Read here the key components of a disaster recovery plan for businesses in New Jersey
A disaster can bring an unprecedented level of trouble for a business, in the form of financial losses and business downtime. By implementing a sound disaster recovery plan, the business can effectively mitigate the risks as well as minimize disruptions. We’ve compiled the key components of such a plan that if implemented properly can help your business survive a disaster. Read about them below.
Clear Communication Strategy
- A clear communication strategy involves communicating essential information to both internal and external stakeholders. During a disaster, things can get out of hand fairly quickly and a pre-rehearsed communication strategy can help minimize problems for the business.
Email templates can be used that can disseminate important information quickly such as initiating emergency protocols, remote working schedules, salary information, data backup protocols, and the current status of the office. If the disaster is affecting service delivery for clients, they should be notified about the current situation and how it will affect them. Instead of leaving clients in the dark, specific team members can be allocated for answering their queries in a timely manner.
Emergency Roles & Planning
- Pre-emptive planning for a disaster can help a business not only minimize its losses but also prevent unfortunate incidents from taking place. Regular mock-drills to simulate the chain of events that need to happen during a disaster can help prevent confusion and panic. The business needs to designate a certain area as the assembly point for all employees during a disaster.
Pre-assigning roles to employees during a disaster can help minimize recovery time. On-site roles can include duties such as someone managing company-wide evacuation, starting cloud back-up for critical data, turning off and securing IT hardware, and coordinating with clients.
Recovery Plan for IT Hardware
- A business disaster planning strategy must include safeguarding IT hardware. The first step is to turn off the power mains and make a list of IT hardware that needs to be moved. Ideally, most businesses would relocate IT hardware to a safer location.
If relocation isn’t an option, then all the doors and windows must be secured. The equipment will be susceptible to water damage so waterproofing measures are required to be taken.
Recovery Plan for Data
- Data is considered the lifeline for any business. A business must have a sound policy for data backups, either in physical storage drives or in the cloud. It is easier to reuse backed-up data rather than rebuilding it from scratch.
Regular backups during normal situations will help minimize the time it takes to backup during a disaster. Also, a cloud backup will help employees access it when they work remotely and speed up business disaster recovery efforts
Backup Power System
- During and after a disaster, the power utility will disconnect the power supply so that it can assess its systems and repair damages. In such a scenario, it is advisable to have a backup power system in place.
A generator or backup power system that runs essential components of the business’s IT hardware will minimize downtime.
Service Restoration & Remote Working Policy
- It is crucial for the business to implement a framework for service restoration so that things can return to normal as soon as possible. During this time, the business should assess the status of its IT systems, damages to property, damages to data, and analyze factors that may hinder the recovery stage.
During this time, employees should be encouraged to work remotely. For this purpose, they should be given access to data and tools, so they may do their jobs without any kind of difficulty.
We, at Outsource My IT, are a well-reputed IT services company operating in New Jersey. Call us today at 973-638-2722 and our specialists will help your business implement an effective disaster recovery strategy.
