Limitations of free Business Continuity Plan Templates
Why pay for a business continuity plan template when you can download one for free?
When you download a free business continuity plan template, you are on your own - no support, no guidance when you have a question or need some clarification. If business continuity is not your "day job", a template can be confusing (and none of the free templates let you have a peek at them before they have been downloaded). You'll have no idea how "user-friendly" the template is until you try to to use it.
A "free" business continuity plan template is not necessarily a "good" business continuity plan template: here are a few considerations, based on the experience of others, to think about before you make your choice.
Is it designed for non-specialists?
People use templates because they are not specialists in business continuity, need a bit of guidance and want a straightforward, quick route to developing a professional business continuity plan. Our business continuity plan template is developed specifically for non-specialists - it's succinct, jargon free and easy to navigate.
We also recognise that questions will arise along the way which is why we offer online support so that you can get advice from an expert if and when you need it
Flexibility to adapt to purpose
The vast majority of free business continuity plan templates are provided as a single document that does not take into account how different sections of a business continuity plan need different tools and hence different formats. For instance risk and impact assessments are best supported by spreadsheets to hold tabular information and produce dynamic graphical information. PowerPoint is helpful for creating awareness programmes for the wider organisation. Narrative based documents support audit & compliance review and checklists form a helpful refernce in pressirised situations. This kind of flexibility is not found in free business continuity plan templates
Content Organisation
Free business continuity plan templates cram all business continuity plan information into a single document - this creates an unwieldy document that is difficult to maintain. Cramming content relating to policy, priorities, communications strategies and response plans in one document creates a large, cumbersome document that is difficult to maintain - particularly when some parts of the business continuity plan has to be held by several people and not all sections are relevant to them. Most importantly, the "plan" will be of limited use in supporting response to a major incident - which is the very reason you are creating a business continuity plan!
Is support & guidance available
It's unrealistic to give someone a business continuity plan template and expect them to create a credible business continuity plan for their organisation without some guidance in the form of training. Many people look to use a Business Continuity Plan Template to help them quickly get to grips with the principles of business continuity planning and management. But we think more is required - a bland template on its own can raise more questions than it answers.
That's why our business continuity plan template comes with unlimited email support to provide advice and guidance when you need it - no need for training courses - learn as you go & when you need it.
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