What is a core function of a good business continuity plan?

A core function of a good business continuity plan is to ensure service availability. This involves implementing strategies and measures that allow an organization to continue its critical operations during and after a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster, cyber-attack, or technological failure. By focusing on service availability, a business continuity plan seeks to minimize downtime and maintain the delivery of essential services to customers and stakeholders.

Effective business continuity plans include identifying critical business functions, assessing risks, creating response strategies, and regularly testing these plans to ensure they work when needed. This ensures that, regardless of the circumstances, the organization can respond effectively and sustain its operations, thus protecting its reputation and financial stability.

Other options, while related to business operations, do not directly capture the primary focus of business continuity planning. For example, maximizing user productivity might be an outcome of a well-implemented continuity plan, but the central goal is to keep services available. Similarly, reducing operational costs and maintaining regulatory compliance are important business objectives, but they do not emphasize the immediate need to ensure that critical services continue during disruptions.