Exercising
Why exercise your business continuity plan?
A Business Continuity Plan that hasn't been tested is a guess. Exercising is how you find out whether your plan actually works, before a real event forces you to find out the hard way.
We design and facilitate exercises that put your plans and your people to the test. The goal isn't to catch anyone out; it's to surface the gaps, build confidence, and make sure your organisation is genuinely ready.
Crisis management and business continuity, exercised together
We typically recommend exercising your Business Continuity Plan alongside a crisis management exercise. This is because:
A crisis commonly starts "on the shop floor," and the impacted team escalates it up the management chain.
The impacted team is responsible for the immediate response — assessing the impact and liaising with emergency services.
However, during most crises, decisions need to be made that are above the delegated authority of the impacted team.
The big decisions, crisis communications, and informing the Board are the responsibility of the Crisis Management Team.
Often the biggest challenge for participants in an exercise is clear communication between these two teams.
Why exercising matters
It uncovers gaps before they become problems
Every exercise we facilitate reveals something — an outdated contact list, a recovery procedure that doesn't match how systems actually work, a role two people think belongs to someone else. Found in an exercise, these are fixable. Found during a real crisis, they're costly.
It builds leadership capability
Managing a crisis well is a skill, and it takes practice. Exercises give your leadership team the chance to rehearse decision-making, communication and coordination under simulated pressure, so they're not learning on the job when it matters.
It's required
APRA-regulated entities must test their BCP annually under CPS 230, and ASX participants have similar obligations. For all organisations, regular exercising is best practice — and it means you'll recover faster if you do suffer an outage.
Types of exercises we facilitate
Tabletop exercises
A structured, discussion-based exercise where your leadership team works through a simulated scenario. Efficient, low-disruption, and effective for testing decision-making and escalation. Well-suited to senior executives and Crisis Management Teams.
Walkthrough exercises
A step-by-step review of recovery procedures with the staff responsible for executing them. Identifies gaps in documentation and builds staff familiarity with the plan.
Simulation exercises
A more immersive exercise that simulates a real event, requiring participants to make decisions and take action as if the disruption were actually happening. The most effective format for testing full recovery capability.
How an exercise runs
We start with an Initiation phase, where we agree the scope, participants, schedule and scenario with you. This is confirmed in an Exercise Brief, documenting what we'll deliver and what we need from your organisation.
We then develop the scenario (not disclosed to participants in advance) along with all supporting materials: training materials, checklists and feedback forms. Exercises typically run over three hours and involve your senior leadership team and the members of the impacted area (IT, Manufacturing, Finance, and so on).
After the exercise, we document the outcomes and lessons learnt, and present prioritised recommendations for improvement.
What you get
An independent assessment of your organisation's performance
A SWOT analysis identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
Prioritised recommendations for improving your plans and capability
Documentation suitable for Board reporting and regulatory evidence
Ready to test your plans?
Contact us and we'll talk through what a first exercise could look like for your organisation.
Get in touch