Business Continuity Plan (BCP): why is it important?

For Quebec businesses and organisations, anticipating crises and structuring a business continuity plan (BCP) helps protect operations, employees and financial stability. A well-designed BCP can reduce risks, limit costly interruptions and ensure rapid recovery, even in the most uncertain situations.

Our business strategy experts tell you more about what a business continuity plan is and how to put it in place.

What is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)?

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a strategic document that enables an organisation to continue its essential operations during a disruptive event. For an SME, it's a concrete roadmap that describes how the business will react, adapt and quickly resume operations, even in the event of a major outage, cyber attack, disaster or staff unavailability.

The objective of a BCP is simple: to ensure the operational and financial survival of your organisation, reduce costly interruptions and protect your employees, data and essential services.

It differs from two other tools that are often confused:

• The emergency plan: this describes the immediate actions to be taken at the time of the incident (evacuation, internal communications, stabilisation of the situation).

• The disaster recovery plan (DRP): this focuses on getting technology systems back up and running after an incident, including IT infrastructure, data and applications.

The BCP covers the entire organisation (critical processes, human resources, finance, operations, technology and communications). It is a global and integrated vision of operational continuity.

The most common threats and risks for organisations in Quebec

Quebec organisations face a variety of risks that can disrupt their operations, sometimes suddenly. Understanding these threats is the key to developing a continuity plan tailored to local circumstances.

Electrical and IT faults

Power outages, sometimes amplified by weather conditions, can paralyse IT systems, production or communications. Without back-up solutions, these failures quickly lead to costly downtime.

Cyber attacks and digital infrastructure vulnerabilities

Ransomware attacks, data theft and intrusions targeting SMEs and organisations are on the increase. A poorly protected IT infrastructure can compromise access to critical systems and jeopardise customer confidence.

Disasters, fire, water damage, natural catastrophes

A disaster can render premises unusable and interrupt operations for days or weeks. Floods, fires or storms affect both equipment and access to facilities.

Unavailability of staff (sickness, relief, teleworking)

Prolonged absences of key employees or a lack of trained relief can quickly bring critical processes to a standstill. Widespread teleworking also accentuates the challenges of coordination and availability.

Dependence on single suppliers (shortages, transport)

Delivery delays, supply disruptions or transport closures can disrupt an entire chain of operations. Over-dependence on a strategic supplier significantly increases operational risks.

How do you draw up an effective BCP?

The creation of a solid business continuity plan is based on a structured approach. Each step is designed to ensure a rapid, coordinated and effective response in the event of an incident. Here are the main levers for building a truly operational BCP.

1. Risk diagnosis and process mapping

The first phase consists of identifying the threats likely to interrupt operations and mapping business processes. This analysis includes technological, human, operational and external risks. It helps to understand how activities are interconnected and where critical vulnerabilities lie.

2. Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

The BIA assesses the consequences of an interruption for the organisation, in terms of financial losses, impact on customers, reputation issues and acceptable periods of inactivity. This stage enables processes to be classified according to their level of criticality, and the resources required to maintain or restore each activity to be estimated.

3. Definition of continuity objectives (RTO, RPO)

Recovery objectives (the RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and the RPO (Recovery Point Objective)) determine respectively the maximum acceptable downtime and the amount of data that can be lost without compromising operations. These parameters structure all continuity and recovery strategies, particularly on the IT side.

4. Development of maintenance and recovery strategies

Once the priority needs have been identified, practical solutions need to be devised.

• Redundant systems;

• Remote working;

• Trained relief;

• Fallback solutions;

• Automated backups;

• Alternative providers.

These strategies must be realistic, adapted to the context of the organisation and compatible with its operational and financial capacities.

5. Implementation of procedures and documentation

The BCP must be clear, operational and easy to mobilise. It includes emergency procedures, recovery steps, IT documentation, the responsibilities of each player and the crisis scenarios to be followed. A well-structured document enables any team to act quickly even in the absence of the usual managers.

6. Training and mobilising teams

A BCP is only effective if the teams know how to apply it. Employee training, manager awareness-raising and response exercises help to embed the necessary reflexes. Roles and responsibilities must be understood, shared and regularly reassessed.

7. Tests, simulations and regular updates

Testing the BCP is essential to validate its effectiveness. Simulations, IT recovery tests, redundancy tests or crisis communication exercises help to identify any improvements that need to be made. The plan must be updated at least once a year, or after any major organisational change (new system, change of key personnel, move, acquisition).

Turn operational continuity into a strategic lever with Mallette

At Mallette, our team specialising in risk management supports SMEs, public bodies and NPOs in identifying vulnerabilities, prioritising critical processes and implementing concrete strategies tailored to your reality.

Our approach is distinguished by an integrated vision, as we work directly with experts from other Mallette departments (digital transformation, finance, human resources, tax and compliance) to build a comprehensive, coherent and sustainable plan.

Ready to strengthen your organisation's resilience? Contact us today to set up a bespoke continuity plan.