The Standard describes the application of the principles, framework and process for risk management, as set out in AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009, to disruption-related risk. Managing such risk effectively will help maintain continuity of an organization's business ². The approach has drawn on, but of necessity goes beyond, many of the concepts that in the past may have been described as ‘Business Continuity Management' or ‘BCM'.

The Standard also includes, in Section 5, a schedule of requirements for those organizations seeking or required to demonstrate that their framework and processes for managing disruption-related risk are able to meet the characteristics of management systems as described in ISO Guide 72.

As is the case with AS/NZS ISO 31000, this Standard is applicable to all forms of organization ³.

² ‘Business' refers to the structure, processes and systems that organizations deploy to achieve their objectives.

³ An ‘organization' is any entity with objectives.