Business Continuity Plan

Business Continuity Plan A guide for business operators in South Australia www.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/smallbusiness

Table of Contents 01 Introduction... 4 02 Developing your plan... 6 03 Work section... 13 04 Notes... 17 Business Continuity Plan Page 2 of 18

Readers of this guide are advised: The purpose of this guide is to provide general introductory information. The guide does not purport to contain all the information that would be relevant to any particular business opportunity. The guide is provided to interested persons on the basis that they will be responsible for making their own assessment of that opportunity with the assistance of the information provided. All figures contained in the guide should be regarded as estimates only based on general samples and may be subject to error. The information in the guide should not be relied upon in substitution for professional advice and individual investigation. Persons interested in pursuing any particular business opportunity are strongly advised to fully inform themselves by taking professional advice as to the extent of their rights and obligations particularly in relation to any proposed investment. The guide is provided subject to the terms of the formal disclaimer, which appears on the last page. Business Continuity Plan Page 3 of 18

01 Introduction WHAT IS BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING? Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is about being prepared to manage any disruption to your business to ensure the continuity of services to your customers. You want your customers to know that you can provide business as usual even if others around you are experiencing difficulties. The disruption to your business could be caused by an environmental emergency such as a flood, or a critical input disruption like an extended electricity blackout. WHAT IS A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN? A Business Continuity Plan contains the documented arrangements that enable you to manage any disruption to your business and maintain the continuity of services to your customers. WHY SHOULD I PREPARE A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN? By preparing a business continuity plan, your business will be more likely to survive an emergency or critical input disruption. The ability to continue trading while competitors experience disruptions may enable you to gain market share and grow your business. Your staff, key customers and insurer may also like to know you have a business continuity plan. This will give them more confidence that your business is well organised and able to withstand business disruptions. Business continuity planning will also help you to better understand your business and its vulnerability. In addition, good business continuity planning needs to emphasise the interdependency of business activities, which include discussions with suppliers and distributors. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN? Greater financial resilience. Reduce loss of business turnover. Improve staff morale and retention through planning. Resilient communities lessen the extent and duration of government assistance. SME s play a vital role in community and social cohesion in a community s resiliance to disasters. Business Continuity Plan Page 4 of 18

01 Introduction IS MY BUSINESS AT RISK? Businesses across South Australia are at risk from a number of natural and societal hazards, including: Bushfires Floods Building fire Criminal activity Staff loss Pandemic Influenza Electrical failure Fuel supply disruption Machinery failure Computer failure Through adequate preparation, these risks and the potential impact to your business can be minimised. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PREPARE A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN? The time it takes to develop a business continuity plan will depend on a variety of factors, including the size and complexity of your business. Depending on these factors, your organisation s business continuity planning might only take a few hours. This Guide provides a series of simple steps that will help you to develop your business continuity plan and potentially address any concerns. HOW MUCH WILL A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN COST? This will vary from business to business. It is possible that only some of your time to prepare the plan is required. WHAT IS INVOLVED IN PREPARING A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN? The following simple steps are required to prepare your business continuity plan: 1 Know your risks 2 Conduct a Business Impact Analysis 3 Develop continuity strategies to operate your business 4 Identify communication needs 5 Be ready to go 6 Review your plan Business Continuity Plan Page 5 of 18

02 Developing your plan 1 Know your risks Businesses are at risk from a number of natural disasters, societal hazards and supply chain disruption. These risks include: Bushfires Pandemic Influenza Floods Building fire Criminal activity Staff loss Electrical failure Fuel supply disruption Machinery failure Computer failure It is important to understand these risks and how your community and governing bodies such as local councils and State Government bodies manages them. For example, it is important to discover what medium of communication your local council utilises in times of crisis, such as a flood or cyclone. Knowing what support and guidance to expect from these services will help you formulate your contingency response. 2 Conduct a Business Impact Analysis This involves identifying your key products and services, deciding how long you can stop delivering them before incurring serious losses, and identifying your critical inputs. In this step it is important to be clear on what key products and services your business produces. For each key product and service, identify how long you could stop delivering it before your business would experience difficulties. You wish to prioritise these based on the amount of profit each product or service generates. The length of outage your business can tolerate will vary depending on the time of day, day of the week and time of year. For example, if your busiest trading week of the year makes enough profit to carry you through the quiet periods then you will be less able to withstand a sustained outage at this time. Plan for the duration of outage you can withstand during this period. The Maximum Acceptable Outage may be based on lost income, public disruption or regulation compliance issues. The answers to this question will be different for every business. The following examples are based around two small business structures; a small owner and operated florist employing a number of casual staff, and a hotel in a country town. Business Continuity Plan Page 6 of 18

