This work covers process continuity as the source of a business continuity management. In first theoretic part this work connects continuous behavior of systems with the business continuity and the process continuity. Then in second part of the work we look into present knowledge in business continuity management systems and we cover key standards for business continuity management. We also look into connections among those standards for business continuity and we pinpoint chapters of British standard BS 25999-1 with its counterparts in IT service frameworks such as ITIL v3 and COBIT 4.1. In the final part, this work covers use of process analysis and process models as tools for delivering business continuity through process continuity and preparing business continuity plans in utilities.

This thesis deals with possible interconnections between two concepts playing a big role in contemporary business and IT world. These concepts are Business Continuity Management and Cloud Computing. In the scope of this thesis there are certain areas identified where both concepts are complement, where Cloud Computing brings new opportunities for Business Continuity Management and where could possible problems arise during particular implementation. From the BCM perspective the impact lies on IT services, from the Cloud Computing perspective the thesis deals especially with security aspects. The thesis is also aimed at the characteristics of higher education and basic differences from commercial sphere. Based on defined differences and identified interconnections between BCM and Cloud Computing, the thesis argues for usage of suitable Cloud Computing solution for higher education regarding Business Continuity improvement. The multi-criterion comparison of several Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions stems from this analysis focusing on technical, financial, and Business Continuity aspects. The result from this comparison together with conclusions from previous chapters serve as an input for subsequent practical proposal of Cloud Computing solution and its verification against Business Continuity improvement in specific conditions on University of Economics in Prague. The proposal is also represented by strategic map.

Enterprises during their operation are impacted many threats and risks that could dramatically affect their business. Business Continuity Management has evolved to provide resistance against the eternal operational risks. BCM aims to ensure business continuity in case of its danger. The goal of this thesis is to apply the selected methods of the BCM into emergency planning, which is regulated by legislatively for businesses in the Czech Republic.

In recent years, disruptive events have tested companies supply chain resilience. These challenges have emphasized the crucial role of effective supply chain management strategies. As a result of the negative performance, companies are recognizing the importance of supply chain resilience. The purpose of this study is to understand how firms manage their supply chain in practice and will answer RQ1: How has the approach of supply chain risk mitigation changed after recent disruptive events?” and RQ2: “What are the barriers & enablers to the implementation of business continuity management within a supply chain?”. The study follows a qualitative case study which involves both primary and secondary data. The primary data is based on 10 interviews with industry experts meanwhile the secondary data is based on reports and a panel discussion. The data is analyzed through a thematic analysis. The findings of the study are a risk management model, consisting of three different dimensions: 1) Supply Chain Orientation 11) Business Relationship and Communication and 111) Risk Mitigation. These dimensions can be used by companies and organization to improve its supply chain resilience. As well as understanding the challenges of proactive implementation within their supply chain, to be more prepared for the next disruptive event in the future.

