CU*Answers recently announced the release of the 2021 revision of their Business Continuity Plan (BCP). Updated every six months and approved by the Board of Directors annually, this document is published for review by credit unions on the CU*BASE platform as part of their vendor management program. As a core data processor for a network of credit unions across the country, CU*Answers continually invests in strategies and technologies to mitigate the risk of disruptions and to plan and practice their response unplanned incidents.

“The most significant changes to this revision of the BCP center around the response to the pandemic of 2020,” said Jim Lawrence, VP of Business Continuity and Operations. This includes protecting the health and safety of staff, mobilizing teams quickly to work securely from home, and ensuring capacity of skilled personnel for performing critical business functions in the event of an outbreak within the organization.”

“Changes evolved on a daily basis early in the pandemic, as governments and municipalities enforced new guidelines for essential and non-essential employers in different parts of the country,” Lawrence added. “This was unchartered territory for many organizations. Maintaining data center operations with a dispersed workforce requires coordination and careful orchestration across the enterprise. Now a year into it, the response has led to the refinement of several processes and an unexpected increase in productivity.”

Keeping their network of client credit unions informed of the changes made to the CUSO’s business continuity management program is a key part of their vendor due diligence. Being transparent goes a long way in deepening the layer of trust and of the relationship as a CUSO and cooperative. More information about the business continuity services available from CU*Answers can be found on their web site.