Benefits of a Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans
Unicom Offers Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans
Business continuity and disaster recovery plans ensure that your business processes and procedures remain uninterrupted through times of crisis or outage.
A 2014 Forrester Research and the Disaster Recovery Journal partnered to field a number of market studies on business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR). In one study, “The State of Business Continuity Preparedness”, the top 4 risk scenarios include:
- Natural disaster/Extreme weather
- IT failure
- Power outage
- Telecommunication failure
Forrester also found that in 2008, 77 percent of organizations had documented BC plans (BCPs). In 2014, the percentage jumped to 93 percent.
There is no doubt that every organization should include business continuity planning in their agenda, but they should also have a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). The BIA should identify the operational and financial impacts resulting from the business disruption.
Strategies are then developed to mitigate losses – protocols; procedures are put in place and tested on a regular basis. An Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is implemented. Time-consuming and resource-driven, an emergency plan must be managed and maintained to be effective when needed. A vital element of the EMP is Crisis Communication.
- Crisis Communication > focuses on Instruction and Mobilization
- Communication Continuity > focuses on Core Operations and Out-of-Normal Situations
Unicom provides both, but let’s focus on the first step – Communication Continuity. Businesses and organizations of all sizes, small, single locations to multi-location, local, regional, and global must have Communication Continuity to be able to sustain their business operations and ensure effective communication. A business continuity strategy ensures the business is sustained. A Communication Continuity framework is the foundation to establish a dynamic EMP.
What Is an Out-of-Normal Situation?
Our business continuity professionals define an out-of-normal situation as anything that impedes your business processes, internal communications, as well as normal communication with your customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Your operational core is the chief concern, and the interruption could be partial, intermittent, or complete. The issue causes heightened stress for your staff and impacts or prevents access to routine communications with your customers, who find it difficult to either get through or are left on hold for periods of time. Our experience lines up with the research by Forrester. Common situations that activate a communication continuity plan include:
- Employee shortage
- Power outage
- Weather
- Telecom issues
- Building issues
- Infrastructure impairment
An ‘unplanned’ issue or crisis event becomes manageable when it is identified and has a plan of action. It becomes an ‘out-of-normal’ situation when protocols and procedures in place are activated to provide Communication Continuity. Once normalcy is restored, the Communication Continuity process returns to hibernation and remains ready at a moment’s notice.
It may be that your organization has not experienced these service-impacting crisis situations yet. If so, that’s great – for the time being. If you have already dealt with a business crisis, you know how important it is to have an effective business continuity plan that can be deployed rapidly and a crisis response team that you can count on.
You never know when disaster strikes. You only have two options: manage the issue or it will manage you. This is what we specialize in. Take a look at your organization’s Communication Continuity plan, protocols, and procedures, and consider what a communication crisis can do to your business.
What Is the Difference Between Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Planning?
Business continuity planning and disaster recovery planning are two related but distinct processes organizations use to minimize the impact of a disruptive event.
BCP is a comprehensive approach that focuses on ensuring that a business can continue to operate during and after a disruptive event. It involves identifying critical business functions and processes, determining the impact of a disruption on those functions, and developing strategies to maintain operations.
DRP, on the other hand, is a subset of BCP that specifically focuses on recovering IT systems and data after a disruptive event. It includes procedures for backup and recovery of critical systems, data restoration, and resumption of normal operations.
The key difference between BCP and DRP is the scope of their focus. BCP covers a broader range of functions and processes, including personnel, facilities, and supply chain management. DRP, on the other hand, focuses solely on the recovery of IT systems and data.
While both BCP and DRP are critical components of an organization’s overall risk management strategy and require the input of a crisis team and an effective response to potential threats, BCP focuses on maintaining business operations during a disruptive event, while DRP specifically addresses the recovery of IT systems and data.
How Can We Help You Maintain Business Continuity
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans are essential components of any company’s risk management strategy. These plans help businesses to prepare, respond to, and recover from unexpected events that could disrupt their normal business operations, such as severe weather, workplace fires cybersecurity threats, or natural disasters. A crisis communications plan aims to deliver an effective response to a crisis and maintain business functions during disruptions, while DR plans focus on restoring systems and data after an incident.
The benefits of having BC and DR plans are numerous. First, these plans ensure that critical business functions continue in the event of a disruption, minimizing losses. Second, they help companies comply with regulations by demonstrating preparedness for disasters. Third, they protect a company’s reputation by allowing it to respond quickly and effectively to a crisis situation.
We can help you draft your crisis communication plans and always have effective disaster recovery plans on standby. Investing in BC & DR planning can be crucial for businesses as it protects them against potential risks that could lead to significant financial loss and reputational damage. By allowing us to develop these plans today and testing them regularly, you will be able to mitigate the impact of an unexpected disaster tomorrow.
Contact us before the next power outage or staff shortage occurs because communicating with your customers is the highest priority. Get in touch with our crisis communication team and you’ll always have an effective emergency communications plan in place to restore proper communication with your staff and customers.
“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
Post Update: The article was updated on April 15th, 2023, originally published on June 28th, 2018. It has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
