Tabletop Exercises
What, exactly, is a tabletop exercise? In the context of business continuity preparedness, tabletop exercises are just like they sound. They’re round table discussions that analyze different scenarios related to what happens when there’s an emergency and what may result during the ordeal, be it property loss, general damage, production disruptions and lost revenue.
The purpose of tabletop exercises is not only to help business continuity managers finely tune business continuity planning, but to assess where vulnerabilities may exist and what can be done to mitigate for them or reduce their significance.
In addition to their use as a service, tabletop exercises are among the classes that KETCHConsulting teaches throughout the year. Many of the elements that participants learn about are provided as services, such as the creation of an “After Action” protocol, detailing the modifications or implementations needed to make a business continuity plan more effective. Potential disaster scenarios differ from one business to the next, which is why KETCHConsulting identifies the emergencies that may happen accordingly, how they develop and whether the current business continuity plan in place would resolve the situation. If tweaks are needed, those are included in the After Action report.
Above all else, tabletop exercises are designed to provide businesses with the resources and know-how to overcome disasters through risk management operational concepts.
