BCM
The positives
Taking a high-level look at our strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats
(SWOT) is a useful way of assessing where
we are and where we might be headed.
Firstly, on the positive side for BCM we find:
1. BCM is no longer just for big impact,
low probability physical events
BCM is becoming an essential enabler of
organisational resilience as part of ‘business
as usual’ thanks primarily to its focus on
a new dawn
identifying and protecting sources of value
within an organisation. The methodology
is also starting to be applied to dealing
with diverse situations such as product
or a step too far?
recall planning, supply chain management,
pandemic planning or even the incident
management phase of managing financial
crises.
2. BCM is attracting practitioners from
diverse business areas
With greater awareness and adoption
of BCM practices around the world, so
the diversity of practitioner backgrounds
multiplies. While earlier practitioners may
share backgrounds in IT, the armed forces
or the emergency services, new entrants
to the profession also come from general
management, audit, insurance, compliance
and quality. Further, with BCM becoming a
new academic topic we are starting to see
graduate level entry into the profession and
this trend is expected to increase rapidly.
3. BCM has become a standardised
As we enter a new decade,  
management practice
Since the BCI launched its Good Practice
Guidelines in 2002 and supported the
Lyndon Bird considers what might 
launch of PAS56 around the same time,
several national and international standards
lie in store for the development of 
bodies have attempted to codify BCM as
part of an overall management systems
framework. The most wide-spread to date
business continuity
has been the British Standards Institution’s
BS25999, and others have been released
or are in final stages of development.
A
s we move into a new decade, it is naturally interesting to ponder on what might An international standard ISO22301 is
be ahead for business continuity management as a profession and ourselves as under development as well as a wider
individual practitioners. We can think of the 1980s as the dawn of the subject, the based code of practice ISO22399. The BCI
1990s as the formalisation of core principles and the 2000s as the codification of those believes that regardless of which standard
principles into formal standards. As such it is tempting to see the coming of the new is selected, the overriding concern should
decade as an opportunity to reinforce those successes and move BCM a step closer to be the competence of the BCM practitioner
what is really needed – full acceptance by top management as a strategic part of business involved, so individual professional
success. certification is now becoming essential.
The timing of this article, in itself, gives us pause for reflection. We have experienced Naturally these trends have created some
the first worldwide influenza pandemic of the 21st Century, we are still living through the major opportunities for the growth of BCM
scale of economic crisis not experienced in the living memory of most people and we are within both the private and public sectors,
coming to terms with new global threats ranging from energy security, mass migration, with enhanced career opportunities for
e
cyber crime and climate change. practitioners. However, this higher profile
Against this backdrop of uncertainty, it is encouraging that the discipline of BCM has does demand a higher level of competence
been able to evolve and remain relevant in the face of these major business and societal from those aspiring to senior BCM roles
changes. However, if we think of the discipline of BCM as an intellectual ‘product’, it than previously might have been the case.
is salutary to remember than many such ‘products’ have a maximum lifespan of around Typically a BCM professional needs to
s
tockphoto.com/lorrainedark
30 years before either falling out of fashion or being replaced by a more comprehensive demonstrate sound analytical skills, solid
©i
model. programme and project management skills,
January/February 2010  Continuity  2
Cont Jan/Feb 2010_insides.indd 27 3/2/10 14:52:31
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44