Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

What is a BCP?

The Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is the operational document that outlines the strategies, procedures, and responsibilities required to maintain or restore the company’s critical functions after a disruption. It represents the practical implementation of the business continuity program.

How does it differ from business continuity?

They are complementary concepts, not identical: Business Continuity refers to the overall approach or program (BCM), while the BCP is the specific plan that contains actions, contacts, decision-making chains, and recovery scenarios. An organization typically has several BCPs (by area, process, or location) within its overall program.

What does it include and which operational aspects are key?

A typical BCP includes the identification of critical functions, crisis management roles and teams, recovery objectives (RTO/RPO), failover and continuity procedures, IT disaster recovery plans (DRP), internal and external communications, alternative suppliers, and testing and maintenance schedules.

It should be reviewed after exercises, business changes, or lessons learned from real incidents.