For managers, auditors and others who want a comprehensive overview of business continuity management, the BCOE-000 course from DRI provides great foundation knowledge. The one-day course uses the 10 Industrial Best Practices for BC Practitioners defined by DRI as a framework. Terminologies, definitions and practical applications then complete this awareness training. But the BCOE-000 overview goes further than being a useful, fast-paced and fun course. It’s also an opportunity for organisations to develop some cross-training, a tactic that can have additional positive benefits.

Cross-training in BCM is advantageous to an organisation as a whole, because it raises overall understanding about the need for business continuity. Like other fundamentally important programmes such as health and safety at work and quality control, business continuity needs to be known and acted on appropriately by everybody. Bringing in departmental and project managers to the BCOE-000 BCM Overview course can be a great way to reinforce and spread the word when they get back. Selecting representatives from your different operational sections (finance, IT, production, logistics, and so on) will help distribute the message evenly.

There are further advantages too. Judicious cross-training helps an organisation to plan for the future. It also helps it to manage unplanned change, for example if somebody changes job responsibilities by leaving or transferring to another part of the business. An increase in workforce flexibility is accompanied by enhanced skill sets, and greater motivation and confidence at work. Targeting business continuity management can help to improve communication skills, professionalism, creativity and innovation – the things that in turn contribute to good business continuity and that every organisation should encourage.