Analysis of Business Continuity Management at Woolworths Limited

This report provides an analysis of the business continuity management of Woolworths Limited. It begins with an introduction to business continuity planning and its importance for organizations like Woolworths, emphasizing the need to address potential threats and maintain operational processes during crises. The report then explores Woolworths' communication strategies, including key elements like purpose, current situation, and objectives, along with different types of organizational communication. It also examines internal and external dependencies and interdependencies within the organization. The core of the report focuses on Woolworths' business continuity management framework, outlining activities, processes, plans, and resources, along with pre and post-activation strategies. The report also covers business continuity plan audits and Woolworths' specific communication strategies, which prioritize customer needs and effective shopping experiences. Furthermore, it details Woolworths' risk management approach, pre-activation plans, and the principles followed by employees during crises. The report concludes by highlighting Woolworths' new business continuity management program, including training, risk policies, business impact assessments, IT disaster recovery plans, and risk registers.

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Business Continuity Management: Woolworths Limited
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Table of content

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Introduction
The study will focus on the business continuity management of the Woolworths Limited.
Business continuity planning is developed by the organization so that they ca deal with the threats
that may arise in the future. It enables the organization to continue the operational process even
during the disaster. This will help the organization to maintain the flow of the business so that there
is a continuity in the management of the company (Torabi, Giahi & Sahebjamnia, 2016). This plan
is formed if the business is unable to cope up with the change that is taking place in the market or if
the organization is on a verge to adopt the change that occur in the business environment.
Therefore, it is important for the organization to form a business continuity management.
Organization’s Communication Strategy and Implement Change
The communication strategy enhance the organization to communicate in an effective way
along with that help them to meet with the objectives that have been set by the core organization.
There are few key elements which need to be understand by the organization namely, the purpose
of the communication as well as current situation of the organization along with objective of the
organization and communication (Altamony, Al-Salti, Gharaibeh & Elyas, 2016). There are
different types of organizational communication namely, communication with respect to
organization’s structure; communication according to the direction along with communication
according to way of expression.
This is implemented by the organization to provide complete, sufficient as well as quality
information during the change to the employees; establish contact between the employees along
with that explaining the importance, consequences and future prospect of the change as well as
feedback and participation from the employees during the change (Bititci, Cocca & Ates, 2016).

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Organization’s Internal and External Dependencies and Interdependencies
Internal dependencies is considered to be the dependencies that might take place between
any of the two tasks that is there within a project. For example: Suppose in task A first part there is
a task of system management and in task B first task is testing of the system so it can be said that
there is a link between the two task as it is related. This is so because to test the system the system
management need to construct the system that need to be tested (Petit & Lewis, 2017).
On the contrary, in the external dependencies there is a link between the two activities that
might take place in the organization. For example: Suppose there are two activity one is getting
approval for the plan that have been develop for the building and other activity is starting the
construction. So, it can be said that activity two is dependent on activity one as construction can
only be started after the approval (Malik, Ngo & Kingshott, 2018).
Interdependency is the dependency of any two department that is there within the
organization. For example: Accounts department and management department are dependent on
each other to achieve the success for the organization (Parchman, 2015).
Overall Business Continuity Management Framework Activities, Processes,
Plans and Resources According to Results Pre and Post-Activation
Business continuity management framework activity help the organization to maintain the
flow of the process in the crisis period by following the plans that have been made as well as by the
using the resources the crisis can be overcome.
Pre-activation is the process in which the process is identified as well as plan is been made
to overcome along with identifying the resources that can be used in the process (Burns, 2015). On
the contrary, post-activation is the process where plans is being followed by the organization
accordingly so that the organization can overcome the crisis. This will automatically help the

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organization to sustain in the market. This will automatically help the organization to sustain in the
crisis period when there is in consistence in the process of the organization.
Business Continuity Plan Audit
Business continuity plan audit enables the organization to evaluate how the process is being
manage by the organization. It enables the organization to know if the plan that has been made will
succeed in the future or not. It also help the organization to know whether the organization will be
able to work during the crisis period or not (Zammani & Razali, 2016). If there is any sort of
weakness that can be identified by the organization then the organization can modify the plan
accordingly so that it help the organization to overcome the crisis that might arise in the near future.
The business need to structure the audit to sustain in the crisis period and this will help the
organization. The audit plan is documented after reviewing the benchmark to overcome the crisis
(Aronis & Stratopoulos, 2016).
Woolworths Group Communication Strategy
Woolworths possess an effective communication strategy to attract customers even in the
crisis period. This help the company to sustain in the market even when there is crisis that prevails
in the market. Woolworths mainly focus on the six priorities which enable them to achieve an
effective communication with the customers to sustain and they are:
 The company give priorities to the customers and manufacture product according to the
need and wants.
 It also provide an effective and connected ways so that customers can shop from their
outlet.
 The company change the perspective of the customers regarding the food products.
 Woolworths help the drinking company to evolve in the market.

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 Provide value to the customers.
 The company provide better and simply way to shop from the outlet and also provide
support to the customers.
Woolworths Business Continuity Management Framework
Woolworths possess an effective risk management team as they give value to the customers,
clients as well as shareholders and treat them like an assets. The company prepare a pre-activation
plan if any sort of crisis arises in the future. The company possess the following principles to
overcome the crisis that might appear in the future. This are being followed by the employees so
that they provide value to the customers, clients as well as shareholders. There are team who
prepare a pre-activation plan for the organization so as to overcome the future predicted crisis that
might arise. They are responsible for governance, processes, identification as well as operation and
also accountable if the framework fail to work after the post-activation.
New Business Continuity Management Program
Woolworths Group have adopted a new business continuity management program so that
they do not face any sort of crisis in the future as it will help then employee to become effective
during the time of crisis. The company is training its employee to handle any sort of crisis that
might arise in the future. The company took the following programs and they are namely,
conducting workshop with the senior management to educate and prepare for the risk along with
the new technology. The company also develop a risk policy as well as framework. They also
conducted a business impact assessment. They undertook IT disaster recovery plan as well as
developed risk register that is being used to overcome the crisis in the future.

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