ISO 22301:
Your survival strategy to remain capable of acting in the event of blackouts, cyberattacks & supply bottlenecks
What if the unthinkable happens? What if a cyber attack paralyzes your IT, water damage destroys your warehouse or power supply fails across the board?
It quickly becomes an existential threat to companies that don't have a plan B in such moments. This is exactly where the ISO 22301 framework comes in: The international standard for Business Continuity Management (BCM) helps you to safeguard critical business processes - so that your company continues to function even when others have long since come to a standstill.
On this page you will find out:
- How to make your company crisis-proof - quickly, easily and securely - with the help of ISO 22301
- Which specific requirements must be met for ISO 22301 certification
- How you can shine in the audit with reasonable effort and obtain the prized certificate
What is the ISO 22301 standard?
and why is it so important today?
ISO 22301 is the globally recognized standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). Its goal: To support companies in systematically preparing for unexpected disruptions, enabling rapid reaction and maintaining business operations.
While many management systems focus primarily on prevention, ISO 22301 explicitly addresses the issue of: What to do if the emergency has already occurred?
The standard is aimed at companies of all sizes and industries - from medium-sized manufacturing companies to digital service providers and is particularly relevant where:
- critical infrastructure is operated
- there is a high dependency on IT systems and cloud services
- complex supply chains need to be coordinated
- regulatory requirements (e.g. through NIS-2 or DORA) take effect
And even if ISO 22301 certification is voluntary and not required by law: Certified business continuity management in accordance with ISO 22301 is no longer a nice-to-have and is increasingly becoming a standard requirement for large corporations and customers in the KRITIS sector when selecting their suppliers.
Structure, content and requirements of the
ISO 22301 standard
The structure of ISO 22301 - like many modern ISO standards - follows the high-level structure. This ensures compatibility with existing management systems.
The standard comprises a total of ten chapters which are divided as follows:
- Scope of application
- Normative references
- Terms and definitions
- Context of the organization
- Leadership
- Planning
- Support
- Operation
- Evaluation of performance
- Improvement
Central elements are:
- Context of the organization: What internal and external factors influence your company?
- Risk assessment & Business Impact Analysis (BIA): Which threats are likely and which processes are in particularly need of protection?
- Strategies for the continuation of operations: How do you ensure that essential functions can be maintained even in the event of a malfunction?
- Crisis Management & Communication: Which channels, roles and processes are effective in a crisis - even under time pressure?
- Training, tests & continuous improvement: Without ISO 22301 training, courses and regular exercises, BCM remains just a theory. Those who also work with ISO 22301 Maturity Levels recognize weaknesses more quickly and can initiate targeted improvements.
- Documentation & obligation to provide evidence: Every measure must be documented in a traceable manner - for internal safety and external audits. A well-structured ISO 22301 Documentation Toolkit not only saves time but also creates consistency across all BCM processes.
These elements serve an overarching goal as well as providing structure: to make the organization resilient to unforeseeable events.
4 advantages that a
ISO 22301 certification provides your company:
Safeguard your business capacity - even in extreme situations
Certified business continuity management protects your critical processes from coming to a standstill. Whether a cyber attack, natural disaster or power outage: You remain capable of acting and thus secure your liquidity, ability to deliver and the trust of your customers.
Reduce risks - and meet legal requirements
With ISO 22301 you create the basis for regulatory conformity - for example within the framework of NIS-2 or DORA. You avoid liability risks, create comprehensible structures - and can prove to supervisory authorities at any time that your organization is prepared for emergencies. At the same time, you reduce the likelihood of serious business interruptions.
Strengthen the trust of your customers, partners and stakeholders
Crisis prevention is a strong signal. The certification shows: They think ahead, act responsibly and are a reliable partner even in extreme situations. This can make all the difference in tenders, audits or discussions with investors.
Make the right decisions in a crisis - quickly and in a structured manner
Instead of having to improvise under pressure, you can rely on tried-and-tested processes, clear responsibilities and defined communication channels. This creates security - both internally and externally - and increases your resilience with every crisis you overcome.
How a successful
ISO 22301 certification proceeds:
Step 1
Maturity assessment & GAP analysis
How mature is your BCM today - and where are the gaps?
