Preparing for the Worst

Even though the previous steps have greatly reduced the likelihood of an incident, disruptions can still occur, because as humans, we are incapable of anticipating every possible event. Accordingly, we prepare for the worst by developing a Continuity Strategy to provide for the recovery of your critical operations within a pre-defined recovery timetable in case of an unforeseen incident. This may involve the provision of alternate buildings, personnel, suppliers, back-up equipment and/or IT Infrastructure.

Generally, the sooner that recovery is required (Recovery Time Objective), the more complex and costly the strategy. For instance, in a supply chain scenario, the presence of inventory can significantly reduce the recovery time objective and the associated costs.