A: This is a great question as it speaks to terminology confusion that has existed for decades.
While both plans are designed to avoid recognizable risks and maintain operational capabilities should downtime occur, there are key differences, so both terms are not interchangeable.
The business continuity program focuses on sustaining the company’s business activities, particularly those related to revenue generation, workforce protection and management of corporate obligations. It also documents and process enables systems, plans and leadership skills the company can use in the response, restoration, and recovery phases of any emergency related activities.
A disaster recovery plan is focused on the technology needs of a company during an emergency. By design it documents, and process enables technology support efforts necessary to protect and restore technology systems within predefined times that support the business mission and minimize the impact and cost of downtime when it occurs.