ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems
ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems
During the COVID-19 crisis, many organisations were unprepared for the sudden shift to remote work and lacked contingency plans for managing a public health crisis, leaving them exposed to significant operational and security vulnerabilities.
A Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) aligned with ISO 22301:2019 establishes a structured framework for contingency plans to address disasters and common business disruptions. It ensures that response strategies are clearly defined, regularly tested, and effectively implemented to enhance organisational resilience and continuity.
What is ISO 22301:2019?
The Business Continuity Management System enables organisations to effectively prepare and manage disruptions such as natural disasters, IT outages, strikes and riots, and other emergencies. It encompasses key components including IT backups, disaster recovery plans, emergency response, resource management and alignment with strategic business objectives.
Below is a brief description of the PDCA cycle:
Plan – Determine and assess Business Continuity risks, Business Continuity opportunities and other risks and other opportunities, establish Business Continuity objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the organisation’s Business Continuity policy.
Do – Implement the (Business Continuity) controls and processes as planned.
Check – Monitor and measure activities and processes with regard to the Business Continuity policy and Business Continuity objectives and report the results.
Act – Take actions to continually improve the Business Continuity performance to achieve the intended outcomes.
Risk-based thinking enables an organisation to identify factors that could have a negative impact on the Business Continuity Management System. An organisation is required to analyse and prioritise the risks, opportunities and business continuity impacts based on what they think is acceptable and what is unacceptable to the organisations risk appetite. Preventive controls need to be in place to minimise any potential nonconformances and their recurrence.
Why does an Organisation need ISO 22301:2019?
The requirements specified in ISO 22301:2019 are comprehensive and designed to be applicable to organisations of all types, sizes, and sectors, regardless of their operational environment or complexity.
ISO 22301:2019 evaluates an organisation’s capability to meet its business continuity needs and obligations. This standard can help protect your business against unexpected occurrences. Whether an occurrence is caused by an IT system failure, equipment breakdowns, natural disaster, or industrial action, you must ensure that your business is not vulnerable to such a disruption.
Summarily, the standard is applicable to organisations that:
- Implement, maintain and improve a BCMS.
- Seek to ensure conformity with the Business Continuity Policy as stated in the standard.
- Need to be able to continue to deliver products and services at an acceptable predefined capacity during a disruption.
- Seek to enhance their resilience through the effective application of the BCMS.
What are the Benefits of Implementing ISO 22301:2019?
- Ensures the continuity of business operations
The ISO 22301 standard assists organisations to respond to disruptive incidents when they arise. The standard enables an organisation to manage the ability to continue to operate during disruptions. - Increases the competitive advantage
The standard supports organisations in their strategic objectives by maintaining continuity. This also gives the organisation a competitive advantage. - Effective response and recovery procedures
The standard assists organisations to develop an effective framework for effective incident response management. The standard provides guidelines for recovery procedures to ensure that an entity can recover quickly in the event of disruptions. - Reduced legal and financial exposure
The standard assists the organisation to reduce legal exposure and direct and indirect costs as a result of disruptions. - Improvement in internal processes
The standard assists organisations to implement, maintain and improve business processes, and to continue to deliver products and services at an acceptable predefined capacity during a disruption. The standard assists the organisation to enhance its resilience through the effective application of business continuity.
How do I implement ISO 22301:2019 in an organisation?
ISO Consulting & Implementation:
We have a range of professional consultants, engineers, and registered auditors to assist in implementing and maintaining your ISO management system. Our industry expertise includes services, telecommunication, manufacturing, construction, engineering services, fast-moving consumer goods, mining, power generation, state owned companies, and government-run organisations. Each of our consultants takes the time to truly understand the processes of your organisation, which will enable them to implement ISO requirements accordingly and effectively. Hiring a consultant and the time spent to implement your ISO management system will pay off in the long run.
WWISE has a 4-Phase Approach:
- Phase 1: Gap Analysis Audit and Information Gathering
- Phase 2: ISO Documentation, Risk Assessment, and Process Mapping
- Phase 3: Implementation and Training
- Phase 4: Certification
At WWISE we provide a fully inclusive solution that includes full turnkey, awareness training, classroom and online training, and mentorship. As a consulting firm, we do not provide certification services. However, we will guide you through the certification process and ensure that your business becomes certified.
Why Choose WWISE to Assist your Organisation:
Certification Process:
An organisation can get certified to a requirement standard. You can implement the standard and get certified by a third-party.
