What Is Business Continuity Management (BCM)?

Business continuity management (BCM) is about ensuring your business stays afloat. If you've ever had to deal with a disaster, whether caused by a flood, fire, or earthquake, you know how important it is to have a plan for when things go wrong. And the same thing goes for businesses that experience threats from outside forces—like natural disasters or economic downturns. Business continuity management (BCM) is about identifying those threats before they happen and developing plans to mitigate their effects on your company. So what does business continuity management (BCM) entail? Essentially, it means looking ahead and making sure that your company has the resources and abilities it needs to survive any potential crisis. This includes creating contingency plans that address potential problems and having procedures in place if something goes wrong (like having backup systems). If you want to make a career change, consider business continuity management. Business continuity planners are the people who help companies plan for and deal with all sorts of disasters, from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods to unnatural disasters like terrorist attacks and data breaches. These professionals work in various industries, including healthcare, retail, technology, finance and even education. They can work for large corporations or small businesses; they may be part of an organization's HR department or IT department; they may have their own office space or be mobile, depending on the needs of their employers. At its core, BCM works on the principle that sound response systems can help businesses avoid some damage from theoretical events. This includes focusing on flexible supply chains and deploying good IT practices like data safeguards. Groups like the British Standards Institute (BSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have developed BCM standards to help businesses plan against future crises. Many people think of BCM as a way to stop disasters from happening, but it's really about helping businesses respond better when they do occur. The best part of this job is that there's always something new to learn! Every day brings a new challenge with new challenges.