1.

Business continuity planning

Business continuity planning (BCP) identifies [an] organization's exposure to internal and external threats and synthesizes hard and soft assets to provide effective prevention and recovery for the organization, whilst maintaining competitive advantage and value system integrity.[1] It is also called business continuity and resiliency planning (BCRP). A business continuity plan is a roadmap for continuing operations under adverse conditions (i.e. interruption from natural or man-made hazards). BCP is an ongoing state or methodology governing how business is conducted. In the US, governmental entities refer to the process as continuity of operations planning (COOP). BCP is working out how to continue operations under adverse conditions that include local events like building fires, theft, and vandalism, regional incidents like earthquakes and floods, and national incidents like pandemic illnesses. In fact, any event that could impact operations should be considered, such as supply chain interruption, loss of or damage to critical infrastructure (major machinery or computing/network resource). As such, risk management must be incorporated as part of BCP. BCP may be a part of an organizational learning effort that helps reduce operational risk. Backup plan to run any business event uninterrupted is a part of business continuity plan. BCP for specified organization is to be implemented for the organizational level in large scale however backup plan at individual level is to be implemented at small unit scale. Organizational management team is accountable for large scale BCP for any particular firm while respective individual management team is accountable for their BCP at small unit scale. This process may be integrated with improving security and corporate reputation risk management practices. In December 2006, the British Standards Institution (BSI) released a new independent standard for BCP BS 25999-1. Prior to the introduction of BS 25999, BCP professionals relied on BSI information security standard BS 7799, which only peripherally addressed BCP to improve an organization's information security compliance. BS 25999's applicability extends to organizations of all types, sizes, and missions whether governmental or private, profit or nonprofit, large or small, or industry sector. In 2007, the BSI published the second part, BS 25999-2 "Specification for Business Continuity Management", that specifies requirements for implementing, operating and improving a documented business continuity management system (BCMS). In 2004, the United Kingdom enacted the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, a statute that instructs all emergency services and local authorities to actively prepare and plan for emergencies. Local authorities also have the legal obligation under this act to actively lead promotion of business continuity practices in their respective geographical areas. Identification of top risks and mitigating strategies. Considerations for resource reallocation e.g. skills matrix for larger organizations.

1. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan Steps

Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) are the watchwords of businesses in the Information Technology (IT) world. The predominant role of Wide Area Networks (WANs) in almost all major fields of business has made it an imperative for IT and Network managers across the globe to accelerate their network infrastructure, and also devise workable BC/DR plans. The primary objective of a Disaster Recovery plan (a.k.a. Business Continuity plan) is the description of how an organization has to deal with potential natural or human-induced disasters. The disaster recovery plan steps that every enterprise incorporates as part of business management includes the guidelines and procedures to be undertaken to effectively respond to and recover from disaster recovery scenarios, which adversely impacts information systems and business operations. Plan steps that are well-constructed and implemented will enable organizations to minimize the effects of the disaster and resume mission-critical functions quickly. Business Continuity or DRP steps involve an extensive analysis of an organizations business processes, IT infrastructure, data backup, resources, continuity requirements and disaster prevention methods. Secondly, it is the process of creating a comprehensive document encompassing details that will aid businesses in recovering from catastrophic events. Developing a disaster recovery plan differs between enterprises based on business type, processes, the security levels needed, and the organization size. There are various stages involved in developing an effective Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity planning. The key phases and the plan steps are outlined below: Phase I Data Collection

1. Project should be organized with timeline, resources, and expected output 2. Business impact analysis should be conducted at regular intervals 3. Risk assessment should be conducted regularly 4. Onsite and Offsite Backup and Recovery procedures should be reviewed 5. Alternate site location must be selected and ready for use
Phase II Plan Development and Testing

