The resilience web: Interconnections, links and traps

Abstract

Business continuity management is an essential contributor to
resilience that allows organisations to maintain their viability
and functionality — and, in many cases, growth and profitability.
The ability to achieve and maintain necessary resilience within a
changing operating environment can be influenced by multiple
factors. This paper considers the potential damaging influences
upon organisations and analyses, and evaluates the range and depth
of linkages between them or groups of them. While each influence
has its own specific causes, effects, timescales and nuances, some
will be unique to it and some will recur elsewhere. Moreover, these
influences may cause impacts in isolation or may combine to cause
or to deepen the effect of other problems or issues on the
organisation. The ‘resilience web’ makes it possible to look
externally from the organisation at the centre and to think in
depth about anticipation, response and recovery by recognising and
identifying synergies, connections and consequences.