The business continuity profession is rapidly maturing - regulatory requirements require action in many industries, customers are demanding proof of business continuity/disaster recovery protection from key suppliers, and a focus on corporate governance is leading to additional inquiries from the most senior business executives and stakeholders. In addition, recent crises demonstrated the need for all entities - both public and private - to prepare and work together in order to increase the likelihood of an effective response to a disruptive event.
In this environment, organizational certification has emerged as a method of demonstrating commitment and readiness to both internal and external stakeholders. Examples include the development of standards such as ASIS SPC.1-2009 and BS 25999; revisions and development of ISO standards related to business continuity, disaster recovery, information security, and supply chain; and, in the United States, the development and implementation of the PS-Prep program.
So why should you consider organizational certification? An organizational certification is a visible demonstration of your commitment to business continuity/disaster recovery and provides comfort to stakeholders (employees, investors, regulators and customers) regarding the viability of your program. Further, obtaining and communicating your organizational certification can serve as a competitive differentiator, lead to a decrease in the number of audit requests and other inquiries, and may also lead to insurance premium savings and credit rating enhancements at some point in the future.
Avalution has been a longtime proponent of standards, and if there’s a business case to proceed, organizational certification. Our team has assisted numerous organizations in preparing for and successfully achieving certification, and in May 2011, we successfully achieved certification to BS 25999 for our consulting services and software solution, The Planning Portal. We've been in your position and know this decision isn't an easy one. Please review the resources below or reach out to us, as our team always welcomes a conversation about how certification or alignment to a standard can benefit your organization.
Learn more about PS-Prep
Considering Organizational Certification
Preparing for Organizational Certification