Author: Robert Osborn

Good News this week is that I was accepted to be a BSI (British Standards Institute) Associate Consultant. This means that BSI are satisfied that my experience and expertise is appropriate for me to represent them on client sites when performing audits for ISO 27001 (Information Security) and ISO 22301 (Business Continuity). This is another … Continue reading BSI Associate Consultant

The always excellent Julie Goddard (https://www.humanexres.com) wrote a letter to CEOs around the world for BCAW 2020. It reminded them of all the things we as BC practitioners have been saying over the years have now come true with COVID-19. You can read that at https://www.thebci.org/news/dear-ceos-and-industry-leaders-everywhere.html Well.. I wrote a reply from the CEOs back … Continue reading Response from CEOs – Business Continuity Awareness Week 2020

By now everyone has been overwhelmed with the news about Corona Virus (Covid-19). It's crucial that everyone follows government advice , but there's still a need to implement effective management in your business. There are some relatively simple but effective controls you need to implement in your business to reduce the effect in your organisation. … Continue reading The C-Word

I was invited to present at the Leeds Alert Forum in December 2019. This followed an invitation to present in 2017 which was very well received. The audience were a diverse group, totalling approx. 100 professionals from public and private sectors, including 999 services. Feedback was once again excellent The presentation was based around how … Continue reading Presenting at Leeds Alert Forum

I get asked, occasionally "Why should we do Business Continuity? What are the business benefits?" The business benefits of Business Continuity OK. So why should we 'do' Business Continuity? Business people, rightly look for a return on their investment, and Business Continuity must fight for its share of resources just as much as any other department in … Continue reading The Business Benefits of Business Continuity

I presented again at this forum, which is the best attended of its type in the country. I was ask to present on setting up a Business Continuity programme from scratch. I had to do this at an organisation recently and I gave a presentation on learning from my experiences. The theme was "You've just … Continue reading Presenting at Business Continuity Institute North West Forum

Your reputation is, probably, the most important asset your company has, after its people. Once this is gone you lose customers, suppliers, and staff. There are some famous examples of companies which had their reputation ruined (sometimes by themselves - just Google "Gerald Ratner" or "Cambridge Analytica") resulting in the company going bust.

I read this week that more than 16,000 customers have left TSB since the IT meltdown earlier this year (see my previous blog on this topic). The Financial Conduct Authority (one of the UK's financial regulators) is still deciding whether to fine the TSB after it was judged to have misled parliament.