Business Continuity During the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: Surviving and Improving the Quality Process Management System

Abstract

Worldwide health and the global economy have been heavily damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, with business continuity being the primary issue of every company operating in the health industry. A critical instrument for enterprise survival is the establishment of a business continuity management system that enables them to manage risks, discover opportunities created by the pandemic, and secure their continuity. The purpose of this paper is to examine how a pharmaceutical firm may ensure business continuity by adopting ISO 22301:2019 in parallel with the existing ISO 9001:2015 quality standard, as well as the similarities and differences between the two management standards. According to the results, the pharmaceutical company, whose case was studied, managed to create an effective action plan in order to mitigate at an acceptable level the identified risks, to maintain its business continuity and to ensure the quality of the product and the health of the patients and its employees.