Explain like I'm five · IT Mgmt

What is BCP (Business Continuity Plan)?

BCP, told as a story about a plan made in advance to keep the core show going even when the venue loses power.

the venue suddenly loses powerthe whole show grinds to a halt

The venue suddenly loses power.The whole show grinds to a halt.

what do we do? there's no backup!the audience is all waitingwithout a plan ready, the crew panics and the show takes long to restart

Without a plan ready, the crew panics and the show takes long to restart.When the power dies, nobody even knows what to restore first.

BCP = a plan made in advance to keep the core show going, even in an emergencyin a blackout, the core show resumes within the set time

BCP is a plan made in advance to keep the core show going, even in an emergency.Even if the power goes out, the chosen core show resumes within the set time.

Identify the coredecide which show absolutely must keep running
Prepare an alternativea backup, like a standby generator
Set a target recovery timeRTO — how fast the core show must be back
Run drillsonly practicing the plan proves it works
BCP vs DRPBCP — keeps the core business goingDRP — recovers the broken IT systemRTO — sets a target recovery timeDRP sits inside BCP as one partsystem recovery (DRP) is one piece of keeping the business going (BCP)

BCP keeps the core business going; DRP brings the broken IT system back.System recovery (DRP) is one piece of keeping the business going (BCP).

BCP DOCsitting asleep in a drawera BCP left in a drawer is uselessonly drills show whether the plan worksa plan isn't meant for the drawer — regular drills keep checking that it really works

A BCP left in a drawer is useless.A plan isn't meant for the drawer — regular drills keep checking that it really works.

In one breath

BCP = a plan made in advance to keep core operations (the show) running through a major disruption like a blackout — and checked with drills.

BCP (Business Continuity Plan) identifies core operations, defines a target recovery time (RTO) and backup measures, and is checked for real effectiveness through regular drills. DRP (Disaster Recovery Plan), a related concept, focuses on IT system recovery and is one component within BCP.

When grown-ups say it

Core Business Identification
Picking the show that absolutely must go on. You can't save every show at once.
Alternative Resource
A backup, like a standby generator. Keeps the core operation running.
Recovery Time Objective
The target time to be back up. Shorter targets cost more to achieve.
BCP Drill
Actually practicing the plan. An untested plan is just paper in a drawer.
DRP
The plan for recovering a broken IT system. Covered in depth on another page (the castle story). → how to open the market the morning after the fire
Project Risk Mgmt
Preparing for surprises, like carrying an umbrella. BCP is the preparation for the biggest risks among them. → the umbrella you carry even on a dry day
Ops Performance Mgmt
Measuring system uptime and latency after the show too. Whether BCP had to trigger is logged in ops records too. → the ops room after the show
ESG Management
Management that also minds staff safety and treatment. An emergency plan also covers staff and audience safety, so it touches the 'S' (social) axis of ESG too. → the tour that minds environment, society, and governance too
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