02 Developing your plan EXAMPLES: Key products and services for a florist Flower sales at store Home delivery flower sales Card sales at store Gift sales at store Staff payments Tax payments Maximum Acceptable Outage 1 day 1 day 3 days 2 weeks 1 week 3 months Key products and services for a hotel On site cold drink sales at bar Site bottle sales from liquor shop Fuel sales On site accommodation On site food sales On site entertainment Staff payments Tax payments Maximum Acceptable Outage 1 day On 2 days 2 hours 3 days 3 days 2 weeks 1 week 3 months Business continuity means that you must find a way to restore your products and services within the Maximum Acceptable Outage. The business could be disrupted because of a total loss of assets resulting from a flood or fire. However, often the disruption is caused by lost access to a critical input that is needed to operate the business. Business Continuity Plan Page 7 of 18

02 Developing your plan IDENTIFYING YOUR CRITICAL INPUTS In this step it is important to understand the critical inputs that enable you to provide each of your business products and services. Critical inputs are the essential services and products required to restart your business if there was a disruption. Critical inputs might include; staff (specialist and generalist), utilities (electricity, water, gas etc.), supplies (fuel, vehicles, raw materials, equipment), property and equipment premises, warehouses, EFTPOS, computer records, etc. EXAMPLE In our florist example, critical inputs for each key product and service might include: Product or service Flower sales at store Home delivery flower sales Card sales Gift sales Staff payments Tax payments Critical inputs Flower supplies (120 bunches delivered twice weekly) EFTPOS Electricity Florist (x 1) and counter staff (x 2) Water (200 litres per day) Shop front facing main street Cool room (8sqm) Accounts Vehicle and driver Fuel (40 litres per day) Accounts Card supplies (400 per month) EFTPOS Electricity Shop front facing main street Counter staff Accounts Gift supplies (300 items per month) EFTPOS Electricity Shop front facing main street Counter staff Accounts Banking services Staff hours book Account records Banking services Should your business be destroyed by a structural fire or natural disaster you now know what critical inputs you need to put in place. Business Continuity Plan Page 8 of 18

02 Developing your plan 3 Develop continuity strategies to operate your business With some forethought, you can develop continuity strategies to operate your business after a disruption before the Maximum Acceptable Outage is reached. The range of continuity strategies you might consider include: Cross-training staff and skill sharing. Hiring equipment. Borrowing equipment with another business. Having backup equipment. Retaining old equipment when it is replaced. Practicing manual processes to replace computer systems. Identifying alternative suppliers. Having records and forms stored off-site. Keeping computer backups off-site. Contracting out. Having insurance policies, contracts and other important documents copied and kept off-site. Succession planning. For each of your product(s) or service(s), develop a continuity strategy to restore business before the maximum Acceptable Outage is reached. Product or service Flower sales at store Home delivery flower sales Card sales Continuity strategy Operate from home, or share space at chemist shop, or rent vacant shop. Manual processing of EFTPOS using machine stored at home or use EFTPOS in shop next door until replaced. Rent cool room trailer from hire company. Need 6 kva generator to power cool room. Obtain from local hire company. Daily accounts backup kept at home. Lease new computer. Use an alternative driver. Use alternative driver when regular driver is on leave, etc. to build an understanding of business. Could also use local taxi. Restock with new supplies. If supplier closes, possibly use Fred Bloggs card shop in Adelaide. Business Continuity Plan Page 9 of 18

02 Developing your plan Product or service Gift sales Florist skills Counter staff Staff payments Tax payments Continuity strategy Restock with new supplies. If supplier closes, possibly use Jane Doe gift shop in Adelaide. Use Mrs Smith, a retired florist, and use counter staff (need to build their skills). Use a number of casuals to ensure flexibility. Through goodwill, staff will wait an extra week for pay. Keep copy of all financial records at home and originals at work in case one set is destroyed. Once you ve developed your continuity strategies, you ll need to ensure that the training, equipment and relationships, you ve devised are in place. If you store items that deteriorate such as, perishable produce, or goods such as fuel you ll need a process to replace them as required. If your strategies depend on staff performing tasks that they do not usually do, you will need to arrange regular practice for them. You will also need to ensure staff members know the triggers for activating the business continuity plan. The triggers must allow adequate time to implement your contingency strategies before you reach the Maximum Acceptable Outage. The plan should also set out clear accountabilities for staff so they know who is responsible for each action. Once you have decided on the best contingency strategy option, write it in your plan. 4 Identify communication needs The success of your business continuity plan may depend on ensuring the right people and organisations are contacted quickly. This will ensure you get the help and support you need to maintain your business. Some of the key contacts you need include: Staff Insurance company Suppliers Contractors Hire companies Key customers Financial institution Alternative suppliers Regulator Equipment maintenance companies Business Continuity Plan Page 10 of 18

