What is this standard about?
This updated international standard details the requirements of a business continuity management system (BCMS). It enables organizations to prepare for disruptive incidents that might otherwise prevent them from achieving their objectives. Users will be better prepared for disruptions and will recover more quickly, minimizing the impact on employees, customers and suppliers.
Who is this standard for?
- Senior business managers
- Continuity, resilience, risk and change management industries
- Quality management industry
- Insurers
Why should you use this standard?
BS EN ISO 22301 specifies requirements to implement, maintain and improve a management system which prepares for, responds to, reduces the likelihood of, and speeds recovery from disruptions. It’s based on the ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ model which continually improves organizational effectiveness through proficient planning, implementation, supervision, review and maintenance.
The requirements are generic and to apply to all organizations, or parts thereof, regardless of the type, size and nature of the organization. It applies to organizations that:
- Implement, maintain and improve a BCMS
- Seek to ensure conformity with stated business continuity policy
- Need to be able to continue to deliver products and services at an acceptable predefined capacity during a disruption
- Seek to enhance their resilience through the effective application of the BCMS
The extent of application of requirements depends on the organization’s operating environment and complexity.
Business continuity contributes to the development of a more resilient society while organizations without an effective BCMS risk significant vulnerability.
The standard can also be used to assess an organization’s ability to meet its own continuity needs and obligations, and to establish a business continuity management policy that provides a framework for implementing effective business continuity arrangements.
What’s changed since the last update?
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (BS ISO 22301:2012), which has been technically revised. The main changes compared with the previous edition are:
- It now conforms to ISO’s requirements for management system standards, which have evolved since 2012
- Requirements have been clarified, with no new requirements added
- Discipline-specific business continuity requirements are now almost entirely within section 8
- Section 8 has been re-structured to provide clearer understanding of the key requirements
- A number of discipline-specific business continuity terms have been modified to improve clarity and reflect current thinking
