people in critical moments.

The third stage is verification. The plan is being tested to ensure that it works in practice and that everyone involved knows what to do. The tests allow you to measure the effectiveness of the procedures, identify weaknesses, and update the plan based on changes in the company. Without this phase, a BCP remains theoretical and does not guarantee the necessary resilience.

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

A business continuity plan is the document that defines how an organization ensures the continuation of essential activities during an unexpected outage. The plan describes what must be kept operational, within what timeframe and with what resources, so as to ensure the stability of the business even under critical conditions.

The business continuity plan sets priorities. It identifies core processes, functions that cannot stop, and services that need to be restored first. This allows managers to act immediately on what matters, avoiding wasting energy on non-critical activities when the pressure increases.

The document also clarifies roles and responsibilities. It indicates who makes decisions, who activates procedures, who communicates with customers, who coordinates IT, HR, suppliers and infrastructure. This clarity reduces response times and prevents overlap or errors due to the stress of the situation.

A business continuity plan should not be confused with Disaster Recovery, which involves restoring information systems, nor with Crisis Management, which manages communication and strategic coordination during a crisis. The BCP is on a broader level: it covers people, processes, technologies, locations and suppliers. For this reason, it represents a central element of the ISO 22301 standard, the international reference for business continuity.

What does RTO and RPO mean in the Business Continuity Plan?

RTO and RPO are two key indicators of business continuity. They define how long a process can stand still and how much data the company can afford to lose without compromising the business. These values guide all choices of the Business Continuity Plan, from recovery strategies to backup systems.

The RTO indicates the maximum time a process must be reset after an outage. It establishes the threshold beyond which the shutdown becomes economically, operationally, or regulatory unsustainable. The shorter the RTO, the higher the level of protection needed to ensure restoration.

The RPO indicates the maximum amount of data the company can lose between backups. It measures the time that can pass between the last useful rescue and the time of the accident.

A very low RPO requires continuous or near-continuous data replication systems, while a higher RPO allows for less complex and less expensive strategies.

The difference between RTO and RPO is clear. The first concerns the restart time, the second the acceptable data loss. Both depend on the importance of business processes and the economic impact of an outage. For this reason, they are defined during Business Impact Analysis and become a stable reference for all business continuity decisions.

How do you draft a Business Continuity Plan step by step?

A Business Continuity Plan is built following a clear sequence of phases that allow us to identify critical processes, assess risks, and define the actions necessary to ensure business continuity. The logic is always the same: understand what is essential, predict what can interrupt it, and establish how to ensure a restart in the shortest possible time.

The first step is Business Impact Analysis (BIA). It serves to set real priorities and quantify the impacts of an outage. A complete BIA allows you to avoid subjective interpretations and build the plan on objective foundations. At this stage you must:

Identify critical processes.

• Assess the economic, operational and reputational impact of a stoppage.

  
  

• Define RTO and RPO for each essential process.

  
  

• Sort activities according to their urgency to restore.

The second step is risk analysis. The goal is to identify what could cause an outage, internal or external, and with what probability. This phase allows us to anticipate scenarios and define appropriate measures. At this stage the following is evaluated:

• IT failures, cyber attacks, and infrastructure problems.

  
  

• Physical events such as fires, floods or blackouts.

  
  

• Staff unavailability and critical issues in strategic suppliers.

  
  

• Probability and impact of each threat on the business.

The third step is the definition of continuity strategies. Here, operational solutions are chosen that allow activities to continue, even in suboptimal conditions, respecting the established RTOs and RPOs. At this stage it is established:

• What alternative locations to activate and how to use them.

  
  

• What backup and redundancy systems to implement.

  
  

• Which suppliers or partners can support critical situations.

  
  

• What manual procedures to use in case of unavailability of systems.

The fourth step concerns operational procedures. This point describes in a practical way what to do during the emergency, avoiding improvisation and reducing the margin of error. In this phase the following is defined:

• How to activate the plan and who can activate it.

  
  

• The internal and external communication flows.

  
  

• The operational responsibilities for each function involved.

  
  

• The actions for IT restoration and return to normal.

The fifth step is integration with functions and partners. Business continuity is never the responsibility of just one department: it requires coordination. In this phase we involve:

• HR, IT, security, operations and purchasing.

  
  

• Logistics and technical office.

  
  

• Critical suppliers and external partners.

The sixth step concerns internal and external communication. Effective communication avoids panic, clarifies decisions, and protects business reputation. In this phase the following are defined:

• The official channels to use.

  
  

• The default messages for stakeholders, customers and staff.

  
  

• The levels of authorization for public communications.