Dagens samhälle präglas av globalisering och hög grad av sammankoppling mellan länder och sektorer, vilket även bidrar till sårbarheter. Komplexa risker som präglas av osäkerhet, tvetydighet och konsekvenser med potentialen att få spridningseffekter hotar samhällsviktig verksamhet och därigenom samhällets funktionalitet. Sjukhus är en typ av samhällsviktig verksamhet som behöver upprätthållas för att samhället ska kunna fungera. Skydd av samhällsviktig verksamhet kan uppnås genom en kombination av riskhantering, kontinuitetshantering och incidenthantering. Kontinuitetshantering syftar till att minimera avbrottstider i kritisk verksamhet och tillse att oacceptabla konsekvenser undviks. Internationellt sett har kontinuitetshantering visat sig vara ett effektivt verktyg om det nyttjas korrekt och med rätt kompetens. Det har hittills saknats studier som undersökt hur kontinuitetshantering används på svenska sjukhus, och hur representanter för regionala aktörer som arbetar med kontinuitetshantering ser på verktyget. Syftet med den här studien var därför ”att bidra till en ökad förståelse för implementeringen av kontinuitetshantering på svenska sjukhus, samt synliggöra faktorer som bidrar till respektive hindrar den implementeringen”.Datainsamling skedde genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem respondenter med erfarenhet av kontinuitetshantering på svenska sjukhus. Insamlade data bearbetades därefter genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys, och resulterade i två huvudkategorier med två respektive sex underkategorier. Resultatet visar att kontinuitetshantering ses som både ett förhållningssätt och ett verktyg, där målbilden är att genom kontinuitetshantering som verktyg utveckla en plan B för inom sjukhus kritisk verksamhet. Samtidigt ses kontinuitetshantering även som ett förhållningssätt, som präglar den vardagliga verksamheten och i förlängningen har förmåga att bidra till ökad resiliens på svenska sjukhus. Resultatet visar även att risken för att kontinuitetshantering inte ger önskat resultat kan bero på låg kompetens, att underliggande vägledningar upplevs svåra att följa eller att resurser prioriteras till andra arbetsuppgifter.Studiens resultat diskuteras utifrån tidigare vetenskapliga fynd, framgångsfaktorer och hinder för praktisk implementering och även i förhållande till katastrofmedicinsk beredskap, samhällssäkerhet och huruvida kontinuitetshantering kan anses bidra till ökad resiliens på svenska sjukhus. Framtida forskning bör bland annat fokusera ytterligare på det praktiska genomförandet på verksamhetsnivå och lärdomar från störningar där kontinuitetsplaner använts skarpt på svenska sjukhus. / Modern society is largely globalized and different countries as well as sectors are intertwined to a large extent, giving arise to increased vulnerabilities. Complex risk characterized by uncertainty, ambiguity, and consequences with the potential of spill-over effects threaten vital societal functions with the possibility of huge consequences for society. Hospitals are an example of these types of institutions that are critical for a society’s functionality to be upheld. The protection of vital societal functions can be achieved by risk management, business continuity management [BCM] and incident management. BCM aims to minimize disruptions in critical activities and to make sure that unacceptable consequences are avoided. In an international context BCM has been proved efficient when used properly and with the correct competencies in the organization in which it is to be applied. So far, no studies have investigated the usage of BCM in Swedish hospitals, and how the method and concept is viewed by actors on a regional level. Due to this, the aim of this study was to “contribute to knowledge regarding the implementation of business continuity management in Swedish hospitals, as well as map factors promoting and hindering that implementation.”. Data was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with five respondents who work with BCM on a regional level in Sweden with a focus on health care. Collected data was analyzed through qualitative content analysis and resulted in two main categories with two and six subcategories respectively. The result shows that BCM is viewed as both an approach and as a tool. As a tool with the goal of creating a plan B for critical operations within a system, as well as an approach to everyday operations within the organization. Together these two viewpoints have the ability of increasing resilience in Swedish hospitals. The result also shows that the risk of BCM not resulting in the aspired outcome might be due to low level of understanding of the concept and method, or that resources needed are prioritized to other areas.The result is discussed from a perspective of past research, as well as practical implementations based on hindering and promoting factors. It is also discussed in relation to disaster medicine, societal safety and how BCM can contribute to increased resilience in Swedish hospitals. Future research should focus on the practical implementation of BCM on an organization’s operative level and lessons learned from real incidents where business continuity plans have been used.

