Although it is unlikely that there will be any shortage of challenges for the business continuity practitioner, it’s always good to have a head start. When you know ahead of time about some of the “opportunities” (cleverly disguised as problems, right?!), then business continuity planning principles and training courses can take on a whole new additional relevance. While every enterprise has its own particular context to deal with, there is a certain consensus about the BCP challenges that commonly exist in organisations. Following is our list for you to get started.

  • Communication
    Getting the importance of BC across to all the people in an organisation can be difficult. Some practitioners suggest that straightforward “what if” questions as an effective starting point: for example, “what if you had to do without your computer and your phone for the next working day?”
  • Getting buy-in and funding
    Business continuity, like insurance, needs to be funded. And also like (non-compulsory) insurance, BC is often considered to be something that is less urgent than other business priorities. Learning about what BC can also do to directly help profitability is a way to strengthen the case for getting management attention and financing.
  • Lack of business continuity staff
    While funding plays a role, so does education. BC practitioners need good education to get them going and to keep them abreast of developments. Yet for the same reasons (getting started, staying up to date), good business continuity training can be cost effective and show a return on investment for the organisation.
  • Too little time for business continuity activities
    There’s too little time for everything, not just for business continuity! But good time management and smart solutions getting things done apply as much to effective business continuity as they do to any other area of a business.
  • Technical business continuity challenges
    Business continuity in some domains may become complex – for example, in sophisticated manufacturing systems. You can’t be an expert in everything, but as a competent BC manager, you can help your colleagues in other departments to ask themselves the right questions about how they can improve BC aspects of their daily operations.