Business Continuity Planning Service
Prepare for disruptions with proactive planning and expert recovery strategies
What is Business Continuity Planning (BCP)?
Business Continuity Planning is a proactive strategy that helps organisations prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive incidents. It ensures your critical operations can continue with minimal downtime during crises such as cyberattacks, IT system failures, power outages, or severe weather events.
A robust BCP outlines exactly what needs to happen when things go wrong – who does what, when they do it, and how services will be recovered. It brings structure, calm, and accountability to an otherwise chaotic situation.
Why is BCP essential in today’s environment?
The modern operating environment is more complex and more digital than ever before. Organisations are heavily reliant on technology, interconnected systems, and real-time service delivery. When something fails – whether it’s a network outage or a ransomware attack – the consequences can be severe.
Without a current, actionable BCP:
- Roles and responsibilities become unclear
- Delays in response lead to longer downtime
- Communication breaks down
- Reputational damage escalates rapidly
With a BCP in place, your team is empowered to respond decisively, recover quickly, and continue delivering the services your stakeholders depend on.
How does Syscomm deliver it's BCP service?
Foundational BCP Model:
Designed for organisations with limited or no existing continuity planning. We guide you through:
- Information Asset Discovery – Identifying the systems, platforms, and data your organisation relies on
- Risk Assessment - Identifying the threats to these systems, and determining their risk level
- Business Impact Analysis - Evaluating the consequences of disruptions to these assets
- Continuity Objectives and Tolerances – Defining acceptable levels of downtime (RTOs and RPOs)
- Plan Development – Creating a clear, practical, and organisation-specific BCP from the ground up
This model is ideal if you are starting your resilience journey or want to formalise ad-hoc processes into a structured plan.
BCP Enhancement Model:
Tailored for organisations with existing documentation or basic plans in place. We work with your internal stakeholders to:
- Review and assess existing plans, risk registers, or continuity documentation
- Identify any gaps or outdated elements
- Redesign the plan to reflect your current operational environment and team structure
- Facilitate scenario-based tabletop testing to validate the plan’s effectiveness under pressure
- Deliver a detailed post-exercise report with prioritised improvements
This model helps you transform theory into real-world readiness, and validate through testing.
What kinds of incidents does the BCP help with?
Our BCP service helps prepare for a wide range of operational threats, including:
IT Infrastructure Failures
Loss of systems, platforms, or connectivity
Cyber Incidents
Malware, ransomware, or data breaches.
Power or Utility Failures
Unexpected outages that disrupt systems or affect physical safety.
Natural Disasters
Floods, fires, storms, or severe weather events.
Key Staff Absences
Illness, resignation, or emergency impacting critical personnel.
Comprehensive risk management and regulatory compliance support
Our risk management services provide a clear, actionable framework designed to help organisations take control of their risk landscape.
From building your first risk register to maintaining up-to-date frameworks aligned with industry standards, we ensure your risk profiles are transparent, accountable, and continuously monitored.
What do we receive as part of this service?
You receive more than just a document. You gain a tested framework for resilience:
- A detailed, role-specific Business Continuity Plan aligned with your operations
- Clear escalation paths, team responsibilities, and communication templates
- A structured testing process using realistic tabletop exercises
- A post-test review report that highlights strengths and suggests enhancements
- Increased assurance for board members, regulators, insurers, and stakeholders
How does the testing process work?
Our testing methodology is practical and collaborative. We plan and deliver structured tabletop exercises that simulate real-world disruptions in a safe, guided environment.
These exercises:
- Test your team’s understanding of the plan
- Walk through activation procedures step-by-step
- Identify gaps in responsibility, communication, or access to documentation
- Reinforce confidence and familiarity with response actions
Afterward, we provide a full review with recommendations to keep your plan dynamic and effective.
How is this different from using a generic BCP template?
Many organisations rely on generic templates that sit on a shelf until a crisis hits. Unfortunately, these rarely reflect your actual processes, systems, or team structure.
Syscomm’s approach is different. We:
- Co-develop the plan with you through structured workshops and real engagement
- Adapt every element to your sector, systems, and scale
- Ensure your team is part of the process, so they own the outcomes
- Test the plan thoroughly and update it based on lessons learned
This ensures your BCP is a living, working tool – not a checkbox exercise.
Is this just about meeting compliance requirements?
No – although compliance is a key benefit. A well-developed and tested BCP:
- Demonstrates due diligence to auditors, regulators, and funding bodies
- Reduces business risk and liability
- Strengthens your organisation’s credibility and trust
- Protects the continuity of frontline services, student support, data protection, and contractual obligations
It’s about safeguarding your operations and your reputation.
Why choose Syscomm?
We’ve supported over 200 organisations through real-world incidents, including cyberattacks and large-scale outages. Our BCP methodology is shaped by that frontline experience and built for practical resilience – not just compliance.
We’re known for:
- Collaborative delivery – You’re not left to figure it out alone
- Real-world focus – Plans and tests that reflect actual threats
- Cross-functional engagement – Bringing together IT, HR, Facilities, Comms, and Executive teams
- Long-term support – Helping you maintain, test, and evolve your BCP year after year
How can we get started?
Start by scheduling a free discovery session with our continuity consultants.
We’ll discuss where your organisation stands today and outline the right path forward – whether that means building a plan from scratch or enhancing what you already have.