A well-functioning infrastructure is the foundation of a stable society, where payment systems are an important part. Grocery stores provide the general public with groceries and rely on customer consumption. Disruptions in the card payment system leads to consequences because 97% of all customers have access to card payment and is the payment method they prefer to use.  The aim of the survey is to find out about food stores' experience of disruptions in the payment system and how they wish a good management for this to look like. Next, a general crisis management model is developed to mitigate the consequences of a disruption in the payment system. A qualitative method is used to sample a result from each individual stores’ experiences and wishes.  Earlier research where decision analysis is used to handle disruptions in the payment system within the food industry has not been found. Through interviews and theories can a crisis management model for payment disruptions be developed, and examine the business continuity of food stores. The results of the survey shows that food stores today do not have any risk management to handle a break in the payment system or how a desirable management of it would look like. They have previously handled this by letting the customer pay with cash. A smaller store let a customer pay at another time. The general crisis management model has three phases: preliminary studies, management and evaluation. The preliminary studies involve that the store evaluates which payment methods they are capable of implementing. The management of a crisis takes place in three iterative steps; offer alternative payment methods, see how the crisis develops and finally remedy it. The evaluation step in the model is important because a positive outcome can not be guaranteed and therefore continued research is encouraged. / En välfungerande infrastruktur är grunden för ett stabilt samhälle där betalningssystem är en viktig del. Livsmedelsbutiker förser befolkningen med dagligvaror och är beroende av kundernas konsumtion. Störningar i kortbetalningssystemet medför konsekvenser eftersom 97 % av alla kunder har tillgång till kortbetalning och är den betalningsmetod de föredrar att använda.  Målet med undersökningen är att ta reda på livsmedelsbutikers erfarenheter av betalningsstopp och hur de önskar att en bra hantering för detta ser ut. Därefter tas en generell krishanteringsmodell fram som mildrar konsekvenserna av ett betalningsstopp. För att undersöka detta intervjuas butiker angående deras affekter av alternativa betalningsmetoder. En kvalitativ metod används för att få ett resultat utifrån butikernas erfarenheter och önskemål.  Tidigare forskning där metoden beslutsanalys tillämpas för att hantera betalningsstopp inom livsmedelsindustrin hittas inte. Genom intervjuer och teorier tas en krishanteringsmodell för betalningsstopp fram. Resultatet av undersökningen är att livsmedelsbutiker idag inte har någon riskhantering av betalningsstopp eller uppfattning av hur en önskvärd hantering ser ut. De har tidigare hanterat detta genom att låta kunden betala med kontanter. En mindre butik har låtit kunden betala vid ett senare tillfälle. Den generella krishanteringsmodellen sker i tre steg: förstudier, hantering och utvärdering. I förstudierna ser butiken över vilka betalningsmetoder de är kapabla till att implementera. I hanteringsfasen itereras tre steg; erbjuda alternativa betalningsmetoder, se hur krisen utvecklas och slutligen åtgärda det. Utvärderingssteget i modellen är viktig eftersom ett positivt utfall inte kan garanteras och därför uppmuntras fortsatt forskning av denna.

This thesis is concerned about Business Continuity Management with the focus on determination of the RTO and RPO parameters. The work is divided into two main parts. The first section briefly describes theoretical issues of Business Continuity Management in conjunction with IT Service Continuity Management. Then there are described various technologies that are currently used to ensure continuity and recovery of IT systems. In conclusion of the theoretical part, the work focuses on the process of Business Impact Analysis. This thesis thus offers a comprehensive view of main principles and benefits that these concepts have for company and how they should be integrated with each other. It provides an overview of various technologies, their link to RTO and RPO parameters and also the definition of steps of disaster recovery procedure. The work also briefly defines the basic procedure for determination of the RTO and RPO parameters, subsequent steps needed to design recovery solutions and analyzes various aspects which need to be considered when defining the parameters of continuity. The second practical part is based on the previous theoretically defined procedure and its aim is to analyze the data acquired during the questionnaire investigation in chosen company to determine the parameters of continuity for the applications in use and then suggest appropriate ways of addressing their backup and recovery. The result of this thesis is therefore a description of the analysis and practical application of methods for setting the parameters for continuity of information systems and the subsequent establishment of necessary measures.

Bakgrund: Då kriser inträffar allt oftare är det av stor vikt för organisationer att ha en utvecklad strategi för att hantera dessa störningar. Ett sätt för att hantera risker och kriser är Business Continuity Management som involverar hela processen med planering av åtgärder i förväg, krishantering samt utvärdering efter krisen. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att identifiera och analysera teorierna kring Business Continuity Management samt huruvida dessa tillämpas praktiskt i stora svenska tillverkande företag. Vidare ämnar studien skapa en djupare förståelse kring hur de studerade företagen, med hjälp av jämförelser och granskning, agerar under en rådande krissituation. Metod: Uppsatsen bygger på en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med där den empiriska materialinsamlingen har skett via semistrukturerade intervjuer. Ytterligare empiriskt material är de studerade företagens års- och kvartalsrapporter. En komparativ forskningsdesign har tillämpats, vilken möjliggör för jämförelser mellan de studerade företagens användning av BCM. Slutsats: Studien kan konstatera att inget utav de studerade företagen tillämpar Business Continuity Management fullt ut. Däremot nyttjas modeller och strategier som ligger i linje med den teoretiska referensramen för BCM. / Background: As crisis occur more and more frequently around the world, it is vital for organizations to have an implemented strategy to cope with these disruptions. One way to manage these crises is Business Continuity Management which involves the entire process of planning actions in advance, crisis management and post-crisis evaluation. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to identify and analyse the theories related to Business Continuity Management and whether these theories practically applies in Swedish manufacturing companies. Furthermore, the study aims to create a deeper understanding of how the studied companies, by means of comparisons and review, act in a crisis situation. Method: The thesis is based on a qualitative research method where the empirical material collection has been done via semi-structured interviews. Further empirical material is the annual and quarterly reports of the companies studied. A comparative research design has been applied, which allows for comparisons between the studied companies' use of BCM. Conclusion: The study finds that none of the studied companies fully applies Business Continuity Management. However, models and strategies that are in line with the theoretical frame of reference for BCM are used.

