The range of risks to consider
The business continuity plan needs to explore the company that can undertake little adverse impact of potential disasters. Mainly, the companies like IBM should cover up the preventive program, which can help in documenting New Zealand airport strategy, which will include a comprehensive IBM framework, oversight program, and testing program for making sure that the plan can be reviewed as well as regularly updated. Most companies try to implement the phased methodology for analysing the vulnerable potential area, explain the viable strategies and try to apply the business continuity plans (Snedaker, 2013).
- A) Know your risks
In this phase, the companies set the complete extent practice, which is forth the complete goal for IBM effort that validates the planned scope, and undertake process inventory or either the business units required for the project. It also explores the primary stakeholders within the process, including the steering committee, executive sponsors and various other subject matter experts (Sollicito, 2002). It is analysed that this phase set the parameters and tries to impart proper training about the project methodology and objectives.
It is analysed that stimulating the disaster scenarios is quite challenging for any company. It includes the challenge of time-consuming for exploring the risks for efficiently handling the techniques of risk management. The complete risk management process in the context of IBM involves the movement of small details of the information so that that risk can be tracked down (Sollicito, 2002). An accurate risk analysis not only try to prepare the company for getting compliance towards IBM, but it also assists in enhancing the full efficiency and performance of the enterprise.
- B) Conduct a business impact analysis
The business impact analysis is considered as the next step that is required for preparing business continuity plan. This area of the process tries to act as the base for significant efforts of recovery planning (Doughty, 2000). It also includes every critical business process and functions, as well as potential threats. Therefore, risks are explored, prioritized as well as managed; the different areas of failure for the business cover up external dependencies and the complete business effect of risk and calculation of SPOF. Recovery point objectives, recovery time objectives, as well as recovery communication objectives are also explored for every critical business process. This phase is used by IBM for studying the regulatory needs and standards, which are expected to be followed; along with efforts and time required for implementing IBM computer system.
IBM comes up with the issues of organizing the fragmented and distributed information. IBM holds various techniques of risk management as well as internal control activities for a different purpose, but the same is not coordinated to act as complete. This can lead towards the inconsistencies and redundancies that might hamper the contingency plan of an organization (Shah, 2013). Activities of organizing distribution and data are therefore the highest management challenge, and the same is faced by IBM.
- C) Develop continuity strategies to operate your business
Steps to design and develop a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan
Leveraging the data through BIA as well as an assessment of risk, the companies can determine the functions of business as the mission critical or core, and then they establish the strategy for managing the risk explored in the process of risk assessment. The frame of critical time and its effect through BIA are applied for determining the contingency strategies as most viable. The options of strategies should be satisfied through BIA for undertaking the response time and cost effectiveness (Hingarh & Ahmed, 2013). Usually, the planners depict the three to four options to the management as the highly cost effective option and provide a recommendation of the same.
Internal audits of high level are necessary for any company, to comply with the regulations and then to improve the performance through risk analysis and operational efficiency. Nevertheless, manual handling of the enormous range of process related to audit related programs and information, not only try to raise the management activities but also reduces the level of performance (Hermann, 2015). The critical issue for any company is to automate the manual process by undertaking the optimum audit management software solutions that are cost friendly as well as efficient.
- D) Identify communication needs
It includes the communication as well as coordination plan. Communication is referred as something important during a crisis. The coordination and communication plan set up the channel of communication that can be used during the IBM solution execution, and try to determine the chain of command for coordinating with IBM solution efforts. It also defines the contacts of authorized media and includes the procedure of notification for primary vendors, suppliers, and clients (Henderson, 2016).
- E) Be ready to go
It is noted that in the quest to understand, whether the IBM solutions are usable or viable, and in that planners conduct the functional testing of the application that is mission critical and personnel for verifying the process of business as expected. Plan testing is referred as a regulatory requirement. It explains the used methodology for testing the IBM solutions, by deciding how often it is tested, and even judge the failure and success of the test. Once the decision is taken about the test methodology, then testing is done for business continuity plan as the iterative job annually (Mansfield & Antonakos, 2009). Through adhering to the IBM standards is entirely iterative, it needs regular monitoring and testing for making sure that IBM solutions are operational and updated. It also includes the issues of monitoring the process of continuous backup, so that failure of backup could be rectified before it affects the lifecycle of IBM solution.
