Every relocation business must be ready to rise above unexpected hurdles and, under the new FAIM 3.4 Standard, FIDI Affiliates are now required to prove they can stay operational when disruption hits. FIDI Sustainability and Strategic Communications Manager Magali Horbert sits down with Sofie Vertenten, Quality Project Manager at the FAIM Coordination Centre, to get insights.
When disaster strikes, how confident are you that your business can keep its essential operations running and recover smoothly? It’s a question most companies dread investing time and effort into, and one that is often ignored until experience proves costly. However, every professional moving, relocation and destination services company needs to be ready to answer it.
From cyber attacks to floods or other natural disasters, and supplier collapses to sudden political unrest, disruption can come from many directions. Under the new FIDI-FAIM 3.4 Standard – which is coming into effect in early 2026 – FIDI Affiliates will be required to demonstrate not only that they understand the risks to their business, but also that they have a clear, practical plan to keep operating if those risks become reality.
Building in resilience
As Sofie Vertenten, FIDI’s Quality Project Manager, explains, the new requirements on Business Continuity Planning (BCP) go far beyond ticking a compliance box. ‘This is about resilience,’ she says. ‘A Business Continuity Plan helps you think through what matters most in your operations, and makes sure you are prepared to protect your people, your customers and your reputation when the unexpected happens.’
The BCP is part of the broader risk-management framework, which was part of previous FAIM Standards, but now receives stronger emphasis under FAIM 3.4. This includes clear requirements on what a BCP should include and how it should be maintained.
This focus is mirrored by the new FIDI-DSP 1.1 Standard. It requires every FIDI-certified company to identify its critical processes and prepare procedures for continuing operations in the case of major disruption to business. That means being ready for anything – from a power cut or cyber incident to warehouse damage or a key supplier failure.
Why this matters to your business
For relocation companies, the stakes are high. A single disruption can have a domino effect across shipments, partners and clients. Just as importantly, it can quickly drain a company’s finances.
‘In our industry, delays mean lost revenue,’ says Vertenten, ‘and, if operations stop, income stops too. If you can’t respond fast, the disruption can hurt your reputation and hit your bottom line.’
A well-designed BCP protects against crisis. It safeguards your business continuity and your financial stability. Corporate clients and RMCs increasingly assess their suppliers’ ability to manage risk and stay operational. Having a tested, up-to-date plan in place shows professionalism, reliability and accountability.
What FAIM 3.4 requires
Under the new FIDI-FAIM Standard (section FD 5.10), each certified company must maintain a documented Business Continuity Plan that includes:
• Identification of core processes and the systems or suppliers on which they depend
• Clear accountability, with a plan owner and crisis-response team
• Activation criteria, defining when the plan should be triggered
• Continuity procedures for at least four critical areas: IT and data, facilities, supply chain, and workforce
• A Disaster Recovery Plan and an Incident Response Plan, particularly for cyber incidents
• An internal and external communication plan
• Annual testing, review and staff training
Auditors will look for evidence that the plan exists, is reviewed, and that staff know what to do in practice. It must be a living document, not something written once and forgotten. If no-one knows where to find it or how to activate it, valuable time will be lost – and, in a crisis, every minute counts.
As Vertenten notes: ‘It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The key is that it’s practical, tailored to your company and tested regularly.’
Where to start
For many companies, the first challenge is simply getting started. FIDI’s Business Continuity Plan Guide, published in October 2025, offers a step-by-step approach that Affiliates can use to identify critical processes, assign responsibilities, develop response procedures and keep plans updated.
‘Start small and focus on your most essential operations. Ask yourself: if this process stopped tomorrow, what would happen? Then build your plan around keeping those processes running,’ advises Vertenten, who emphasises the importance of linking the BCP to your risk register and cyber-security plan, for consistency across your management systems.
Not only for crises
A BCP is useful not only in a crisis, but also for helping leaders understand their organisation’s dependencies and make better decisions as a result.
‘Every time you map out your core processes, or review your suppliers, there are valuable lessons to learn about your business,’ says Vertenten. ‘It’s a way to make your operations stronger, not just protect them.’
A strong BCP contributes to greater efficiency, reduced downtime and a culture of preparedness. As Vertenten concludes: ‘Continuity planning is not about predicting what’s going to happen to your business in the future. It’s about being ready for it.’
The FIDI Business Continuity Plan Guide is available to download on FIDINET. If you have questions about FIDI Quality Standards or the FIDI-FAIM and FIDI-DSP Compliance Procedures, email the FAIM Coordination Centre at fcc@fidi.org.