[BCM] [BT] [E3] [BCS] [T2] [CBF] [4] Recovery Strategies

Business Continuity Strategy

Part 2: BCS - Recovery Strategies

Notes for BCM Institute's Course Participants: This is the template for completing the "Part 2: BCS - Recovery Strategies"

Template BCS 2

CBF-4: Billing, Finance & Vendor Management

CBF-4: Billing, Finance & Vendor Management is a critical function within Bandtree, underpinning the organisation’s financial sustainability, regulatory obligations, and vendor relationships.

Disruptions to this function can result in delayed cash flows, regulatory non-compliance, reputational damage, and impaired operational continuity.

Given Bandtree’s role as a government-linked company managing strategic assets, financial operations must be resilient to internal and external disruptions.

Purpose of Chapter

This chapter outlines the specific recovery strategies designed to ensure continuity of the subfunctions under CBF-4. These strategies were developed based on Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs), risk impact assessments, and resource availability.

Recovery mechanisms such as Work Area Recovery (WAR), system redundancy, manual workarounds, and remote operations have been tailored to meet the varying criticalities of each sub-process.

The goal is to restore financial and billing functions efficiently and effectively in the event of a business disruption, while safeguarding regulatory compliance and vendor engagement.

Here's a comprehensive table for CBF-4: Billing, Finance & Vendor Management of Bandtree, incorporating recovery principles referenced from BCM Institute's Mitigation Strategies:

Table 2: [BCS] [T2] Recovery Strategies for CBF-4 Billing, Finance & Vendor Management

Critical Business Function	Sub-CBF Code	RTO	Recovery Strategy	Recovery Location	Details of Recovery Strategy	Justification for Selected Recovery Strategy
Customer Billing & Invoicing	4.1	24 hrs	Work Area Recovery (WAR) + Data Backup	Alternate Office Site (WAR)	Staff to relocate to the designated WAR site. Daily billing data is backed up off-site to ensure minimal data loss. Billing system accessible via cloud VPN.	Billing continuity is essential for revenue assurance. WAR ensures minimal disruption; data backup guarantees invoice accuracy.
Payment Collection & Reconciliation	4.2	24 hrs	Remote Work + System Redundancy	Remote / WAR	Finance staff perform collection tasks remotely using secured access. Daily reconciliation data is mirrored to a redundant off-site server.	Timely cash flow tracking is vital. Remote access maintains operational continuity; system redundancy minimises the risk of data loss.
Accounts Payable (AP) Processing	4.3	48 hrs	Manual Workaround + Backup System	WAR / Finance Archive Room	Critical vendor payments are prioritised manually using offline records. Backup systems restored at the WAR site.	Ensures vendor trust and maintains operational support. Manual workarounds enable short-term continuity while the system is being restored.
Financial Reporting & Budgeting	4.4	72 hrs	Delayed Processing with Manual Prep	HQ / Remote	Monthly reports are delayed by up to 3 days. Manual collection of budget data from departments while system access is restored.	Financial reports are important, but not immediately critical. A short delay is acceptable; manual preparations enable gradual recovery.
Vendor Onboarding & Contract Mgmt	4.5	72 hrs	Manual Processing + Hardcopy Contracts	HQ / WAR	Use of physical files and hardcopy contract templates for onboarding. Essential data entry resumed when systems were restored.	The process is not immediately time-sensitive; manual processing ensures that new vendor requests are not blocked.
Regulatory & Compliance Management	4.6	24 hrs	Pre-approved Contingency Workflow	HQ / WAR / Remote	Predefined templates and workflows are used for urgent reporting to regulators. Compliance documents are stored redundantly and accessed via a secure virtual private network (VPN).	Regulatory deadlines are strict. Using pre-approved formats and redundant storage ensures continued compliance even during a disruption.
Insurance & Risk Financing Admin	4.7	48 hrs	Alternate Contact Channels + Backup Files	HQ / Remote	Contact with insurers maintained via alternate channels (email, phone). Risk financing documents are stored off-site and in encrypted cloud storage.	Risk mitigation continuity is key. Alternate contact ensures claims processing continues; off-site backups maintain access to insurance data.

* RTO values are illustrative; actual RTOs should be based on Business Impact Analysis (Column 17/18 per BCM Institute's guidance notes).

Explanation of Table Design

Recovery Time Objective (RTO): Maximum allowed downtime derived from BIA findings for each sub-function
Recovery Strategies: Options (resume, degraded services, manual, outsource, suspend) as outlined in Part 2 – selected based on criticality, urgency, and feasibility
Recovery Location: Could be alternate office, home, vendor site, or on-site – aligned with each sub-CBF’s needs and recovery strategy guidance
Details of Recovery Strategy: Specifies staffing, systems, manual workarounds, and backup resources needed.
Justification: Based on criteria from Part 1 mitigation (cost, support, readiness, urgency, risk reduction)

Summing Up ...

The recovery strategies presented in this chapter provide a robust framework to safeguard Bandtree’s financial and vendor-related operations during times of crisis or operational disruption.

By aligning each sub-function with an appropriate recovery approach — whether through technological redundancy, manual intervention, or remote capabilities — Bandtree ensures its readiness to maintain financial integrity and operational continuity.

These strategies not only reflect best practices in business continuity management but also demonstrate Bandtree’s proactive stance in protecting its core financial infrastructure.

Continued review, testing, and updating of these recovery strategies are essential to adapt to evolving risks and to uphold the company's obligations to stakeholders, regulators, and the broader national infrastructure ecosystem.

Implementing Business Continuity Management for Bandtree: A Practical Guide
eBook 3: Starting Your BCM Implementation
MBCO	P&S	RAR T1	RAR T2	RAR T3	BCS T1	CBF

CBF 4: Billing, Finance & Vendor Management
DP	BIAQ T1	BIAQ T2	BIAQ T3	BCS T2	BCS T3	PD

More Information About Business Continuity Management Courses

To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the BCM-300 Business Continuity Management Implementer [BCM-3] and the BCM-5000 Business Continuity Management Expert Implementer [BCM-5].