1. Establish a team to develop the plan.
Assemble a team of employees from various departments to develop the plan.
Identify a plan coordinator who will be responsible for leading the team and keeping the plan up to date.
2. Define what an interruption to your business would look like.
Consider what types of events could disrupt your business operations.
Determine the impact of an interruption on your business.
3. Identify which functions are essential to continue operating.
List the functions of your business that are essential to maintain operations.
Prioritize the functions based on their importance to your business.
4. Develop policies and procedures to maintain operations during an interruption.
For each essential function, develop policies and procedures to maintain operations.
Include contingency plans for alternate methods of performing the functions, if necessary.
5. Create a communication plan to keep employees, customers, and other stakeholders informed.
Develop a plan for communicating with employees, customers, and other stakeholders during an interruption. Ensure that the plan includes methods for communicating in a variety of scenarios.
6. Test the plan regularly and update it as needed.
Conduct regular tests of the plan to ensure that it is effective. Update the plan as needed to reflect changes in your business.