Operational Resilience: Why Companies Must Think Beyond Business Continuity

The demands on companies to ensure their resilience against disruptions are growing rapidly. Traditional business continuity concepts are no longer sufficient in 2025 to meet the diverse regulatory and operational risks. The term operational resilience is becoming central to modern GRC strategies. But what exactly does it mean? And how can a GRC system help strengthen a company’s resilience in a structured way?

What is Operational Resilience?

Operational resilience refers to an organization’s ability to maintain or quickly recover critical business processes even in the face of significant disruptions. It’s not just about IT outages or natural disasters anymore, but also:

• Cyberattacks
• Third-party failures
• Geopolitical crises
• Supply chain disruptions
• Regulatory shocks

Unlike traditional Business Continuity Management (BCM), operational resilience focuses not only on recovery but also on prevention, testability, and sustainable adaptability.

Key Regulations: DORA, NIS2 & More

New obligations are emerging, particularly in the financial and IT sectors:

• EU DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act): in force since January 2025, applies to banks, insurers, payment services, and IT providers
• NIS2: Comprehensive cybersecurity and reporting requirements
• ISO 22301: International standard for business continuity
• BAIT, VAIT, KAIT: BaFin’s regulatory requirements for IT systems

These regulations demand institutionalized resilience, continuously tested, documented, and improved.

What must companies do in practice?

1. Identify critical business processes
   • Which processes are essential to business survival?
2. Define scenarios and tolerance thresholds
   • How long can a process fail before it becomes critical?
3. Capture risks and dependencies
   • Especially regarding third-party providers, IT services, and supply chains
4. Test and practice resilience
   • Simulations, penetration tests, crisis exercises
5. Document actions and integrate into the GRC system
   • Recovery plans, communication strategies, escalation processes

The Role of GRC Systems

A robust GRC system is the foundation of a resilient organization. It offers:

• Central risk register mapping operational risks
• Linking processes, assets, and third parties
• Action tracking and escalation workflows
• Audit trail for internal and external audits
• Reporting for regulators, stakeholders, and management

Conclusion: Operational Resilience is the New BCM

In 2025, companies must think far beyond traditional emergency plans. Operational resilience means being prepared, responding quickly, and learning from each crisis. Investing in resilient structures and an integrated GRC system today ensures not only regulatory compliance but also the trust of customers, investors, and the public.

FAQ: Operational Resilience & GRC

What is the difference between business continuity and operational resilience?

BCM focuses on recovery plans. Operational resilience includes prevention, testing, and managing complex dependencies.

Which companies are affected by DORA?

All financial companies and IT service providers within the EU, including banks, insurers, fintechs, and cloud providers.

Is operational resilience only relevant for regulated companies?

No. SMEs and industrial firms also benefit from resilient structures in times of global uncertainty.

What role do third parties play?

A central one! Resilience always includes the supply and service provider chain. DORA mandates strict oversight of critical IT services.

How can a GRC tool help?

By providing centralized risk management, action tracking, scenario testing, and audit-proof documentation of all resilience components.