PhD (Business Management) / Department of Business Management / Contemporary cloud-based computing is crucial for the efficient delivery of ICT systems to users, as well as for versatile disaster recovery and business continuity management (BCM) platforms. Based on the need for efficient and fault-tolerant port operations, this study proposes a cloud-based business continuity framework (BCM) for the container terminal operations (CTO) in South Africa. The study examined the impact of ICT systems and services on Container Terminal Operations (CTO); determined Critical Business Functions in operations that must stay operational and analysed the impact of the unavailability of ICT systems and services on critical operations. This empirical study employed both quantitative and qualitative research designs and collecting data through self-constructed and self-administered questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using the IBM Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) Version 23 while qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis of interviews. Results show that to realize effective organizational resilience using BCM, three insights, as underlying mechanisms for assimilating cloud computing in BCM can be inferred: the first is that a digitalized BCM architecture ‘fits’ the cloud computing model. The specific BCM characteristics that befits cloud computing are continuous data processing; continuous data access and delivery; multi-platform data access; always – on ICT Services; and better decision making. Secondly, the cloud computing model is a ‘viable’ model that can contribute to managing complex organizations characterized by business units that are highly differentiated in terms of size, structure, ICT and investment levels. For such complex organizations, viability is visible in terms of how the multi-units can harness collective intelligence (CI) for more effective BCM. Collective intelligence, as a form of universally distributed intelligence that is constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and which results in effective mobilization of organizational competence, is a core organizing metaphor for achieving BCM in a complex organization. Lastly, to realize BCM, underpinned by greater digitalization of BCM and harnessing of CI; there is need for rethinking strategy towards adoption of an ‘Intelliport strategy’ or ‘smart’ BCM for ports, currently intertwined with the notion of the 4IR. That the ‘smart’ nature of BCM require the assimilation of 4IR technologies that enable ubiquitous presence and real time information regarding organizational processes. Adopting an ‘Intelliport strategy’ is likely to have two main implications for BCM and practice: the first is linked to the development of a circular economy, in which aggregation of BCM activities can enhance sustainable development of the seaports; and secondly, adoption of a cloud computing model that can result in the enhancement of business growth of the units promote collaborative problem solving and decision making in BCM. / NRF

Este trabalho propõe diretrizes de Gestão de Continuidade de Negócios (GCN) para a tecnologia de Ensino Presencial Mediado por Recursos Tecnológicos (EPMRT), que conta, para a realização de suas atividades acadêmicas, com um sistema complexo para transmissão de aulas e exige um grande esforço para o controle das suas operações e das respostas coordenadas diante de erros, falhas e defeitos, ou quaisquer incidentes que resultem na interrupção das suas atividades. A manutenção deste ambiente tecnológico está relacionada com a implantação de processos eficientes de gestão de risco e do ciclo de melhoria contínua em ambiente de TI com a adoção do ITIL® e através da construção das diretrizes de um Plano de Continuidade de Negócios (PCN), documentado por meio de elementos da UML, utilizando a Análise de Impacto nos Negócios (BIA), a Avaliação dos Riscos (RA) e os atributos de Dependabilidade para os elementos tecnológicos: disponibilidade, confiabilidade, segurança, confidencialidade, integridade e manutenibilidade. / This paper proposes guidelines for Business Continuity Management (BCM) that uses a technology called Education System Mediated Classroom Resources Technology (SPMRT), which needs, for the achievement of their academic activities, a complex system for transmission of lessons and requires a great effort to control their operations and coordinated fast responses in case of errors, faults, attacks and defects, or any incidents that result in the disruption of their activities. Maintaining this technological environment is related to the implementation of efficient processes of risk management and continuous improvement cycle in the IT environment with the adoption of ITIL® and through the construction of a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), documented by elements of the UML using the Business Impact Analysis (BIA), Risk Assessment (RA) and the attributes of Dependability: availability, reliability, security, confidentiality, integrity and maintainability.