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In an era of increasing disruptions, business continuity planning is more critical than ever.

However, many organizations fall into common pitfalls that weaken their resilience in times of crisis. From neglecting the human element in disaster recovery to underestimating cyber threats, these oversights can have severe operational and financial consequences.

This article explores key areas where businesses often fall short—such as insufficient testing, overlooked supply chain risks, and inadequate risk assessments—and provides insights on strengthening continuity plans. By addressing these vulnerabilities, organizations can build a more resilient framework that ensures stability and swift recovery in the face of unforeseen challenges.

Ignoring the Human Element

Plans often prioritize IT systems and incident response, neglecting the human element in disaster recovery. People drive organizational recovery, requiring clear communication throughout prolonged downtime, especially after natural disasters.

PwC’s 2023 Global Crisis and Resilience Survey reveals that disruptions affect most business leaders and have a significant operational impact. This experience highlights the importance of lessons learned for protecting teams and maintaining focus amid chaos.

Effective communication is essential. To ensure business continuity, keep teams informed about their roles during various situations. Regular testing is also a part of good response plans.

Overlooking Supply Chain Disruptions

Modern businesses rely on interconnected networks, with third-party partners performing essential operations. This interdependence introduces supply chain vulnerabilities. Your organization’s resilience depends on its weakest link, so identify and assess the resilience of critical external supply chains. Your plan should cover the possibility that a partner might not have their incident response plans under control, which could affect your own business activities. Focus on proactive power outage preparations. This includes critical functions of all vendors, which is an essential business element.

In 2024, 62% of organizations reported cybersecurity-related supply chain disruptions. This underscores the risk of neglecting external dependencies and highlights overlooked vulnerabilities needing immediate attention.

Review each vendor’s continuity approach and integrate insights into your business continuity strategies. This will improve overall resilience and help identify potential disruptions within your internal operations.

Insufficient Testing and Updating

Business continuity planning is an ongoing process, not a one-time activity. Regular testing reveals plan weaknesses and assesses its effectiveness against actual events. Regular testing, along with updating your response plans, should be scheduled regularly in your organization’s calendar. This is part of creating business continuity plans.

Business operations constantly evolve, requiring plan adjustments. The frequency of evaluations depends on circumstances, but recognizing important markers for reassessment improves effectiveness. Regular testing not only validates your plan but also builds resilience.

One common mistake is neglecting employee training and refreshers. Every team member must understand their role in the continuity strategy and its impact. Neglecting business continuity has major consequences, potentially causing financial services outages.

For example, 40% of businesses don’t reopen after a disaster, and 90% fail within a year if operations aren’t resumed within five days. Testing reveals theoretical flaws. Training builds confidence and familiarity, enabling proper responses, even those stemming from human resource issues. Plan outdated content should be removed and updated.

Underestimating Cyber Threats

With cyber incidents rising, digital threats demand attention. Business continuity planning should emphasize cyber resilience and protect data through cybersecurity services. Without a cybersecurity strategy, organizations are vulnerable.

Data breaches, like the Equifax incident, exemplify reputational damage caused by delayed responses. The 2021 ransomware attack on Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) cost over $100 million in recovery efforts.

This justifies robust cybersecurity measures across the entire system. These protections can also mitigate risk in other areas, such as HR and the technology department. Backup critical data often.

Want to learn more about Business Continuity?

Our Ultimate Guide to Business Continuity contains everything you need to know about business continuity.

You’ll learn what it is, why it’s important to your organization, how to develop a business continuity program, how to establish roles & responsibilities for your program, how to get buy-in from your executives, how to execute your Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Business Continuity Plans, and how to integrate with your Crisis Management strategy.

We’ll also provide some perspectives on how to get help with your program and where to go to learn more about Business Continuity.

Read our Ultimate Guide to Business Continuity

Lack of Detailed Risk Assessments and Recovery Metrics

Each organization has unique business activities with varying critical functions. Prioritize essential services through regular risk assessments and IT recovery strategies. Robust solutions are essential for setting appropriate recovery metrics, minimizing operational disruptions, and planning for unforeseen events. Consider which functions or people should never suffer from downtime, like customer-facing systems, internal servers, or teams with rare skill sets.

A 2024 Business Continuity Institute survey found that 60% of businesses experienced disruptions due to inadequate planning. 93% of companies without a recovery plan fail within a year after a disaster. These statistics emphasize the importance of careful planning to minimize loss. A clear roadmap can alleviate stress during crises.

Leaders implement concrete continuity plans by defining needs and potential outcomes of failure. This can also involve investing in cloud storage or a physical location to store data.

Building a Resilient Future

Business continuity is not a one-time task, it requires ongoing assessment, adaptation, and investment. Ignoring critical elements such as the human factor, supply chain dependencies, cybersecurity risks, and regular testing can leave organizations vulnerable when disaster strikes. The statistics speak for themselves: businesses without a well-defined recovery plan face significant risks, including financial loss and operational failure.

To build resilience, organizations must prioritize clear communication, proactive planning, and comprehensive risk assessments. By continuously refining continuity strategies, businesses can confidently navigate disruptions, protect their teams, and maintain operational stability. A well-prepared organization isn’t just reactive—it’s ready to thrive in the face of adversity.

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About Marie Strawser

Marie Strawser brings more than two decades of experience in business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management to her role as a Principal at Bryghtpath.

Prior to joining Bryghtpath, Marie spent more than twenty years in various business continuity leadership roles for companies like Ameriprise Financial, Target, and US Bank. She began her career at Ernst & Young, where she served as a Senior Advisor on their risk practice team designing and implementing business continuity and crisis management programs.

Marie is the co-founder of the Upper Midwest Security Alliance (UMSA) and presently serves as their managing director. UMSA is a non-profit organization that holds the Secure 360 conference, a regional multi-disciplinary security conference spanning information security, physical security, business continuity, and audit. Secure 360 has been held annually in the Twin Cities since 2006.