Is your business prepared for disaster?
We all understand the ongoing concerns of keeping your business afloat when disaster strikes. Whether this is the affect of the adverse weather conditions that this winter has brought us or the impact of global warming over the next few years, most businesses are aware of the need to safeguard the operational element of the company
Having said that it's the same old story for most of us, we believe business continuity in the event of disaster is important but we only do something about it when disaster strikes (often when the damage is done and it is too late). System process documentation usually occurs after system or network outages and after disasters strike. This is simply too late for a business that is serious about ensuring its continuity.
This years' abundance of snow in particular, meant that many people could not get into their offices to work. Companies had to either cease operation for the duration of the cold spell or take advantage of home working facilities where possible – this is most certainly not doable for all industry sectors. Those that were unprepared will have most certainly lost a lot of money in the process – The Sun reported around £1bn lost revenue during the cold snap this year.
Using web browser accessible systems that are ideally suited for remote and home working means that service and support operations continue, unhindered by travel problems, which is vital for effective business continuity.
Dealing with Natural Disasters
Every year more and more flood warnings go out due to the concentration of development on reclaimed land, loss of natural flood plains etc. this is all aside from anticipated global warming factors. As well as water damage it affects communications and power so disaster recovery planning for replacement equipment, remote working and for office relocation needs to be considered by all low-lying businesses.
Business Continuity record keeping
One thing I like to ask IT Managers when we meet away from their office is whether they have their Disaster Recovery (DR) pack to hand - I've never met one that has. Businesses can ensure that their company operates consistently whatever happens by taking some simple steps. Disasters rarely strike when you are in the office so make sure you have a reliable and up-to-date (DR) pack that you keep outside of the office. Using a system that has a comprehensive inventory of all of the IT infrastructure components and server recovery procedures is paramount. This should be constantly maintained as part of day to day operations instead of relying on a periodic audit, destined to become immediately out of date. In addition to this, having backup and restore registers and off site media archive registers will help to ensure that data is properly protected.
Business continuity is still high priority for many organisations today but the fact is that too many companies act to plug the holes after the event of a disaster causing many hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of lost earnings that could have otherwise been avoided. With the instability of the planet causing more frequent earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and tsunamis disasters are indiscriminately affecting more and more businesses and individuals alike. A re-education and a real shift in the way we manage the whole disaster recovery process is needed if business are to survive the possible hurdles to come.
Bryan Taylor, Sitehelpdesk.co.uk
