ISO 22301 is the international standard for a business continuity management system (BCMS). A BCMS is how an organisation plans for, responds to and recovers from disruption. ITS247 provides ISO 22301 certification support in Australia: gap analysis, BCMS implementation, exercises and audit preparation, aligned with our backup and disaster recovery service.
ISO 22301 Business Continuity Melbourne: What is BCMS?
ISO 22301 is the international standard for business continuity management systems (BCMS), giving organisations a framework to plan, establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve their business continuity processes. It's designed to help organisations prepare for and respond to disruptive events — natural disasters, pandemics, cyber attacks, or anything else that could seriously impact operations.
The standard covers every aspect of business continuity: risk assessment, incident management, crisis communication, and recovery planning. The goal is straightforward — help organisations keep delivering essential products and services during and after a disruption, by identifying threats, assessing their impact, and implementing strategies to minimise it.
An effective BCMS built to ISO 22301 improves resilience, minimises the impact of disruptive events, and gets normal operations back up as quickly as possible. That is the aim of every ISO 22301 business continuity Melbourne engagement we run.
ISO 22301 Process
Step 01 — Preparation. Establish the business case for the BCMS, define its scope, and identify the stakeholders involved.
Step 02 — Risk assessment. Identify and evaluate the threats facing the organisation and assess their potential impact.
Step 03 — Business impact analysis. Evaluate critical business processes and the resources needed to maintain them through a disruption.
Step 04 — Strategy development. Build a plan to minimise the impact of disruptive events and maintain essential delivery.
Step 05 — Implementation. Put the BCMS into practice — policies, procedures, staff training, and system testing.
Step 06 — Certification audit. A third-party audit verifying compliance with ISO 22301, assessing processes, procedures, and documentation.
Step 07 — Maintenance. Ongoing review and improvement — regular risk assessments, impact analyses, and testing.
Step 08 — Review and improvement. Continuous refinement of the BCMS as risks and the business itself evolve.
ISO 22301 Business Continuity Melbourne: FAQs
How is ISO 22301 different from a basic disaster recovery plan?
A disaster recovery plan usually covers restoring IT systems after an incident. ISO 22301 is broader: it is a management system covering the whole organisation, including people, suppliers, and communication, and it requires ongoing testing and improvement rather than a document that sits untouched until an emergency.
Do small businesses need ISO 22301?
ISO 22301 is not mandatory for most small businesses, but it is increasingly requested by larger clients, insurers, and government tenders as proof that a supplier can keep operating through a disruption. Even without certification, following its structure gives a business a practical continuity plan.
What is a BCMS?
A BCMS (business continuity management system) is the policies, plans and processes an organisation uses to keep critical activities running during a disruption and recover afterwards. ISO 22301 sets the requirements for one.
What is the ISO 22301 business continuity standard?
ISO 22301 is the international standard for business continuity management. It covers business impact analysis, risk assessment, continuity strategies and plans, exercising and testing, and continual improvement of the BCMS.
Can I get ISO 22301 certification in Australia?
Yes. Organisations in Australia can be certified to ISO 22301 by an accredited certification body. ITS247 supports you through gap analysis, BCMS implementation and audit preparation before the certification audit.