What is BS EN ISO 22301 - Business continuity management systems about?
Having effective business continuity plans and capabilities in place is key to restoring operations if anything goes awry.
BS EN ISO 22301 is the international standard which specifies the requirements for a business continuity management system (BCMS). It helps you to identify potential threats to your business and build the capacity to deal with unforeseen events.
It enables an organization to have a more effective response and a quicker recovery, thereby reducing any impact on people, products and the organization’s bottom line.
What are the benefits of BS EN ISO 22301 - Business continuity management systems?
BS EN ISO 22301 empowers organizations to put in place a business continuity management system. By implementing its principles and guidelines in your organization, your business can benefit from:
- Reduced frequency and impact of disruptions
- Ability to return to “business as usual” as swiftly as possible
- Cost savings on reducing the impact of disruptions
- Confidence that your plans are robust and ensures you are resilient and well-placed to deal with change
- Increased stakeholder confidence and trust
- Lower insurance premiums
Read more about how your business could benefit from BS EN ISO 22301 with our Beyond recovery: The broader benefits of Business Continuity Management Whitepaper.
Who is BS EN ISO 22301 - Business continuity management systems for?
The impact of disasters on business can be substantial, regardless of the size of the organization. The requirements specified in BS EN ISO 22301 are generic and intended to be applicable to all organizations – no matter size or sector. This includes Government organizations and not-for-profits.
The extent of application of these requirements depends on the organization’s operating environment and complexity. Those who use this standard can include:
- Risk Management Professionals
- Organizational Leadership Teams
- Supply Chain Analysts
- Business Policymakers
- Business Strategists
Discover how the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) used BS EN ISO 22301 to help them solve their resilience challenges. Read their story here.
What does BS EN ISO 22301 - Business continuity management systems cover?
BS EN ISO 22301 specifies requirements to implement, maintain and improve a management system to protect against, reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptions when they arise.
The standard includes the importance of business continuity management systems as follows:
- Understanding the organization’s needs and the necessity for establishing business continuity policies and objectives
- Operating and maintaining processes, capabilities, and response structures for ensuring the organization will survive disruptions
- Monitoring and reviewing the performance and effectiveness of the BCMS
- Continual improvement based on qualitative and quantitative measures
For many businesses, implementing frameworks to improve business resilience practices can seem like an insurmountable challenge, not to mention costly. Discover our Business Continuity Management Solution Pack for the ultimate toolkit in implementing an efficient business continuity management system.
Some other important business continuity standards include:
- BS EN ISO 22313 Security and resilience. Business continuity management systems. Guidance on the use of ISO 22301
- BS ISO 31000 Risk management. Guidelines
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN ISO 22301:2019 supersedes BS EN ISO 22301:2014. BS EN ISO 22301:2019 includes some technical changes concerning BS EN ISO 22301:2014. These include:
- ISO’s requirements for management system standards, which have evolved since 2012, have been applied
- Requirements have been clarified, with no new requirements added
- Discipline-specific business continuity requirements are now almost entirely within Clause 8
- Clause 8 has been restructured to provide a clearer understanding of the key requirements
- Several discipline-specific business continuity terms have been modified to improve clarity and to reflect current thinking
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