1. Development of Disaster Recovery Plan

2. Testing the plan

Phase III Monitoring and Maintenance

1. Maintenance of the Plan through updates and review 2. Periodic inspection of DRP 3. Documentation of changes
An Enterprise appoints a Disaster Recovery team within the organization, which can actively involved in creating the plan steps, implementing and maintaining the plan. As a priority, businesses organizations create DRP templates as a basis for developing Disaster Recovery plans for the organization. The following steps are taken in creating an efficient disaster recovery or business continuity planning: Objective The statement of the objective including project details, Onsite/Offsite data, resources, and business type Disaster Recovery Plan Criteria A documentation of the procedures as to declaring emergency, evacuation of site pertaining to nature of disaster, active backup, notification of the related officials/DR team/staff, notification of procedures to be followed when disaster breaks out, alternate location specifications, should all be maintained. It is beneficial to be prepared in advance with sample DRPs and disaster recovery examples so that every individual in an organization are better educated on the basics. A workable business continuity planning template or scenario plans are available with most ITbased organizations to train employees with the procedures to be carried out in the event of a catastrophe. DR Team Roles and Responsibilities Documentation should include identification and contact details of key personnel in the disaster recovery team, their roles and responsibilities in the team. Contingency Procedures the routine to be established when operating in contingency mode should be determined and documented. It should include inventory of systems and equipment in the location; descriptions of process, equipment, software; minimum requirements of processing; location of vital records with categories; descriptions of data and communication networks, and customer/vendor details. A resource planning should be developed for operating in emergency mode. The essential procedures to restore normalcy and business continuity must be listed out, including the plan steps for recovering lost data and to restore normal operating mode. Testing and Maintenance the dates of testing, disaster recovery scenario, and plans for each scenario should be documented. Maintenance involves record of scheduled review on a daily, weekly, monthly,

quarterly, yearly basis; reviews of plans, teams, activities, tasks accomplished and complete documentation review and update. The disaster recovery plan developed thereby should be tested for efficiency. To aid in that function a test strategy and corresponding test plan should be developed and administered. The results obtained should be recorded, analyzed, and modified as required. Organizations realize the importance of business continuity plans that keep their business operations continuing without any hindrance. Disaster recovery planning is a crucial component of todays networkbased organizations that determine productivity, and business continuity.

3.

Business plan

A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals. Business plans may also target changes in perception and branding by the customer, client, taxpayer, or larger community. When the existing business is to assume a major change or when planning a new venture, a 3 to 5 year business plan is required, since investors will look for their annual return in that timeframe.[1]

4.

The Benefits of Multinational Corporations

Let us consider the arguments from both sides. Firstly, from those who maintain the importance of foreign direct investment as part of the engine necessary for growth? A MNE investing in an area may result in a significant injection into the local economy. This may provide jobs directly or through the growth of local ancillary businesses such as banks and insurance. It might initiate a multiplier process generating more income as newly employed workers spend their wages on consumption. MNEs may provide training and education for employees thus creating a higher skilled labor force. These skills may be transferred to other areas of the host country. Often management and entrepreneurial skills learned from MNEs are an important source of human capital. MNEs will contribute tax revenue to the government and other revenues if they purchase existing national assets as in the case in Zambia through the privatization process

5.

Strategic alliance

A Strategic Alliance is a relationship between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon goals or to meet a critical business need while remaining independent organizations. This form of cooperation lies between M&A and organic growth.

Partners may provide the strategic alliance with resources such as products, distribution channels, manufacturing capability, project funding, capital equipment, knowledge, expertise, or intellectual property. The alliance is a cooperation or collaboration which aims for a synergy where each partner hopes that the benefits from the alliance will be greater than those from individual efforts. The alliance often involves technology transfer (access to knowledge and expertise), economic specialization,[1] shared expenses and shared risk.

6.

Difference between joint ventures and mergers acquisitions

Basically, a joint venture is when two or more companies make an agreement to do business in one specific area. They can share the insurance, shipping and liability costs and produce higher profits. It is usually a short lived collaboration. A merger is when two companies come together to form a single company. They combine their respective resources. Sometimes there are losses of jobs, but not all. Those decisions are specified in the merger contract well in advance of the deal. An acquisition is when one company is buying and taking over another. If it is friendly, often the seller can stipulate who keeps their job and so forth. If it is unfriendly, the company taking over gets to make all the final decisions. They cannot take away benefits already earned.

4.

What do you mean by innovation? Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying scientific knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria.

Like engineering, innovation is a discipline, a body of knowledge you can study, master and apply to various challenges. Using the format above, we might define it this way: Innovation is the discipline and process of applying frameworks and techniques for analysis, practices that stimulate ideation, and methods of prototyping in order to conceive and develop original solutions to problems. So, innovation is a process (a roadmap) that uses formal techniques and methods (a toolkit) to come up with new ways of meeting needs. Looking for a simpler definition? In business, innovation means finding new ways to improve results. What exactly does an innovation consultant do? Innovation consultants work in two ways. Some are agencies. Others are trainers. An agency takes your problem or challenge and applies the discipline of innovation to find a solution. A trainer teaches you the process and techniques of innovation-the discipline-so that you can find you own solutions.