The seventh step is the approval and dissemination of the plan. An unshared BCP has no value. At this stage it is necessary to:

• Validate it with top management.

  
  

• Distribute it to the functions involved.

  
  

• Make it accessible and integrate it into business procedures.

The final step is staff training. Business continuity depends on people who need to be able to react quickly and consciously. At this stage it is expected:

• Periodic training in procedures.

  
  

• Training of the teams involved.

  
  

• Exercises to consolidate correct behaviors.

Common mistakes to avoid when drafting the BCP

The most common mistakes in drafting a Business Continuity Plan arise from plans that are incomplete, out of date, or difficult to apply in practice. Avoiding them is essential, because a document that is too theoretical or little known does not protect the company even if it is well structured. Business continuity requires realism, integration, and constant updating, otherwise the plan will not hold up at critical moments.

One of the most frequent errors concerns unrealistic assumptions. Many plans imagine generic scenarios that do not reflect the reality of the company. This leads to solutions that are impossible to apply, roles that are not covered, or choices that do not take into account technical and economic constraints. An effective BCP instead arises from analyses based on data and concrete conditions.

Another common mistake is poor integration between business functions. When the plan is built by IT alone or by a single department, it inevitably remains incomplete. Business continuity involves HR, operations, security, logistics, purchasing and strategic suppliers. Without everyone's participation, emergency coordination becomes fragile.

A recurring problem is also the lack of periodic testing. An unproven plan remains theoretical and can prove ineffective just when needed. Tests show which procedures work, where there are weaknesses, and which roles need to be reviewed. Without testing, the BCP ages rapidly and no longer reflects the actual organization.

Another criticality concerns the update. Companies change, processes evolve, technologies transform. If the plan does not follow these changes, it loses value and does not provide protection. Periodic review is essential, especially after organizational changes, new information systems, or incidents that have highlighted vulnerabilities.

Finally, a very common obstacle is poor training of people. Even the most comprehensive plan doesn't work if the person applying it doesn't know it. Business continuity depends on fast, conscious and coordinated behaviour. Without training, the risk of errors increases and valuable time is lost. For this reason, an effective BCP must always be supported by regular and well-structured training activities.

Conclusion

The Business Continuity Plan is an indispensable tool for ensuring stability and resilience in an environment where disruptions, unexpected events, and digital threats are increasingly frequent. A well-built plan helps protect critical processes, reduce downtime, and maintain customer and partner trust even in challenging situations.

Business continuity is not just a document, but an ongoing process based on analysis, updates, and training. It requires cross-cutting involvement, awareness, and an organizational culture capable of reacting quickly. Companies that invest in continuity improve their competitiveness, reduce risks, and build a solid foundation to address crises and changes.

An updated, tested, and integrated BCP into business processes not only protects the business, but strengthens the organization's ability to evolve with stability, minimizing the impact of disruptions and turning every crisis into an opportunity for improvement.

FAQ 

Who is to draft the BCP?

Writing involves multiple functions: management, IT, HR, operations, security, purchasing, and strategic suppliers. Coordination generally rests with a business continuity manager or the risk management department. A plan written by only one department is incomplete; the contribution of all functions ensures a more robust response.

How long does it take to implement a Business Continuity Plan?

Time varies according to the complexity of the company. An SME can complete a BCP in a few weeks, while more structured realities take several months to conduct the BIA, analyze risks, define realistic strategies, test the plan, and train staff. The quality of the result depends above all on the willingness of the departments to collaborate.

Is BCP mandatory?

There is no general obligation for all companies, but in many industries BCP is required by regulations, contracts or certification standards. It is essential for critical infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, public administration, and companies that manage sensitive data. In some cases, it is an explicit requirement to obtain or maintain strategic customers.

What is the difference between Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery?

Business Continuity covers the continuity of people, processes and places of business. Disaster Recovery, on the other hand, concerns the restoration of computer systems and data. A comprehensive BCP always complements the Disaster Recovery plan, but goes beyond the technological realm and includes organization, roles, procedures, and communications.

How much does the BCP need to be updated every time?

The plan should be reviewed at least once a year, or immediately after relevant events such as accidents, process changes, new suppliers, or major technology upgrades. Business continuity is a dynamic process: a static plan risks becoming obsolete and ineffective.

Which companies need a BCP most?

All companies that cannot afford long downtime or data loss. In particular: digital enterprises, manufacturing companies, service providers, entities with complex supply chains, organizations that manage sensitive data, and companies with customers that require guaranteed continuity. SMEs are often the most vulnerable, because even a short outage can have significant impacts.

Alberto Rosso

CEO/Director AR19