Business continuity

Business strategies are normally based on the assumption that business will continue within certain boundaries. Any contingency that significantly disturbs this system directly affects an organization's ability to fulfill its business objectives, and to maintain the livelihoods of those involved. In accordance with international standards, Novartis has built its own Business Continuity Management (BCM) framework. With the implementation of BCM as an integral part of its risk management organization, Novartis anticipates incidents that could affect mission-critical functions and processes, ensuring that the response to any incident takes place in a structured and rehearsed manner. Through this program, the company's resilience to disruptions and interruptions is significantly strengthened.

 

Managing business continuity

In the first phase, potential triggers of an interruption of key activities are identified and the time dependency of their consequences is analyzed. Preventive and risk minimization measures are applied accordingly. For the remaining risks, continuity plans are developed to ensure timely business resumption.

The Novartis guideline on BCM defines the organizational aspects together with the corresponding roles and responsibilities for all levels, as well as the Novartis approach to BCM.