What should an SOP include to support business continuity during disruptions?

• A. Backup workflows, alternate processes, recovery actions, contact lists, and defined recovery time objectives.
• B. A plan to pause all activities until resources return to normal.
• C. Rely on employees' personal devices for continuity.
• D. Only a single backup site without contact details.

Answer: (A)

Having a plan for business continuity means outlining how to keep operations running or resume them quickly when disruptions occur. The best answer includes backup workflows and alternate processes so work can continue even if the primary method is unavailable. It also specifies recovery actions that lay out the exact steps to restore systems and services after an incident. A contact list ensures timely communication with the right people, vendors, and customers, and defining recovery time objectives sets clear targets for how quickly things should be back up, guiding prioritization and resource use. Together these elements create a practical, repeatable approach to minimize downtime and data loss during disruptions.

Pausing all activities until resources return isn’t continuity planning; it essentially stops operations. Relying on employees’ personal devices introduces security and control problems and isn’t a formal, approved continuity solution. A single backup site without contact details leaves you with no reliable alternative and no way to coordinate response.