Business continuity planning forms a critical part of any organization. Incorporating disaster recovery plans can help to prevent the impact of catastrophes. But unfortunately, some of the businesses don’t even think about it or fail to figure out the ways in which a disaster may hit them.
The ultimate objective of disaster recovery plan is to enable your business to prepare against any kind of disruption. Organizations can grow by leaps and bounds by putting disaster recovery and business continuity plans into practice. Disaster recovery ensures restoring services in a minimum time span and implementing preventive measures reduces viable disruptions. Business continuity plans ensure quick recovery when an incident occurs.
1. Maintain Off-site and On-site Data Backups
Many of the SMBs prefer to keep their data stored on a single server. If your organization follows the same process, then planning to protect that server is critical to ensure smoothness with the business operations. Here, cloud-based servers can help to build a disaster recovery plan. With cloud servers, you can store your mailing list easily and retrieve the entire data whenever required. It will ensure redundant backup of your critical data.
2. Determine Critical Information and Applications of the Business
Does your firm work upon internet-based research on a regular basis? Does the majority of your employees work upon manufacturing application on a daily basis? Does in-time response forms a critical part of your business? Identify the critical business processes and IT resources involved with it and analyze the importance of each process in the business. Examine the importance of data, voice, fax and other associated technologies while assessing the business procedures.
3. Design an Exhaustive Written Plan
Analyze the backup and remote access options. Check out how your information can be backed up? Have you tested the backups? Testing the disaster recovery plan can help you to update the business with any problems associated with the plan. It also helps to train your employees with issues that were not covered during testing. Design a budget plan for all services and equipment required to implement each strategy. Ensure that disaster recovery plans are updated and maintained as the business grows.
4. Compile Proof of Licenses and Record Software Versions
Documenting the software applications and their versions, operating on each server can help to create a strong disaster recovery plan. A copy of software receipt or license can be instituted in documentation in case customers and clients are also part of the software audit. Documentation of all software versions can help to upgrade all software timely. Also, documentation of the networks of your business can help to identify whether it is sufficient to meet your customers and client needs.
Wrapping it up
Building a disaster recovery plan can help to prepare for the disastrous event efficiently and the loss can be minimized. It is a comprehensive approach that prepares businesses effectively for the disastrous event. It forms a crucial component of a business.
Understanding how different levels of organizations would be affected, identifying the vulnerable areas, preparing businesses for any kind of natural disaster, IT system crash can help to enhance the capability and productivity of the businesses.
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Comments (1)
Very correct Nishant. Most companies don’t see any point in investing in disaster recovery strategy. But what they forget is that when disasters do come they don’t come with any warnings. Being prepared might appear cost ineffective at first but it more than makes up for it budget when a company walks unscathed from a major disaster like an earthquake or a flood or even a robbery.
Having well maintained data backups is super important. Data is a very volatile resource and unless kept secured, you might end up seeing all of it gone to dust. Even a simple error can end up making all this data corrupted and unless you have a handy backup, you might be in big trouble.
Having backup proofs of the licenses and records of the software is often ignored. However a company running on software should take it into account so that in case of any disasters, be it natural or manmade, there are no interruptions in the services of the software because of a loss of valid claim of purchase.
Written Plans are really important. They give a well-established structure to the recovery strategy, What is stored in somebody’s mind might end up being ignored or forgotten due to the panic of the disaster. However people tend to be more inclined on following the written word. Physical Copies of the disaster recovery stratagem should be made available to all.
Disasters might be infrequent but the damage they bring is irrecoverable. Therefore the least any company or organization can do is be prepared. The 4 plans mentioned in the post will definitely be very helpful in case the unthinkable does happens. Like they say its better to be safe than sorry.