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ISO 22301: 2019

Business Continuity Management System

Get certified to the internationally recognized system for business continuity management and receive the comfort and confidence of having a planned system for protecting your business! Hire Blue Wolf to audit and provide certification and experience the benefits of having a friendly and customer focused auditor.

What is ISO 22301?

ISO 22301 is the global standard for business continuity management systems. It provides a standard for creating an efficient protocol for safeguarding companies from unwanted situations. The system helps to recognize potential threats and take precautionary actions accordingly. Every business organization is vulnerable to unknown and unpredictable dangers. Natural calamities, technical or power hazards, terrorism, and fire are some of the most lethal situations a company can face anytime. ISO 22301 offers a helpful set of guidelines to help prevent adverse situations in advance or prepare to take an effective course of action when disruptions strike.

The standard was originally developed in the year 2012 and later went through a revision in the year 2019. The present version of the accreditation focuses on problems like cyber risks and biohazards. The main objective of ISO 22301 is to support an organization in achieving sustainable business growth by promoting proactivity among stakeholders.

What are the key benefits of achieving ISO 22301?

Primarily known for providing a concrete structure for maintaining business continuity, ISO 22301 is a comprehensive standard offering the following advantages:

  • Standardized guidance helps to combat unpredictable situations and minimize adverse impacts. The structure of the standard is based on the “plan, do, check, and act” cycle, the same as other management system standards, designed to maintain business operations even in adverse situations.
  • The standard helps management determine how to take responsibility for business continuity, promoting proactivity and accountability.
  • It helps to focus more on risk assessment and management.
  • The standard fosters continual improvement as it provides a framework for ongoing monitoring and management reviews.
  • Greater confidence in the face of inevitable times of disruption.
  • Offers customers greater confidence dealing with your company.
  • The risk management protocol generates awareness of types of risk that could affect the company and ways of responding or controlling risk to better ensure business continuity.
  • With effective controls for business continuity, your company to strengthen its brand image and establish a loyal customers.

What Are The Main Requirements For ISO 22301?

The standard follows the Annex SL structure to group the key requirements, which include scope, context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement amongst other groupings. ISO 22301 includes:

Business continuity : A stringent system to make an organization more resilient towards unwanted dangers. A properly designed systematic business continuity protocol to recognize and prevent probable risk factors is the main requirement for ISO 22301.

Management accountability : Proactiveness, awareness, and a strong sense of responsibility amongst management are key to the success of a business continuity management system.

Resource Management : Organizations need to ensure there are adequate resources to support the business continuity plans, the development and support of the management system and the costs of certification.

Monitoring and continuous improvement : There should be a systematic approach towards monitoring and reviewing the system and the operations for continual improvement and business growth.

Certification Process

The certification process is as follows:

Commit: A trusted certification body is chosen, engaged, and an audit date is set.

Pre-assessment: If clients wish, an assessment before the stage 1 and 2 audits is performed.

Stage 1 Audit: The management system and documentation are reviewed to ensure everything is in place for the stage 2 audit, including determining whether internal audit and the management review have been performed. An audit report is prepared and issued by the auditor for review. If everything looks good, the auditor confirms the stage 2 audit.

Stage 2 Audit: After addressing any concerns or opportunities for improvement from the stage 1 audit, the stage 2 audit is conducted by the auditor. The auditor checks that the management system is implemented and is compliant with ISO 22301. If there are any non-conformities, these are shared by the auditor. Once non-conformities are addressed and the auditor can confirm that the standard is being met, the auditor recommends the company for certification.

Issuing the certification: With the successful completion of the two stages of audits, the certification body issues the certification.

Surveillance Audits: Every certification lasts for 3 years. The certification body organizes annual audit programs to ensure ongoing compliance.

Why Should You use Blue Wolf as your ISO certification body?

Blue Wolf is a business associate of various accredited certification bodies. We are customer focused, and a reliable, friendly and helpful auditing body that makes your certification journey simpler and more effective for your company.
We offer stage 1 and stage 2 audits before issuing your system for certification and provide continual support and surveillance audits to check for 100% ongoing compliance after you achieve the certification.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is ISO 22301?
ISO 22301 is the global standard for business continuity management. It was published by the international organization for standardization (ISO). The standard aims to help companies regardless of their size and type in identifying, controlling and responding to expected, unexpected and disruptive situations. The standard supports a company in preparing and protecting itself from adverse consequences and possible threats in the future. In this way, ISO 22301 promotes business continuity and the long-term progress of an organization.
2. What is the current version of ISO 22301?
The current version of ISO 22301 is ISO 22301:2019. The standard was originally founded in the year 2012 with the intent of helping businesses take preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of disruptive situations and have response plans. The current version focuses on protocols to combat different emerging issues.
3. What are the benefits of getting ISO 22301 certification?
● It helps to minimize the likelihood of adverse and unwanted situations having a devastating impaction on the company.
● It increases the accountability of management and the workforce.
● It supports an organization in its efforts to continually develop and improve.
● It helps to improve crisis management techniques and promotes flexibility.
4. How many days does it take to acquire ISO 22301 certification for my company?
It depends on the type and size of your company. Generally, it takes up to six months and in some cases a year or more to get ready for ISO certification.
Audit days are determined from other standards and industry mandatory documents. Factors that increase or decrease the number of audit days include the number of personnel, the level of risk, the type of industry your organization belongs to, and consideration of various factors (simplifications or complications) that help to understand the complexity or your organization. All of this to ensure there is adequate audit time for your auditor to determine compliance to ISO 22301.
5. How many rounds of audits are conducted before issuing the ISO 22301 certificate?
Two rounds of audits are organized to confirm the compliance of the system and your company before issuing the certificate.

