--- title: Benefits of Business Continuity and Recovery Testing description: Business Continuity and Recovery Testing is critical to ensuring that your plan documentation is functional and accurate. image: https://mha-it.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/business-continuity-annd-recovery-testing-1-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://mha-it.com/blog/business-continuity-and-recovery-testing#main-content) [![MHA by BCMMetrics - navy](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/MHA%20by%20BCMMetrics%20-%20navy.png?width=245&height=54&name=MHA%20by%20BCMMetrics%20-%20navy.png "MHA by BCMMetrics - navy")](https://mha-it.com/) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) Disaster Recovery # Benefits of Business Continuity and Recovery Testing MHA Consulting Updated on: January 30, 2025 #### Relevant Contents #### Need Tailored Business Continuity Insights? Contact Us Now for Personalized Guidance! [Schedule a Free Consultation](https://mha-it.com/contact) Business Continuity and Recovery Testing is critical to ensuring that your plan documentation is functional and accurate. As part of our responsibilities as Business Continuity professionals, we spend a significant amount of time writing and following up on documentation, not the least of which is writing business continuity, crisis communication, crisis management, and technical recovery plans. Ensuring that the plans are written and up to date is only half the challenge. The other half – the real challenge (and higher priority, in my opinion) – is to ensure that the documentation is functional and accurate. What is the best method to ensure plans are functional? ## Business Continuity and Recovery Testing Testing requires time, equipment, resources, and expertise to run. Organization of these resources and performing an exercise can be difficult. What are the benefits? For documentation, the benefits are: - Demonstrating that the documentation is accurate. - Plan steps are accurate - Contact lists are accurate - Assumptions are validated - Gaps in the plan are identified - Identifying unknown contingencies. - A tested plan has a much higher possibility of succeeding during a real event. Additional test benefits are: - Verifying resource availability or capability. - Training team members for their recovery roles. - Determining the actual length of recovery time and the ability to achieve the desired company RTO. - Following exercises, those responsible see the need and benefit keep documentation to up to date. - Assessing the true functional recovery of the areas tested. One additional comment on testing: In many organizations, the necessary planning for the exercise can distort the actual level of preparedness because often the documentation, technology, resources, and gaps are either updated or remediated during the planning process. This can give a false sense of accomplishment. If there is a rush to update applications, documentation, or other preparations, it should be noted in the test results. An understanding of the amount of work involved in exercise planning and preparation can demonstrate why continuous review and updates are needed related to documentation, strategies, and technical implementation. Testing is a critical aspect of your BCM program, demonstrating the actual functional capability of your documentation and technical implementation. In future blogs we will discuss how you can perform tests and exercises, and how to maximize the benefits of testing while limiting the impact of those exercises on your operations. --- #### MHA Consulting ## Start building a stronger future ##### Navigate uncertainty with an expert - schedule your free consultation with our CEO, Michael Herrera. [Schedule your consultation](https://mha-it.com/contact) ## Other resources you might enjoy ![Building an Effective Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Team](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Building-an-Effective-Business-Continuity-Plan-Team.jpg?height=245&name=Building-an-Effective-Business-Continuity-Plan-Team.jpg) #### [Building an Effective Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Team](https://mha-it.com/blog/bcp-team-guidelines) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/bcp-team-guidelines) ![Rationale vs. Reality: The Bad Reasons Businesses Give for Skimping on BCM](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/skimping-on-bcm-1.jpg?height=245&name=skimping-on-bcm-1.jpg) #### [Rationale vs. Reality: The Bad Reasons Businesses Give for Skimping on BCM - MHA Consulting](https://mha-it.com/blog/bad-reasons-for-skimping-on-bcm) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/bad-reasons-for-skimping-on-bcm) ![Money Matters: The Importance of Being Financially Prepared for a Business Disruption](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/financial-impacts-of-a-business-disruption-1.jpg?height=245&name=financial-impacts-of-a-business-disruption-1.jpg) #### [The Importance of Being Financially Prepared for a Business Disruption](https://mha-it.com/blog/financial-impacts) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/financial-impacts) ## Ready to start focusing on higher-level challenges? 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