[BCM] [SY] [E2] [C5] Business Continuity Strategy

Chapter 5

As Part of the BCM Planning Methodology for Synapxe

Purpose of Chapter

In health tech, where continuous availability and integrity of systems are paramount, the Business Continuity Strategy Phase forms a foundational pillar of the Business Continuity Management (BCM) lifecycle.

At Synapxe, a digital health enabler for Singapore's public healthcare sector, this phase is not only critical for operational resilience but also vital to safeguard public health outcomes.

This chapter outlines Synapxe's approach to designing and implementing mitigation, prevention, and recovery strategies for its critical business functions, ensuring a robust and proactive stance against disruptions.

4.1 Purpose of the Strategy Phase

The Business Continuity Strategy Phase aims to determine and evaluate appropriate strategies that ensure Synapxe’s essential services can continue to operate through and recover from significant disruptions. T

These strategies are informed by the findings of the Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Assessment (RA), aligning with Synapxe’s mission to support uninterrupted healthcare delivery through digital innovation.

4.2 Classification of Strategies

Synapxe’s business continuity strategies are structured into three key categories:

Mitigation Strategies – Actions to reduce the likelihood or impact of a disruption.
Prevention Strategies – Measures to avoid the occurrence of disruptive events.
Recovery Strategies – Plans and capabilities to restore critical functions within defined Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs).

4.3 Mitigation Strategies

Mitigation aims to reduce the adverse effects of potential disruptions by addressing vulnerabilities and reducing their potential impact.

Key mitigation strategies include:

IT Redundancy and Infrastructure Resilience:
Deploying failover systems, redundant data paths, load balancers, and high-availability clusters across data centres ensures minimal service degradation during hardware or software failures.
Data Security and Cyber Risk Controls:
Regular vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and proactive patch management reduce exposure to cyber threats.
Vendor and Third-Party Risk Management:
Continuous evaluation of third-party service providers, especially those delivering cloud and managed services, ensures continuity of critical vendor-supported functions.
Physical Safeguards:
Environmental controls such as fire suppression systems, UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), and secure access to data centres mitigate physical risks.

4.4 Prevention Strategies

Prevention strategies are proactive, focused on reducing the probability of disruptive events.

Synapxe’s prevention strategies include:

Robust Governance and Compliance Framework:
Adherence to regulatory requirements and alignment with standards such as ISO 22301, ISO 27001, and PDPA strengthen operational discipline and compliance posture.
Employee Training and Awareness:
Regular BCM and cybersecurity awareness sessions for all staff ensure understanding of their roles during an incident and reduce human error—often a leading cause of disruption.
Preventive Maintenance and System Monitoring:
Proactive maintenance of hardware and continuous monitoring of critical applications and networks detect anomalies early, reducing the likelihood of major outages.
Change Management Controls:
A rigorous change management process ensures that all IT changes are assessed for potential impacts on continuity and are implemented with rollback procedures in place.

4.5 Recovery Strategies

Recovery strategies are activated when a disruption occurs. They focus on restoring critical services to acceptable levels within the defined recovery timeframes.

Core recovery strategies adopted by Synapxe include:

Disaster Recovery (DR) Sites and Cloud Backup:
Establishing a geographically separate DR site and secure cloud-based backup ensures continuity of digital health platforms and electronic medical records in the event of a primary site failure.
Application and Data Recovery Plans:
Recovery playbooks are developed for each critical application, identifying essential data, responsible personnel, and precise steps to reinstate operations.
Manual Workarounds and Alternate Procedures:
For functions that cannot be immediately restored through IT, documented manual processes are maintained to allow healthcare operations to continue with minimal impact.
Crisis Management and Communications:
During an incident, a dedicated crisis management team (CMT) is activated to coordinate cross-functional recovery activities, manage stakeholders, and ensure transparent internal and external communication.

4.6 Strategy Selection and Validation

The selection of strategies is based on:

Business Impact Analysis outcomes – to identify time-critical functions.
Cost-benefit analysis – to ensure a balance between risk mitigation and financial prudence.
Regulatory and stakeholder expectations – to meet legal obligations and maintain public trust.
Technology roadmaps – to align with Synapxe’s digital health transformation plans.

All chosen strategies undergo validation through:

Tabletop exercises and simulation drills
Annual review and updates to continuity plans
Lessons learned from actual incidents and near misses

4.7 Integration with the Broader BCM Lifecycle

The strategies defined in this phase directly inform the next phase of BCM planning, Plan Development, where detailed Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans are documented.

Additionally, strategy outcomes inform the Testing and Exercising phase, ensuring that plans are practical and executable under real-world conditions.

Summing Up ...

The Business Continuity Strategy Phase is pivotal for operational resilience in Synapxe’s BCM planning methodology.

By holistically integrating mitigation, prevention, and recovery strategies, Synapxe safeguards its digital health platforms and reinforces its commitment to delivering uninterrupted healthcare support across Singapore’s public healthcare ecosystem.

In the next chapter, we delve into Plan Development, transforming these strategies into actionable, role-specific continuity and recovery plans.

Ensuring Continuity in HealthTech: Implementing BCM for Synapxe
BCM Planning Methodology

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].