Business continuity is the planning and preparation to ensure that your business can operate critical functions during emergency events.

Planning Activities

  • Develop a business continuity plan and Revisit regularly
  • Assign clear expectations and responsibilities to staff
  • Obtain latest information on COVID-19
  • Consult vendors, suppliers and stakeholders on potential disruptions to services like internet, phone, supplies, resources or merchandize.
  • Review prioritize all business travel
  • Evaluate and prioritize all ‘high level” impact on your business
  • Make sure entire company is aware of the roles during a crisis
  • Test the plan in simulation
  • Document and Share mistakes and best practice with other businesses
  • Establish remote access and policies for staff via VPN, RDP…
  • consider moving to cloud computing for your business model (backups, storage, 0365, Google Docs, AWS, SharePoint, Salesforce, Azure or Google Cloud.)
  • Establish clear hours of operations and work hours for staff
  • Implement cyber security awareness training and Revisit regularly
  • establish clear communicate path for vendors, suppliers and stakeholders, via web site, social media, phone email and text.
  • Establish budget plan for the next 6 to 12 months
  • Take inventory of all resources, vendors, consultants, projects and processes.
  • Build knowledge base or document on all company business processes.
  • List contact information for all key personnel
  • Identify important business data on all devices and back it up

Risk management

  • Identify activities, employees and inputs required for business to stay afloat
  • project impact of employee absences, disruption to the supplies from local and overseas vendors
  • Identify where sensitive information is stored/processed
  • Identify means to back up sensitive information and prioritize this information on recovery
  • Examine impact of COVID-19 on your market and customers
  • Identify and agree business priorities and deliverables
  • evaluate business need for face-to-face meetings and consider moving cloud computing business model.
  • Establish authorities, triggers and procedures for implementing plan.
  • Consider the issues for business related travel and financial management implications due to COVID-19
  • Assess the magnitude that others will be dependent on your business due to COVID19, services or products.
  • evaluate the circumstances under which you might decide to scale up, scale back or suspend operations due to COVID-19
  • Establish budget plan for the next 6 to 12 months

Measures to Reinforce Continuity

  • Nominate deputies
  • List contact information for all key personnel
  • Cross-train, and identify alternative resources
  • Communicate in a manner suitable to current state of COVID-19 as per national guidelines
  • Prepare clear emergency communications plan, web site, social media, text, phone or print.  
  • Prepare policies on sick leave, extended benefits, insurance and compassionate leave due to COVID-19
  • Prepare travel policies for local and staff overseas
  • Assure that supplies, products or services are available
  • set clear expectations with clients and vendors on products and services.
  • Consider the options of changing your product or services to adjust with current market

Responding to Workplace Risks

  • Consider moving to cloud computing for your business model (recommended)
  • Prepare policies on hygienic behavior for employees and visitors to premises.
  • Plan to provide for hand washing, hand hygiene, mask, gloves, disposable suites, tissue disposal and other facilities as per national guidelines
  • Plan for frequent and effective cleaning of the workplace as per national guidelines
  • Prepare policies as per national guidelines to advise those who are infected, or are suspected to be infected with COVID-19
  • Plan measures to reduce face-to-face contact with customers, vendors and employees
  • Identify measures that can reduce infection between staff
  • Prepare policies on flexible work locations, telecommute and flexible working shifts
  • Provide infrastructure to support teleworking and remote customer interaction.
Business Continuity Plan checklist
Business Continuity Plan checklist
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