Business Continuity Plan Consulting

Your company needs a comprehensive plan of action to guide it through the turbulent aftermath of serious catastrophes like natural disasters and cyber-attacks.

Settling for lacklustre solutions or half-baked contingencies won’t provide adequate protection for the business you worked so hard to build. Partnering with top business continuity plan consultants offers you and your company the best chance of weathering even the gravest setbacks.

Keep reading to learn all about business continuity consultancy, including how hiring industry experts to develop, execute, and maintain your company’s disaster response plan can save you money and boost your business resilience.

Why Work With Business Continuity Planning Consultants?

The vast majority of HR departments aren’t equipped to handle business continuity (BC) planning. Yet building a comprehensive business continuity strategy - which typically includes crisis management and disaster recovery plans - is the only way to guarantee your company can survive a coordinated cyber-attack.

According to data compiled by manufacturing collective Made in Britain, over two-thirds of small businesses in the UK suffered cyber-attacks in 2020 alone – and those numbers have risen in the past three years.

Business continuity planning is something you have to get right the first time. Otherwise, your company could face serious consequences in the aftermath of a disaster or emergency, including extended downtime, heavy fines, and expensive workplace compensation fees – not to mention a severe hit to its reputation.

Working with professional business continuity consultants improves your business’s chances of bouncing back after an unforeseen catastrophe.

Here’s how.

Maximise Efficiency, Minimise Downtime

One of the costliest consequences of natural disasters and cyber-attacks is the downtime that follows while the company repairs its infrastructure and shores up its defences.

Professional BC consultants have the tools and expertise to create comprehensive, highly efficient plans that allow your company to respond in real-time to any threat. You’ll be able to resume normal operations within a much shorter timeframe than you would under a subpar BC initiative, reducing loss of revenue due to extended downtime and safeguarding your reputation.

Reduce Costs

The fee you’ll pay for high-performance business continuity planning software and business continuity management services is nothing compared to the money you’ll save in the long run. One of the primary purposes of these initiatives is to decrease the financial impacts of disruptions and crises.

Reduced productivity, damaged property and equipment, and legal fines all take their toll on businesses in the wake of catastrophes. Budgeting for top-tier business continuity consulting services can soften the blow.

Guarantee Compliance with Local Regulations

Legal requirements for business consultancy vary widely across industries and regions. It’s vital to ensure your BC plan is compliant with all relevant regulations to avoid heavy penalties.

Pairing integrated BC software with the expertise of BC consultants guarantees your plan will meet every requirement in your region.

What to Expect from Business Continuity Consulting Services

Business Impact Analysis and Risk Assessment

When it comes to analysing the risks common to your industry and the essential processes and functions at your specific company, there’s no replacement for the skills of a professional eye.

A business continuity expert knows how to prioritise risk mitigation and recovery efforts for companies in every industry. They’ll give your organisation its best chance at weathering natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and other crises that could otherwise devastate operations and reduce client trust in your company.

Plan Development

Once they’ve analysed your organisation’s needs, vulnerabilities, and essential functions, your team will begin developing a comprehensive BC programme custom-tailored to your organisation.

This programme will outline key steps for your company to follow in the event of a crisis. Example steps include:

• Detailed procedures for recovering and backing up data
• Alternative workspaces in the event your facility sustains damage
• Protocols for informing clients of data breaches

Ongoing Maintenance and Support

Support for your BC programme doesn’t stop at downloading software or creating and implementing a plan. Business continuity consulting services include ongoing support and maintenance for your programme to ensure its success and relevancy.

The National Cyber Security Centre warns that the threat landscape for businesses with online operations is increasingly insecure. That means your company’s BC plan needs to be fluid and stay on top of current trends in order to protect its resiliency over time.

BC consulting experts make it their business to stay up-to-date with trends and threats in the world of cyber security. They’ll suggest alterations to your BC programme in accordance with current industry best practices.

Benefits of Web-based Platforms for Business Continuity Experts

Business owners and business continuity consulting firms alike can benefit from integrating web-based tools into their daily operations.

Whether you’re a business continuity consultant seeking to improve your client services or an HR department looking to develop your company’s business continuity plan from the ground up, a secure web-based solution delivers efficiency, privacy, and a comprehensive network to keep your entire operation on the same page.

Customisable Options

No two companies have the same BC planning needs, which means there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The best BC planning platforms offer fully customisable services that allow clients in different industries to tailor their plans to their individual business requirements.

Harness the Power of Automation

Manual development, implementation, and management come at an increased risk for errors and are less efficient than using an automated system.

Automating your BC programme comes with an efficiency boost of up to 80%, leaving your team free to focus on tweaking and improving your plan instead of spending energy on routine maintenance.

Automated systems also ensure your employees are immediately notified via multiple communication channels in the event of a crisis, allowing them to vacate the premises or initiate emergency shutdown procedures in a timely fashion.

Hassle-free Engagement Across Your Whole Organisation

Routinely training employees on complicated and antiquated manual processes eats up time and resources. It’s also a scheduling nightmare and disrupts productivity across departments.

By consolidating your BC planning on one web-based platform, you’ll give yourself and your business the gift of effortless organisation-wide engagement. And with professional support from a subject matter expert, you won’t have to spend time and resources on employee training.

Business Continuity Consultancy: Final Thoughts

Investing in comprehensive BC planning software and keeping a team of expert business continuity analysts in your corner gives your company its best chance of bouncing back after a disruption.

A well-designed BC programme helps reduce downtime, protect revenue, retain customer trust, and ensure compliance with relevant local regulations.

C2 Meridian - All the Tools You Need in One Place

C2's innovative platform helps business continuity consulting companies worldwide streamline operations and optimise their services for every industry, keeping everyone on the same page regarding your disaster preparation and response plan.

A subscription to C2 Meridian includes the following features:

• Detailed management information and reporting
• BC plan management and risk management
• Sophisticated business impact analysis
• Incident management and notification
• Dynamic reporting and corrective action
• Central management for policies, documents, and employee training
• Audit and compliance support
• Optimised for tablets and mobile devices

Our experienced team also offer global business continuity management consulting services and solutions that can be customised to fit companies across different industries. Book a demo today to see how we can help!