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Extreme Weather and Technology failure top the BCM event list

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This years CMI Business Continuity Survey is available for download below and this year shows just how challenging 2011 was for organisations.
 
Overall the report details some interesting changes and reflects on the effects of the more social disruption and its effects than previous years surveys. 
 
Heading the list of incidents again was the winter weather That stuck hard nearly 30% of respondents  causing major disruption and impact of the snow and cold weather affected an additional 52% of the sample who report minor impacts on operations (82% total). This is the second year in a row that weather has been more problematic than IT issues that still hit 39% of organisations over the year up 5% on the previous survey.
 
Disruption was seen by close to 40% from the widely reported problems relating to the Blackberry network highlighting how convergent technology is becoming increasing important.
 
UK Public Sector Industrial Action impacted of 55% of organisations overall (82% within the Public Sector, 62% and 35% in the NFP and Private sectors respectively). 
 
The riots over the summer in the UK caused at least some level of disruption for just over a quarter of the survey group despite the fairly localised nature of these events. International disruption was seen from the disasters seen around the japanese Earthquake, the Thai Flooding and the Political unrest in the Middle East that each caused problems for nearly 1 in 5 organisations emphasising the important role of supply chain risk management to organisations.
 
Cascade effects were also seen with the report detailing school closures impacting some 22% of the group and general rises seen in the number of events arising from fire, cyber attack, loss of skills and telecommunications failures.
 
It is interesting to note that the management perceptions of the risks once again aren't quite in line with the realities faced with the events seen not mapping that well on to the expectations. Further analysis is needed but early reaction would suggest organisations are still failing to plan across the wider base of threats to their organisations despite the evidence, particularly as they relate to human factors.
 
Getting prepared - Business Continuity and the OlympicsFor 2012 the Olympics featured too. Rather surprisingly when asked about preparations for the Games some 73% of organisations felt they wouldn't be an issue, didn't know or hadn't even thought about it yet. Perhaps more of a concern is that amongst London Businesses specifically this number was half of the total!
 
Corporate Governance, Regulation and Customer demands all feature highly in the drivers for BCM, but rather perversely over 50% of those without plans satiated they are rarely impacted despite evidence that contradicts this 'logic'. Indeed, over 80% of participants state that the cost of the BCM programme is justified by the benefits the process brings to the organisation. 
 
One area that continues to be poorly served by the professionals across the sector continues to be related to the Human and Personal Factors and this will continue to be an area the Continuity Forum will be focussing on improving across the UK.
 
We'd love to get your thoughts on this years survey and please do send your comments and opinions though to us HERE