Step 2
Action Planning & Implementation
Development and implementation of concrete action plans and strategies.
Step 3
Training Courses & Sensitization
The roles and teams involved are prepared - practically and purposefully.
Step 4
Internal Audit & Management Review
Preparation for the certification audit - including a stress test of your processes and strategies.
Step 5
Certification
An independent auditor checks the implementation of your BCMS - and issues the ISO 22301 certificate.
ISO 23301 certification:
Our best practice recommendations for a successful audit
ISO 22301 certification is feasible for every company but it does not happen by itself. As a consultancy with many years of experience in the field of business continuity management, we see the same stumbling blocks time and again in customer projects.
We would therefore like to give you 3 recommendations to ensure that your ISO 22301 audit does not end in disappointment:
Plan business impact analyses realistically instead of basing them on ideals
Many companies overestimate which processes are actually "critical" - and underestimate which ones cause massive consequential damage if they fail. Our recommendation: Conduct interviews with all specialist departments at an early stage and develop the business impact analysis iteratively - instead of using off-the-shelf Excel templates.
Clearly regulate responsibilities in the supply chain
Cloud providers, remote teams, external IT service providers - every minute can count in emergency situations. But visibility is often lacking: Who takes on which role and when? Who informs whom? Who makes decisions in an emergency? Therefore, define binding escalation and communication channels for all external partners - including contact persons, response times and roles in the event of a crisis.
Carry out BCM tests under realistic conditions
It’s not enough to rely blindly on ISO 22301 templates. Systematically test your BCM for weaknesses and gradually improve your resilience. Important: The details matter here. Simulate realistic crisis situations: Server unavailable, key person unavailable, customer complaints piling up, etc. In this way, you can uncover technical weaknesses as well as organizational gaps - and proactively optimize your system.
Why ISO 22301
is an ideal starting point for an integrated compliance management system
A Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) only becomes fully effective when it becomes part of an overarching management system rather than operating in isolation. This is precisely where the great strength of ISO 22301 lies: It provides a strategic starting point on which further compliance elements can be built in a targeted manner.
This is because many processes that are required for a functioning BCMS - such as risk analyses, escalation structures or responsibility regulations - are also a central component of other standards and regulations.
Making targeted use of synergies not only saves resources - it also lays the foundation for a resilient, integrated security and resilience architecture.
In practice, synergies are possible with the following frameworks:
ISO 27001 (information security)
Both standards require a structured risk analysis, clear roles and emergency plans. Processes such as business impact analysis (BIA) and risk assessment can therefore be used across all systems.
ISO 9001 (quality management):
Shared structures for documentation, internal audits, continuous improvement and management reviews ensure efficiency and transparency.
TISAX, NIS-2, DORA:
These regulations require robust restart strategies, reporting processes and clear responsibilities. With a functioning BCMS in accordance with ISO 22301, you create the operational prerequisites.
Cloud Security & Supply Chain Management:
Whether for cloud services or problems in the supply chain: A BCMS reliably defines who must do what and when - including response times, escalation levels and communication processes.
FAQs –
additional frequently asked questions about ISO 22301
No. But in many sectors, it is increasingly becoming a basic prerequisite for collaboration between organizations, e.g. in public tenders or when selecting suppliers for large corporations.
Experience has shown that ISO 22301 certifications can be realized within a period of 3 to 9 months.
The total expenditure for the introduction and certification according to ISO 22301 often amounts to 10,000 to 20,000 euros for smaller, well-prepared organizations, and 20,000 to 50,000 euros for medium-sized companies. They depend on the scope, the number of locations and the degree of maturity.
Preparation for ISO 22301 certification can be carried out by means of an internal audit. However, an audit by an external, qualified ISO 22301 lead auditor is required for official certification.
Not necessarily. As a rule, it is sufficient to assign responsibilities to existing roles. It is important that responsibilities are clearly defined and that the people responsible have enough capacity to fulfill their duties.
Set up your
Business Continuity Management strategically
Does ISO 22301 certification sound time-consuming and complicated? That needn't be so.
Many elements can be easily reused instead of starting from scratch, especially if other management systems already exist. Why not start with the first simple step?
We carry out a free quick check:
1. Where you are today
2. Which synergies you can use immediately
3. How to get your ISO 22301 certification without any detours
