Important Pieces of a Business Continuity Plan

12/23/2019 (Permalink)

A business continuity plan is essential

As a business leader, you know how important it is to run an efficient organization. You work hard to hire capable employees, meet customers' needs, produce high-quality goods and offer meaningful services. But are you prepared in the event of an emergency? If a natural disaster such as a flood hits your Guthrie, OK, office, you need to be ready to not only mitigate damage but to carry on day-to-day work. A business continuity plan can help with that.

Importance of Developing a Plan

You might not worry much about minor environmental issues, but even moderate storm damage can affect the way you run your business. A plan to continue operations is vital to your company's health in the following ways:

• Allows you to keep up with production
  
• Allows employees to keep working without having to take paid time off
  
• Allows you to fill orders and be competitive with other companies in the marketplace
  
• Helps with a smooth transition during an emergency
  
  

Work-From-Home Options

Set up ways in which your employees can work from home, if possible. Many roles can work remotely if an incident such as flooding makes it dangerous or impractical to stay in the office. Make sure your employees can access servers and can communicate with others in the organization.

Have Backup Equipment

Even if you can stay in the building, the machinery and equipment may not be in working condition. In your continuity plan, identify offsite or additional resources such as information technology that you can connect to and use.

Relocating

If working from home isn't an option for some employees, or for anyone, consider partnering with another company. You may also be able to move to another part of the building while professional cleanup teams are repairing the affecting areas. This may require staggering shifts to make room for everyone.
A business continuity plan is essential. Follow these steps so your company doesn't suffer.