Business Continuity Plan
Name
Institution
Business Continuity Plan
Scenario: My computer was recently attacked by malware, crippling my business. I am a part-time article writer (for online magazines), and at the time when my computer was attacked, I had been assigned work by 3 of my regular clients, and I had a few hours to complete the work. I did not want to disappoint as this kind of work requires one to demonstrate integrity and credibility to get and maintain loyal clients. To ensure that the operation of my business continued, I executed the various BCP phases.
I began by preparing a plan that documented the objectives, scope and boundaries of the project. I also highlighted the tasks I would engage in, prepared a budget for the resources required for the project, and set the timeframes for the project and deliverables for tasks. I then went on to carry out current state assessments. As such, I reviewed the processes in my business to establish what had been disrupted, the files that had been infected and the inefficiencies that resulted as a result of the malware attack. I also considered the goals and objectives for the business processes in my assessment; I established the extent to which they had been disrupted and derailed.
Next, I initiated the third phase; this is the design and development phase. This is where I developed solutions to ensure that I continued with my work despite the attack. In this regard, I planned to recover some of the lost files (i.e., the ones that had the clients’ instructions regarding what they wanted me to present to them). I also identified a strategy that I would use to write the articles without my computer. Notably, the attack had prompted me to take the computer to an IT professional for help, i.e., to remove the malware and secure my computer from future attacks.
After designing and developing strategies to ensure business continuity, I entered into the implementation phase. It is important to note that I usually backup my files in a floppy disk. Therefore, with the needed data in the disk, I borrowed a computer from my friend. I then used the disk to gain access to my clients’ instructions and went on to do my job. The last phase is the management phase. This phase mainly aims at creating a plan to maintain operations (Corzine, 2013). That said, to ensure that the operations continued, I maintained my online presence through my phone. This way, I could still advertise my services and get more clients. I also followed up with the IT professional to track his progress in fixing my computer.
Business impact analysis
Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is an important part of a business continuity plan. It points out the impact of an abrupt loss of business functions, normally quantified at a cost (Sikdar, 2017). Therefore, I made sure that I put it into consideration. The malware attack put me at risk of losing my clients, and hence, a significant income. Also, my credibility and integrity as a writer were in jeopardy. Therefore, I put priority on ensuring that I delivered the articles on time despite the disruption. This is well illustrated in my strategies of recovering the files with clients’ instructions and borrowing a computer to complete my tasks.
References
Corzine, S. (2013). Operational and business continuity planning for prolonged airport disruptions. Transportation Research Board.
Sikdar, P. (2017). Practitioner’s guide to business impact analysis. CRC Press.
