The Three ‘A’s of a Business Continuity Program

Business stability is essential for a company irrespective of its size. It provides flexibility in order to coup over any disaster, be it nature or human error. It provides multiple benefits; it is not restricted to protecting only business data, software or hardware through server virtualization services but also safeguards employees who form an integral part of the organization. Thus, by putting a business continuity plan in practice, companies can better prepare against any potential risks or disasters and can get back on their feet with least possible downtime.


According to a survey by Aberdeen Group in 2013, a company loses an average of $163,000 per hour as a downtime cost, irrespective of organization’s size. This illustrates how imperative it is for organizations to have a concrete business continuity plan in place.

The Three ‘A’s -

• The Arrangement- Business Continuity has also become an important domain of IT enterprise and has been continuously evolving. In the present multifaceted scenario, business continuity is no more restricted to ‘systems of record’; it is transforming and stepping towards ‘system of engagement’. A single person be it business continuity specialist or program manager is no longer sufficient to independently carry entire business process or critical applications in case of a disruptive event. In order to have an effective business continuity process, an overall engagement level is need of the hour requiring direct involvement of business owners, stakeholders and other key players.

• The Awareness- A business continuity plan that is scenario specific is not adequate, as it may make organization prone to many prospective threats. A solid business continuity plan is not only a one-time planning event rather requires updates and changes like an ongoing program. For achieving best results, data needs to be synchronized across various IT systems, records and other data sources. In today’s virtual world, having a well-documented plan is good but does not suffice, an action oriented and relevant plan is required that can be provisioned with the help of virtual desktop services in minutes.

• The Avoidance- A well thought out business continuity plan does not only about managing or about preparing against problems but also implies preventive measures to prohibit any possible disasters. For having a perfect plan, continuous improvements in the plan is essential including training staff members and keeping them well informed, implementing periodic testing, maintaining performance standards and measuring progress in terms of its effectiveness and practicality. A business continuity plan, if not updated on a regular basis, can fail to serve in case of a breakdown or disaster.