Availability vs. Continuity in Business Continuity Management

 However, despite their close relationship, they represent different aspects of the same coin, complementing each other to ensure an organization's readiness to face crises.

Availability:

Availability focuses on ensuring that resources and services are accessible to customers and users when needed. For example, this includes ensuring the availability of IT systems, communication services, or critical equipment. Availability is closely related to reliability and accessibility. Its primary goal is to increase uptime and reduce downtime so that systems and services remain available for as long as possible.

Continuity:

On the other hand, Continuity is about ensuring the ongoing operation of essential processes and critical services even when unexpected crises or disruptions occur. Continuity involves disaster recovery strategies, crisis response plans, and activity restoration procedures. Its goal is to reduce existing downtime and increase uptime, aiming to achieve the same objective as availability but from a different perspective.

Difference Between Availability and Continuity:

While availability is about ensuring resources are accessible under normal conditions, continuity focuses on ensuring operations continue under abnormal conditions. In other words, availability is a natural state achieved through good design and continuous maintenance, whereas continuity is an exceptional state achieved through prior planning and preparedness.

Integration of Availability and Continuity:

To achieve a comprehensive and effective BCM system, availability and continuity must be viewed as two sides of the same coin with the same purpose. Both aim to achieve the same end result: increasing uptime and reducing downtime, but from different angles. Organizations should assess availability as part of the Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and develop continuity strategies that consider how to quickly and efficiently restore operations.

Discussion Question:

Do you think your organization sufficiently distinguishes between the concepts of availability and continuity? Are both considered as part of an integrated Business Continuity Management plan?