02 Developing your plan Your staff will want to know whether they still have a job and how they can help. Your customers will want to know if you will meet existing orders and be reassured that you will continue to operate. Your suppliers will want to know if you still need orders already placed and what they can do to help. You may also need to place an advertisement in the local press informing your customers and suppliers of the status of your business. EXAMPLE In our florist example, key contacts include: Key contact EFTPOS faults Contact number Telephone faults Electricity authority Local real estate to rent alternative premises Flower supplier Alternative flower supplier Alternative counter staff Retired local florist Alternative vehicle drivers Gift supplier Alternative gift supplier Card supplier Alternative card supplier Insurance company Florist in neighbouring town Electrician Refrigeration mechanic Local hire company Office equipment lease company Major customers Bank manager Business Continuity Plan Page 11 of 18

02 Developing your plan 5 Be ready to go Your contingency strategies will be most successful if you practice them regularly. Staff will need to be clear on when your continuity plan is to be deployed and know the triggers to start using it. It may be helpful to conduct some business continuity exercises. An exercise can be as simple as a discussion about what people would do if a range of situations, such as those listed below, occurred. The electricity supply will be disrupted for two days. The computer system has failed and will be out of service for a number of days. A key supplier has closed down at short notice. A number of staff have been seriously injured in a car accident and will be off work for months. Your building has burnt down. More practical exercises could include using your continuity strategies on a quiet day at work to be sure that they work. Staff members are most likely to be able to continue working effectively with your contingency strategies if they have practised them. 6 Review your plan As your business grows and changes, you will need to revise your business continuity plan. This review should occur every six months. Most importantly, telephone numbers must be checked. Remember to keep two copies of your business continuity plan at two different sites in case one is destroyed. Business Continuity Plan Page 12 of 18

03 Work section Complete this section with answers for your business. 1 Know your risks What could happen that would significantly disrupt your business? Include natural disasters, technological failures and supply chain disruptions. List the risks to your business below (some have already been included for you). Remember that any of these may complicate the implementation of your business continuity plan. Risks Building fire Electricity disruption Business Continuity Plan Page 13 of 18

03 Work section 2 Conduct a Business Impact Analysis This involves identifying your key products and services, deciding how long you can stop delivering them, and identifying your critical inputs. KEY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES What are the key products and services delivered by your business and how long can you stop delivering them? Key products and services Maximum Acceptable Outage IDENTIFYING YOUR CRITICAL SUPPLIES/RESOURCES What are the critical inputs required by your business to deliver each product and service? Detail the minimum quality and quantity required. Products and services Critical input Business Continuity Plan Page 14 of 18

03 Work section 3 Develop continuity strategies to operate your business Identify a contingency strategy to restore each key product and service during a disruption to meet your Maximum Acceptable Outage. Remember to record details of equipment required, such as size of generators. Key products and services Continuity strategy This business continuity plan is to be activated if any of these triggers occur: Key products and services Continuity strategy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Business Continuity Plan Page 15 of 18

03 Work section 4 Identify communication needs For your strategies, identify the people and organisations you will need to contact to get help and support. Key contacts Contact numbers 5 Be ready to go Develop some exercise ideas for your business to ensure your staff know what needs to be done when a disruption occurs. Building continuity exercises 6 Review your plan Copies of this plan are stored at: I will update this plan again on: DATE: / / Business Continuity Plan Page 16 of 18

04 Notes Business Continuity Plan Page 17 of 18

Department of State Development GPO Box 320 Adelaide SA 5001 T: +61 8 8226 3821 E: DSDSmallBusinessStrategy@sa.gov.au W: www.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/smallbusiness DISCLAIMER The Government of South Australia gives no warranty and makes no representation, whether express or implied, as to the accuracy of information contained within this guide or the suitability of the information for any purpose. Any use of the information contained in this guide (whether authorised or not) is at the users sole risk and the Government of South Australia disclaims responsibility for any loss or damage incurred as a result of such use. The information is provided solely on the basis that users of the information will make their own assessment of the accuracy of the information and users are advised to verify all information contained within this document. Any information about the law in Australia or South Australia is provided as general information only and is not legal advice. This guide is a starting point only and is not a substitute for legal or professional advice. While the Department has attempted to ensure the information is accurate at the time of publishing, no responsibility will be accepted for any errors or omissions and the Government of South Australia will not be liable for any loss or damage incurred by any person as a consequence of any use, reference or reliance on this information. Any such use, reference or reliance shall be at the sole risk of that person who should seek their own legal and/or professional advice if required. COPYRIGHT Produced by the South Australian Government March 2015 Business Continuity Plan Page 18 of 18