How to test a business continuity plan without disrupting the business.
A discussion-based exercise can expose outdated contacts, unclear authority and unworkable assumptions without switching anything off or interrupting customers.
Choose one credible scenario
Select a disruption connected to a high-priority activity: the premises are inaccessible, a key system is unavailable, a supplier misses delivery or a critical person cannot be reached. Keep the starting facts short and avoid trying to test the entire business.
Bring the decision-makers together
Include the people who would actually coordinate the response, operate the workaround, communicate with staff or customers and approve expenditure. A small, relevant group produces better evidence than a large audience.
Run the hour
- 10 minutes: explain the scenario and safety assumptions.
- 30 minutes: work through activation, priorities, dependencies, communications and recovery decisions.
- 10 minutes: introduce one complication, such as a second failed service.
- 10 minutes: agree findings, owners and due dates.
Judge the plan, not the participants
The purpose is to find weaknesses in arrangements, not to catch people out. Record whether contacts worked, decisions had clear owners, recovery targets were realistic and workarounds had the resources they needed.
Close the loop
Update the plan and dependency records, track improvements and schedule a follow-up. An exercise creates value only when its findings change the way the business is prepared.
Sources and further guidance
Australian guidance used in preparing this article. General information only; obtain advice for your circumstances.