Client Testimonials

See what our clients have to say about Blue Wolf

It’s a very great experience. She (Tanya) helped me a lot and she explained a lot. If there is something that we might need to improve on, she will explain in a very detailed way. It’s a very smooth and very clear process. Definitely recommended.

Timothy Zeng

CEO, HQS Automotive.

Our experience has been that this process in working with the auditors has shown us more ways to improve internally than what we expected

Stacy Gestring

Founder, Art Advertising

One of the best business decisions I think we’ve made in the entire time we’ve been here in the company.

Gary Gestring

Founder, Art Advertising

When we first started the process of looking at the standard, we were afraid we would have to force our company into a new way of doing almost everything in doing our business. And we were very pleased to find out that the standard was meant to fit how we already were doing things. And Blue Wolf and Seth really helped us in the audit to not feel so intimidated by it, but to understand it, yes that the way we are doing it does fit the standard, and instead of just criticizing where we were coming short, he gave us advice and suggestions on how the standard is actually meant to be used, to improve how we are doing things, not to force us into a certain way of somebody else doing it.
Our experience has been that this process in working with the auditors has shown us more ways to improve internally than what we expected, and we would recommend going through this for anybody that’s considering it.

Stacy Gestring

Founder, Art Advertising

After a lot of research and careful review of our options we chose to work with Blue Wolf, and we know now that we made the right decision. It’s been a great process, and I would recommend to anyone that is considering ISO 9001 to at least have a conversation with them. I don’t think you would regret it at all.
At the very beginning of this process, I think we can safely say we were very nervous about it and apprehensive about doing it. After our auditor Seth Shea arrived, we realized again what a great decision we made. He’s made this process way much easier than we thought it might be, not as scary. And the insight he’s given us, and the observations and suggestions has been one of the most… really one of the best business decisions I think we’ve made in the entire time we’ve been here in the company.

Gary Gestring

Founder, Art Advertising

Firstly, on behalf of Adam and myself, we would like to thank you both very much for providing us with the support and service during our ISO accreditation and certification process.

Your professional and knowledgeable approach and support has been very much appreciated.

Adam

Mechpro

The experience was overwhelmingly really good.  I thought we were ready but there were some lightbulb moments. It was a logical process. The auditor was patient. We wanted the certification for areas of opportunity and we had many recommendations. I appreciated the audit.  I haven’t heard anything negative out of the process to date. It’s been good.

Tracey Costin

Affordable Staff

I’ve never been involved in auditing before. Completely new. Was not sure what to expect. The process was seamless.   There were some good recommendations.  I was made to feel comfortable. The process worked quite well. I’m feeling more than ready for the next audit. There was so much going on at the time of the audit that I just wanted to go back to the audit, it was more relaxing.

 

Eva Judge

Affordable Staff

“One of the greatest things that initially sold me on BLUE WOLF was your approach towards partnering, understanding, and treating us with respect towards where we are at in compliance with the standard.“
“I was nervous about it until we spoke on the phone in the premeeting. Once you started talking about your approach and your process I was sold. But to see it in real life and to see it actually come true was even more (…)”
After his first day of the audit: “I’ve been through so many audits you can’t even count. Your approach is by far superior than any other audit I’ve ever been through. The contrast was night and day. I’ve got some younger people who don’t have quite the same experience as I do, and their ability to feel like they could be participatory, have value and be respected throughout the process was outstanding. I have not made a better choice in picking a company to work with us in an audit process prior to you. You’re going to be here every year if I can help it. And if ownership changes and they want to do something different, I’ll fight to keep this process going because it has so much value.”

Joseph Shushok

Imerys

I’ve never been a part of one of these. I have learned absolutely so much. It was a privilege to be a part of this. I don’t ever want to experience an audit a different way.

Jama Morrison

Imerys, Quality Manager

If everybody could have an audit experience like this, more and more people would actually consider an ISO certification. Because so many people hear so many things about it, stressful myths, and everyone has a bad auditor experience from somewhere else. If more people could experience an audit this way, they wouldn’t have any reason to fear ISO.

Milo Fruk

CHS Broadbent, National EMS Director

I’ve seen some really bad crap auditors. Even I learned a whole lot from what we just went through with Seth that I didn’t even understand about the standard before.

Nick Maes

Automated Wellhead. Operations manager

“Blue Wolf has been great with providing us with clarity and direction so that our team can focus on the important aspects of our quality and safety management systems. What seemed like a very intimidating process to achieve ISO accreditation was made simple by Blue Wolf and their team. Their knowledge and our processes have added value and elevated our quality and safety program to another level. Thank you, Seth Shea, and the Blue Wolf team for a wonderful ongoing experience.”

Cynthia Sayer

Safety Administrator, Clark Bros, Inc.

“Streamlined. Easy to communicate, easy to talk to. Relaxed, didn’t feel pressured. Recommended for future ISO projects.”

Andrew Stewart

Inks Production Engineer, NovaCentrix

“We completed our audit today with 1 minor non-conformance and 2 observations. I would highly recommend Blue Wolf certifications to anyone else your company is working with. Our auditor Seth was so personable, made the audit process as relaxed and comfortable as possible, made our staff feel comfortable talking to him, and he was very thorough in his findings. He makes you feel like you are working together, which is HUGE and really rare in a company/auditor relationship.”

Kerry Ashby

Senior Director, PEO/HR + Payroll Operations, Choice Employer Solutions, Inc.