Scope and Objectives
Define covered locations, business units, thresholds for activation, and measurable recovery objectives tied to business impact.
A formal BCP reduces downtime, clarifies roles, and helps satisfy regulatory or contractual requirements. It provides evidence of reasonable preparedness in audits and can limit financial, reputational, and compliance exposure after an incident.
Assign a named plan owner with the authority and time to maintain, test, and distribute the BCP.
Define covered locations, business units, thresholds for activation, and measurable recovery objectives tied to business impact.
Document critical processes, dependencies, maximum tolerable downtime, and prioritized recovery sequencing for operations and services.
Detail alternate work sites, remote access methods, data restoration steps, and vendor continuity arrangements.
Provide contact lists, templated messages for employees/customers/regulators, and authority levels for external statements.
Include activation criteria, escalation matrix, roles and responsibilities, and decision checkpoints for invoking the BCP.
Schedule tabletop and live tests, version control, change logging, and post-test remediation assignments.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Template Upload | Upload PDF/DOCX, enable text-recognition for fields |
| Field Placement | Add signature, date, and text fields per approval needs |
| Signer Order | Set sequential or parallel signing groups |
| Authentication | Require email, SMS code, or stronger verification as needed |
Choose authentication, retention, and export settings that align with regulators and internal policy before finalizing.
Review the full plan at least once every 12 months
Run tabletop drills semiannually to validate roles and communications
Perform an end-to-end test every 18–24 months
Update plan within 30 days after significant incidents
HIPAA breach notifications typically require 60-day reporting to affected parties where applicable
All sections compiled and initial RTOs recorded
Executive signoff on scope, budget, and owner
Authorized copies distributed and training scheduled
Tabletop and practical tests logged and remediated
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | 7-day free trial | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Bulk Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
A mid-size clinic completed a BCP after an outage caused record access problems.
A property manager used a BCP to keep leasing and emergency repairs operational during a regional storm.