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 A survey released by SunGard Availability Services has revealed a lack of business continuity planning amongst small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, despite growing pressure from customers to prove that they can operate in all circumstances.
The 'Bouncebackability Index', a survey of 1,126 people carried out by YouGov on behalf of SunGard, found that only a third of managers of SMEs have business continuity plans. But as consumers less than 10 percent of those surveyed would wait for a product to become available at a later date if they found it to be out of stock when visiting a retailer; while more than 80 percent would select another product or go to a different retailer.
Commenting on the research, Stephen Rankin, Regional Director, CBI said: "Business continuity planning should be a key area of concern for small business owners. Companies cannot afford to be out of action for any extended period of time as they risk losing customers in the short term and damaging their reputation in the longer term. This survey highlights the fact that some businesses have a long way to go in getting their plans up to scratch."
Keith Tilley, managing director UK and executive vice president Europe, SunGard Availability Services, said: “It appears to be a case of 'Do as I say, not as I do' for small business managers. They admit to feeling pressure from customers to show their resilience and they clearly expect businesses to be able to provide them with the service or product they are seeking, and will go to a competitor if something is not available. Yet they are doing very little to protect their own business from this type of switching."
SMEs within the UK would struggle to resume normal business operations in the event of a business disruption. Forty percent would suffer total or severe impairment to business operations in the event of computer hardware failure; 45 percent would suffer total or severe impairment to business operations following a power cut or a flood; and only 10 percent would suffer no impairment and be able to function as normal in the event of a fire.
Less than 10 percent of SME managers surveyed had heard of BS 25999, the British Standard for Business Continuity Management. On being told about the standard, nearly 30 percent of SME managers said that they would now plan to achieve certification.
In response to these survey findings, SunGard Availability Services has launched SafetyNet 24/7, a new range of services dedicated to supporting the needs of SMEs. SafetyNet 24/7 provides SMEs with free consultancy and low cost training, drawing on SunGard's 30 years of experience of business continuity.
SafetyNet 24/7 provides a range of highly cost-effective services that are tailored for organisations with between 50 and 200 employees. Small businesses can benefit from SunGard's industry-leading experience, expertise and infrastructure. SafetyNet 24/7 services include:
* SafetyNet Training - two separate one day courses focusing on developing a business continuity plan, identifying and managing business risk, and maintenance and testing of business continuity plans
* SafetyNet Workplace - allowing small businesses to relocate staff to one of SunGard's 20 plus UK Recovery Centres following a business disruption
* SafetyNet Technology - providing small business with up to eight standby servers and support from the world's most experienced recovery technicians
* SafetyNet Executive Briefings - meetings around the UK, specifically focused at small and medium sized businesses, to help raise awareness of Information Availability and business continuity management amongst SMEs
* The SafetyNet web site - http://www.safetynet247.co.uk/. The first port of call for small businesses looking for advice on how to deal with a disaster and help in creating and implementing a business continuity plan.
SafetyNet Executive Briefings offer busy managers in SME businesses a free, comprehensive two-hour breakfast seminar on business continuity. The sessions explore the risks, which threaten continued business operations and how businesses can implement an information availability or business continuity plan to protect themselves against these risks. The briefings also highlight the benefits of having a business continuity plan in place, namely maintaining existing customers and winning new business. The sessions are run by SunGard Availability Services experts around the country, details available from the website or 0800 358 5150.
Small businesses that are interested in business continuity management following their executive briefing can then attend SafetyNet Training, which is made up of two separate one day courses. The first course focuses on developing a business continuity plan, identifying and managing business risk and provides an introduction to BS 25999; the second course is devoted to the maintenance and testing of business continuity plans. For a nominal fee, SafetyNet Training provides small businesses with specialised training from SunGard Availability Services' award winning consultants. SunGard is the only business continuity provider to offer such training.
•Date: 28th August 2008• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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