Getting Back To Work With A Business Continuity Plan

After last week’s post about Disaster Recovery, it’s time to jump into the topic that naturally follows –Business Continuity.

Many individuals mistakenly presume that Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are one in the same, but in all actuality, Disaster Recovery is simply one piece of a comprehensive Business Continuity plan. WhileDisaster Recovery focuses on restoring the IT infrastructure after a system wide failure (or complete destruction), Business Continuity looks at the bigger picture – where will your employees work, and how? What is the most efficient way to get support functionality up and running so that various departments can return to doing their jobs with as little interruption as possible?

In some aspects, Business Continuity focuses solely on logistics – will people be working out of their homes if the building is destroyed or is there a secondary location for them to utilize? Will calls be forwarded to their personal cell phones, or will they be provided with company phones? In other aspects, however,Business Continuity is very much wrapped up in the IT side of things. For example, once the secondary location has been identified and there is a plan in place to open back up for business, how will employees access their files? Who will be responsible for restoring the most recent version of the database and server backups? Will any special parameters need to be put into place, such as providing employees with VPN access to servers so that they can work from home? And what equipment will they be using?

Being able to say you have a backup of your files – the result of a Disaster Recovery plan – is great, but being able to actually use them and get back to work is the most important piece of the puzzle.

A solid Business Continuity plan also involves running drills and trials of your plan – including evacuation and fire drills. After all, not every disaster or emergency will happen when the building is vacant and, if possible, you may be able to salvage some equipment (such as laptops) while still being able to safely exit the building.

 At TSI, our number one priority is ensuring that our clients having a plan and are well prepared for the unthinkable, while also assisting in preventing any accidents from occurring. For more information on how TSI can assist your company in planning for the future – whether it’s to accommodate a growing workforce and client base, or to plan for the worst – call us at (508) 543-6979 or email us at info@tsisupport.com.