At The Innovation Workgroup, we are trainers and more. We teach global best practices in innovation. But that's not all. We don't just tell you how to innovate. We show you how. We also collaborate with you to create new solutions. How would I use your services? Clients select us for two reasons. One is to promote innovation throughout their firm, business unit or department. The other is to come up with a solution to a specific problem or challenge. To promote innovation, you might use us to conduct workshops, deliver keynote speeches, or collaborate with you to assess your corporate culture and streamline your systems so that employees will be motivated, enabled and empowered to innovate. To solve a specific problem or meet a specific challenge, you might use us to lead a collaborative problemsolving engagement. Your team would work with us to devise one or more solutions. In the process, they would also learn and master global best practices in innovation. What benefits could I expect? The benefits of The Innovation Workgroup System seem almost too good to be true, but they are documented. Companies that use global best practices in innovation have developed new products worth billions of dollars, reduced costs and cycle times by more than 90%, improved customer satisfaction and employee engagement, and seen their revenues and margins increase steadily.. Have you worked in my industry? Probably. But hopefully, not too much! Industry-specific consultants know the industry's wisdom. They trust the industry's wisdom. They apply the industry's wisdom. So, the solutions they devise are the same ones that everyone in the industry devises. That's fine in many situations, but not when you need an original, innovative answer. To be innovative, you must discover insights that no one else in the industry has discovered. You must invent something that no one else has invented. We bring the tools and techniques that produce such insights and inventions. You supply the industry knowledge that tells you where and how to use them. Our methods and your domain expertise - a perfect combination. How much does it cost? It costs more than a typical training program, and you can expect to get a lot more benefit. It costs a lot less than a keynote speech by a member of the "most influential" list, and you can expect to remember and use a lot more of the material. You save even more when you commit to the system. If you want just classroom training, our prices start at $3,000 (less in India) for a single, half-day workshop. Prices for longer workshops are proportionately lower, and discounts are available for multiple workshops. If you engage us as consultants, our daily rates for shortterm assignments start at $2,000 for our principal and $1,500 for our senior consultants. The rates go down for longer engagements. If you are serious about innovation and still not sure you can afford us, we offer a gain sharing option. Reductions of up to 50% of our published rates are available in exchange for an incentive if your objectives are met. Most clients prefer to look at their innovation spending not as a cost, but as a capital expenditure. When you build an innovation "plant" and install the necessary "equipment," your employees will start producing better products and services, better production and marketing methods, and better business processes that can generate unbelievable ROI.

Contact us today to learn how The Innovation Workgroup System can accelerate your growth.

Do I really need an innovation consultant? Maybe. To find out, ask yourself some questions. . Will my business need new solutions to improve results, or will we be fine if we just keep doing what we know already? . Do my people use global best practices to solve problems, or just the methods they learned in school? . How many of my employees contributed original ideas for business improvements last year? . How many new ideas were implemented? . Do I manage innovation, or do I merely hope my employees will innovate? . If an employee had an original idea for business improvement, would she know where to submit it? If you're not entirely happy with your answers to these questions, then it makes sense to start a dialog with The Innovation Workgroup. Let's explore how we can ramp up your team's innovation skills to accelerate your company's growth. Contact us today.

5.

Types of Innovation

There are many different types of innovation with the two most popular types amongst innovation specialists usually being innovation and radical innovation. Incremental innovation exploits existing products, processes or technologies by improving on what currently existed, whereas radical innovation uproots existing markets by providing something completely new to the world.

6.

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business)[1] is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company's actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders. The term "corporate social responsibility" came into common use in the late 1960s and early 1970s after many multinational corporations formed the term stakeholder, meaning those on whom an organization's activities have an impact. It was used to describe corporate owners beyond shareholders as a result of an influential book by R. Edward Freeman, Strategic management: a stakeholder approach in 1984.[2] Proponents argue that corporations make more long term profits by operating with a perspective, while critics argue that CSR distracts from the economic role of businesses. Others argue CSR is merely window-dressing, or an attempt to preempt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful multinational corporations. CSR is titled to aid an organization's mission as well as a guide to what the company stands for and will uphold to its consumers. Development business ethics is one of the forms of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment. ISO 26000 is the recognized international standard for CSR. Public sector organizations (the United Nations for example) adhere to the triple bottom line (TBL). It is widely accepted that CSR adheres to similar principles but with no formal act of legislation. The UN has developed the Principles for Responsible Investment as guidelines for investing entities.