ISO 22301 Explained: How to Build Business Continuity in Uncertain Times

Whether cyberattacks, power outages, or pandemics – unexpected crises can cripple a company’s operations within minutes. Especially in an increasingly interconnected and digital world, it is more important than ever to be prepared for such scenarios. But how can this be achieved?

The international standard ISO 22301 offers companies a clear framework to systematically prepare for operational disruptions, analyze risks, and establish emergency plans. It helps not only to react more quickly but also to sustainably strengthen the trust of customers, partners, and employees.

In this article, we take a practical look at ISO 22301, explain its structure, requirements, and benefits – and show why entering the world of Business Continuity Management is worthwhile not only for large corporations.

ISO 22301:2019 is the internationally recognized standard for a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and ensures that companies are prepared to maintain or quickly restore critical business processes even during crises.

The standard is based on the so-called High-Level Structure (HLS) – a unified structure also used by other ISO standards such as ISO 9001 (Quality Management) or ISO 27001 (Information Security). This makes it particularly compatible with existing management systems.

ISO 22301 applies to all organizations, regardless of:

The standard is particularly relevant for companies:

In a world full of uncertainties – from natural disasters and cyberattacks to geopolitical crises – unexpected interruptions can occur at any time. Without proactive planning, this quickly leads to:

To determine which causes companies themselves consider most likely to result in business interruptions, Allianz conducts an annual survey known as the Allianz Risk Barometer. Participating companies can choose three of many risk areas they deem most likely to cause a disruption.

The following figures also illustrate what operational downtime means financially:

Although ISO 22301 overlaps thematically with other standards (e.g. ISO 27001, ISO 31000), it focuses exclusively on business continuity – that is, how organizations respond to emergencies and disruptions. In combination with IT security standards, it can form a powerful resilience system.

Source: ISO.org

Like many modern ISO standards, ISO 22301 follows the so-called High-Level Structure (HLS). This means it is organized according to a unified chapter structure that facilitates integration into other management systems (e.g. ISO 9001 or ISO 27001).

The structure comprises a total of 10 main chapters, with chapters 4 to 10 being certification-relevant:

ISO 22301:2019 can be obtained here

Goal: Understanding the operational environment, relevant requirements, and internal and external risks.
Implementation: Analysis of external influences (e.g. legal situation, markets) and internal framework conditions, identification of interested parties and their expectations regarding business continuity.

Goal: Anchoring the BCM at the executive level and clearly assigning responsibilities.
Implementation: Appointment of a BCM officer, involvement of senior management, definition of roles, communication channels, and leadership principles in crisis situations.

Goal: Identification, assessment, and treatment of business-critical risks and impacts.
Implementation: Conducting a risk assessment and a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to prioritize processes, define recovery objectives (RTO/RPO), and derive appropriate measures.

Goal: Provision of all necessary resources for the implementation of the BCM.
Implementation: Employee training, skills development, structured communication, as well as maintenance of documentation and traceability of processes.

Goal: Responding to and managing disruptions to ensure operational capability.
Implementation: Creation and maintenance of emergency and restart plans, development of strategies to maintain core processes, regular tests and emergency exercises.

Goal: Review of the effectiveness of the BCM system.
Implementation: Conducting internal audits, monitoring processes, management reviews, analysis of incidents, and deriving improvements.

Goal: Continuous development of the BCM.
Implementation: Corrective and preventive actions in case of weaknesses, lessons learned from exercises and real incidents, systematic review and adaptation of the system.

Certification according to ISO 22301 is not mandatory – but it offers companies numerous strategic, operational, and communicative benefits. It serves as objective proof that an effective Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) has been implemented and is regularly audited.

Initial GAP analysis
Assessment of the current state compared to the standard – optionally through internal audit or external consulting.

Establishment or adaptation of the BCMS
Implementation of all standard-compliant processes, documentation, roles, exercises, and improvement mechanisms.

Training & awareness
Preparation of employees, especially key personnel (e.g. BCM manager, crisis team).

Internal audit
Review of effectiveness prior to the official audit. Identification and correction of potential weaknesses.

Certification audit (by accredited body)
Consists of two stages:

Issuance of the certificate
Validity: 3 years with annual surveillance audits.

ISO 22301 strengthens resilience in a targeted way. Those who know their critical processes, are prepared, and regularly test, gain not only security but also trust – both internally and externally.