RUEN
Home/Materials/Crisis readiness checklist
Implementing BCM

Business crisis readiness checklist: 12 points

In 10 minutes, check how ready your business is for a disruption. 12 points — if most answers are "no", there is work to do. This is an express version of the resilience assessment.

Updated: June 28, 2026 · Author: Evgeny Telenkov · ≈ 6 min read

The 12-point checklist

Mark what is already done:

  • 3–5 critical processes identified — the ones the business cannot run a day without.
  • The cost of one day of downtime of a key process is calculated.
  • Target recovery time (RTO) and acceptable data loss (RPO) are set.
  • Risk concentration points found (a single server/supplier/person/channel).
  • Short instructions for the first 2 hours after a failure exist — on paper or in a messenger.
  • Decision-makers for a crisis are assigned.
  • Backups exist and their recovery has been tested.
  • Isolated (offline) copies in case of ransomware.
  • Backup suppliers and backup channels to reach customers exist.
  • A financial cushion for a downtime period is estimated.
  • The team has run a drill on a failure scenario.
  • The plan has been reviewed in the last 12 months.
How to read the result: 10–12 "yes" — high readiness; 6–9 — medium, with gaps; 5 or fewer — the business is vulnerable, start with critical processes and a first-hours plan.

What to do next

Close the gaps by priority: first critical processes and first-hours instructions, then backups and drills. A detailed breakdown is in "How to build a BCP" and "Business impact analysis (BIA)". For a precise picture, take the free resilience assessment — 13 questions.

FAQ

How many "yes" answers mean the business is ready?

10–12 of 12 — high readiness. 6–9 — medium, with gaps. 5 or fewer — high vulnerability, start with the basics.

How is the checklist different from the assessment on the site?

The checklist is a quick self-check. The 13-question assessment gives a resilience level, the three main risks and first steps, with the result on screen.

From standard requirements to a working system

The assessment shows the gap between documents and reality. The system is then built by your people in the programme or by ours turnkey.

Take the free assessment → Continuity turnkey → ERGP certification →
Evgeny Telenkov
Evgeny Telenkov
Director, business continuity practice · PhD in Economics · Academic Director & Chief Examiner
Risk Manager of the Year in Russia 2020 (RusRisk). Built business continuity from scratch at Nornickel, more than 20 plans; led risk functions at Beeline, Rosneft and EY. Chief risk officer of a 20 billion dollar petrochemical megaproject. Deputy chair of Rosstandart technical committee 010 "Risk management", co-author of six national standards. Author of the ERGP and SAFE programmes.
Read also
7 days of downtime: a cyberattack lesson →
A real ransomware case at a major insurer: 7 days of downtime, website and app offline. Which BCM mechanisms w
BCM, BCP, DRP — the difference →
How BCM, BCP, DRP and risk management differ in plain language. A clear levels diagram, comparison table and e
5-minute assessment →
Your resilience level, three main risks and first steps. Free.