- F) Review your plan
Exploring the company to undertake little adverse impact of potential disasters
An obsolete program is considered good in comparison to no plan. Most of the companies try to strive by keeping the business continuity plan updated with the updated as well as the effective process of recovery. Components related to the recovery point objectives, recovery time objectives are evaluated, and the same is included in the plan. Managing and testing of the recovery strategy are referred as consistent with the highest changes made in the enterprise. Ongoing education is maintained for creating awareness about the responsibilities, when any emergency comes (Krause, 2006). Following the standards of IBM is entirely iterative that needs regular monitoring and testing for making sure that IBM has updated information and is operational. This also includes the issues related to monitoring the process of ongoing backup, so that failure of backup could be rectified before it affects the lifecycle of IBM.
It is analysed that organizations are expected to make sure that their business continuity plan includes all information as per the companies changing requirement. It also includes the issues related to hiring as well as training the staff over compliance with IBM as well as functioning skills, so that business doesn’t get hamper through any disaster.
Attaining highest through minimum is considered as a basic progressive rule of any company. The key issue in complying with the regulations of IBM exist in exploring the business continuity solution that is of high performance and holds lowest cost. The cost impact is the key issue with IBM because business continuity plan is mainly viewed as the blocked money that offers the return in the very few circumstances (Wallace & Webber, 2010). This includes the challenge, while exploring the system of backup storage and it it’s efficient as well as robust and even cost friendly.
When the data gets the invaluable treasure, one might face the issues of ensuring optimum information security through safeguarding it through the theft as well as unauthorized access. It needs the techniques of proper encryption and locks mechanism to ensure that the information, which is backup is safe, even though is kept at the remote location (Tipton & Krause, 2007). An organization adopting the conventional manual handling is vulnerable towards data loss risk.
As per the case, New Zealand airport should make sure about the backup of information, and they should have understood that it’s not the platform of hardware dependent. This is a significant technical need and needs to be kept in mind, so that backup information could be restored whenever it’s needed (Heng, 2009).
Conclusion
The process of business continuity is mainly designed for making sure that companies efficiently operates when the time is normal and continue when its turbulent time. This depicts the robust continuity system, which is tested continuously, updated and exercised. Entities and organizations, which are new in the business usually emphasize over the efforts within organizational boundaries. With the arrangements of business continuity plan maturing, the boundaries are expanding and including the threats and vulnerabilities of the supply chain through the companies activities located closely. This is where the framework of business continuity breaks down. Nevertheless, it is noted that professional innovators have started to acknowledge about the significance of comprehending solution provider, such as MetricStream that supports the organizations in all around the activities that start from planning to implement the strategies of the business continuity plan, within the cycle of continuous improvement. It also caters to the different needs of a business seamlessly, and analyze whether the requirement is related to point solution for solving the immediate need or for planning the program of business continuity.
References
Doughty, K. (2000). Business Continuity Planning: Protecting Your Organization’s Life Best Practices. CRC Press
Henderson, D. M. (2016). Template for Comprehensive Business Continuity Management to Enhance Your Organization’s Resilience, 5th Edition. Rothstein Publishing
Heng, G. M. (2009). A Manager’s Guide to Implement Your IT Disaster Recovery Plan. GMH Continuity Architects
Hermann, J. W. (2015). Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management. John Wiley & Sons
Hingarh, V. & Ahmed, A. (2013). Understanding and Conducting Information Systems Auditing + Website. John Wiley & Sons
Krause, M. (2006). Information Security Management Handbook on CD-ROM, 2006 Edition Volume 27 of (ISC) 2 Press. CRC Press
Mansfield, K. C., & Antonakos, J. L. (2009). Computer Networking for LANS to WANS: Hardware, Software and Security. Cengage Learning
Shah, H. (2013). Mobile Working: Technologies and Business Strategies. Routledge
Snedaker, S. (2013). Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Professionals. Newnes
Sollicito, M. (2002). Business Survival: A Guide to Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery. Michelle Sollicito
Tipton, H. F., & Krause, M. (2007). Information Security Management Handbook, Sixth Edition. CRC Press
Wallace, M., & Webber, L. (2010). The Disaster Recovery Handbook: A Step-by-Step Plan to Ensure Business Continuity and Protect Vital Operations, Facilities, and Assets. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn