The term disaster gets thrown around a lot. So much so that it’s become vague and easily ignored. We don’t want you to ignore it though—we want you to be prepared for it. There are three core elements for an effective disaster recovery plan, and they all hinge on one factor: The size of the disaster?
Consider these three scenarios and think about how your organization would fare.
Scenario One:
You Lose Your Equipment
You enter the office on Monday morning to find that your server won’t power on. It could be the result of an equipment failure like a dead hard drive or something more widespread like an overnight storm or weather event. What does that mean for you? What does a disaster of this size look like? Depending on the setup, it could mean that you can’t pull up client files, or you may not have access to the internet or email. If you don’t know who to call to service your equipment, get ready for a major time delay and additional costs for an emergency visit from a vendor. If you don’t have backups, you’re in big trouble.
Scenario Two:
You Lose Your Office
If a fire, a flood, or an earthquake severely damages your building, it could take days before you or your employees can step foot into your suite. Not only have you lost equipment, but now, there’s also nowhere for your employees to go to complete their jobs. In such a scenario, how long could your firm remain closed before it went out of business? Could you survive a week? A month? The answer tells you how important it is to get your staff back to work. Your disaster recovery plan should consider the affordability of an alternative work location or a work-from-home option.
Scenario Three:
You Lose Everything
In this worst-case scenario, consider the impact of a disaster as large as Hurricane Dorian. Basic services like electric and water may be down for weeks, and insurance payouts may take months to arrive. Think about your backups. Are they stored onsite or with a local vendor that may have also been hit by the disaster?
Conclusion
Obviously, every firm is going to come up with different answers to these questions. That’s the point. Your firm’s disaster recovery plan needs to be specific to you, your business, your region, and your risks. We’d love to talk to you about what we can offer. Give us a call.
