It is now recognized by most organizations that Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Planning are vital activities in order for an organization to run their operations. However, the creation and the maintanence of a proper business continuity and disaster recovery plan is a complex task involving a series of steps.

Before creating the plan itself, it is essential to consider the potential impacts of a disaster and to understand the underlying risks. These impacts are the foundations upon which an organization's continuity plan or disaster recovery plan should be built. Then, the plan itself must be constructed as a whole and then be maintained, tested and audited to ensure that it remains appropriate to the needs of the organization.