If you fear disaster on Friday the 13th then perhaps it is time to learn how to expect the unexpected and plan for when catastrophe strikes.
Disasters can occur at any time.
The research, launched today together with information designed to help companies prepare for the worst, was undertaken with the Business Continuity Institute, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Central Computing and Telecommunications Agency and the Loss Prevention Council. Yet, surprisingly, businesses plan for what they fear least and fail to plan for what they fear most, the study finds. However, far fewer organisations have plans to cover many of the issues they say they fear most. Yet while 67 per cent of executives say senior managers are involved in preparing business continuity plans, only 30 per cent say the operational staff, who have a detailed knowledge of the business, take part in the process. To be successful, a business continuity plan needs to be tested regularly and communicated to a wide range of people within and outside the organisation.