SVC-11 / Protect
Business Continuity Planning
Practical continuity and disaster recovery plans that map critical processes to the systems, people and vendors they depend on.
What Business Continuity Planning means in practice
Business continuity planning documents how your organisation keeps operating - and communicates - when a building, a vendor or a platform is unavailable. We build plans that people can actually follow at 2 a.m.
Cascadia earthquake risk, wildfire evacuation orders, flooding and carrier outages are realistic events across British Columbia. A short, rehearsed plan beats a thick binder nobody has read.
Problems this removes
- No list of which systems matter most
- Unclear who makes decisions during an outage
- Staff unable to work if the office is inaccessible
- Key vendors with no documented contact path
- Plans written once and never tested
What you get
- Business impact analysis with ranked critical processes
- Recovery strategies and time objectives per system
- Contact trees and communication templates
- Remote-work and alternate-site procedures
- Annual tabletop exercise with written findings
- Plan maintenance calendar
Typical platforms and tools
01Part of a wider technology plan
Rarely does a single service stand alone. Business Continuity Planning typically intersects with Security Awareness Training, Cybersecurity and Azure & AWS, and we plan them together so that identity, devices, networks and data protection fit one design. Our vCIO team keeps the sequence in order, so budget is spent in the right order and every purchase supports the following one.
02Getting started
Starting is straightforward. Book a free 30-minute consultation, share a high-level description of your environment, and we will propose a path. Within a few days you receive a written scope and fixed quote. If you proceed, we collect access, schedule the first work window and introduce your named senior contact. Because there is no lock-in, we expect to earn continued work through results.
03How Business Continuity Planning is delivered
Delivery begins with a 30-minute discovery call, followed by a short assessment of users, devices, applications, locations and existing contracts. We then prepare a fixed-price scope for business continuity planning that lists outcomes, responsibilities, assumptions and exclusions. Implementation takes place in planned windows with a written rollback for each change. Once live, a stabilisation period lets us tune settings and train staff. Target: ranked critical-process list in 30 days, plan approved in 60 days, annual tabletop exercise completed.
04Starting prices
As a guide, business continuity planning is priced as a defined project from $2,500 or as part of a managed plan of $89 to $199 per user per month. vCIO retainers start from $1,500 per month and security assessments from $1,900. A 10% launch discount applies, 5% GST is added, and there is no lock-in. Call (604) 632-4959 or email info@SAZ.ca for a free 30-minute consultation and a fixed quote.
05Security, privacy and compliance
Every service we deliver follows least-privilege access, multi-factor authentication for administrators, logged changes and encrypted data in transit and at rest. For Canadian clients, we map business continuity planning work to PIPEDA, BC PIPA and customer security questionnaires, and we prefer Canadian data residency where it is available and practical. We prepare you for audits, but we do not issue certifications ourselves.
06How we measure business continuity planning
What gets measured improves. For business continuity planning we agree a small set of indicators in advance and report them monthly or quarterly. General service targets apply as well: a 99.9% uptime target on managed services, a 15-minute response target for priority tickets and round-the-clock monitoring. If a target is missed, we explain why and what is being done.
07Who Business Continuity Planning is right for
Business Continuity Planning suits Canadian organisations of 10 to 500 staff that want enterprise-grade discipline without an enterprise cost base. It is especially relevant to retail & e-commerce, healthcare & clinics and professional services teams, where the combination of regulated information, mobile workers and limited internal IT makes professional management of business continuity planning worthwhile. If you already have internal IT staff, we can deliver it as part of a co-managed arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to sign a long-term contract?
No. After onboarding the service is month to month with no lock-in, and you retain ownership of your documentation, configurations and data.
How long does business continuity planning take to implement?
Small engagements can be completed in one to two weeks; larger rollouts are phased over four to eight weeks. We schedule work outside business hours and keep a rollback plan for every change.
How much does business continuity planning cost?
Projects start from $2,500 and managed plans from $89 to $199 per user per month. vCIO retainers begin at $1,500 per month and security assessments at $1,900. A 10% launch discount applies and GST of 5% is added.
What is included in Business Continuity Planning?
Core deliverables include business impact analysis with ranked critical processes, together with documentation, a hand-over session and reporting. Exact scope is confirmed in a written, fixed-price proposal after a short assessment.
Can business continuity planning be combined with our internal IT team?
Yes. We regularly deliver business continuity planning alongside in-house staff through our co-managed model, with responsibilities documented so there is no overlap or gap.