Causes of Business Disruptions

SunGard Availability Services publishes annual invocation statistics (i.e. statistics about why UK businesses have to invoke their business continuity plans. Continuity Central recently summarized these causes of business disruption. Power failure was the top cause of business disruption in 2011, rising significantly from the previous year. For the fourth consecutive year, problems due to technology failures (Hardware below) dropped.

“The lack of improvement in the prevention of communication disruptions and the significant rise of power failures – a disproportionate 90 percent of them occurring in London – supports the argument that organizations are still not addressing some aspects of business continuity seriously enough. 2012 will be a particularly difficult year for businesses as the Olympic Games will bring a huge influx of people into the capital. The resulting demand on the power grid and communication networks could have a potentially damaging impact across the UK, especially for those organizations that aren’t prepared.” - Keith Tilley, SunGard Availability Services

Top Causes of Business Disruption 2005-2011

2011
37% Power
21% Communications
16% Hardware

2010
27% Power
25% Communications
23% Hardware

2009
27% Hardware
27% Power
17% Communications

2008
39% Hardware
19% Power
16% Data Corruption

2007
35% Hardware
22% Power
12% Flooding

2006
45% Hardware
31% Power
7% Communications

2005
43% Hardware
26% Terrorism
13% Power