According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “in 2017, there were 16 weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the United States.”

If there is one thing we learned from the multiple hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and wildfires of the past year, it is that bad things can happen, and it is important to be prepared.

There are, of course, other things that can disrupt your business besides natural disasters - cybersecurity threats, workforce evolution, political dynamics and human error, to name a few. So, it is a good idea to factor all types of concerns into your Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

Constructing a good BCP ensures you plan for the protection and recovery of your personnel, assets and, maybe most importantly, your data. You want to have a plan to follow so your business can continue to not only recover and function but also function well in the face of any type of disaster.

Three Primary Things To Include

The most critical part of your BCP is planning. Take your time during the planning stage and determine each of the Vital Business Functions (VBF) on which your business relies. There may be multiple stages to implementing your BCP, and prioritizing your VBF can help you round out your plan.

Remember to also consider the following primary areas when putting your plan together:

• Recovery Time – Decide how much time you can afford to wait between the beginnings of a disruption to the time at which your organization returns to normal. All sorts of criteria will factor into this timetable, such as sales continuance, production schedules and other VBFs that you require to retain your customers and meet your financial obligations.
• Recovery Point – Define the exact moment that will indicate when a crisis ends and your business has returned to normal. There are generally several paths of restoration that create this moment, such as recovery of all data, resumption of all IT systems and return to full service. If you are dealing with data loss, your back-up routine and the dates at which your last back ups took place will help determine your recovery point.
• Return On Investment – Remember to look at more than hard costs. Place values on the planning of the BCP, training staff on how to handle a disaster, and the effort to develop trust and loyalty among customers should something disrupt the day-to-day business routine.  

Continue To Update

After you have completed your plan, trained all your employees and feel confident that your business will be fine in the event of an emergency, don’t put the plan away until something bad happens. Review your plan often. Your business changes over time and so should your BCP.

As your company evolves its procedures and organization, and government and financial compliance and regulatory measures change, make sure that your BCP is maintained to address new criteria.

Get Some Help

Approach BCP planning the same way you would any other VBF. Include clear objectives, specific timelines and accurate financial analysis. If you need help, a Managed Services Provider (MSP) can almost always aid in lowering costs and even raising performance.

Contact the specialists at TeamLogic IT as we specialize in business continuity support and can provide insight, guidance and tips for speedy implementation.

Since 2007, TeamLogic IT has become the 36th largest IT service provider globally. Our success is driven through one core mission - to leverage technology for our customers.Thousands of businesses across the US - just like yours here in Wilmington, NC - are taking advantage of our ability to deliver highly available, secure and flexible IT systems. At TeamLogic IT, our philosophy is simple - we work with you the way we'd want someone to work with us. Visit us today in the Port City at 2901 North Kerr Ave., 910-500-1392. If email works best for you, contact me personally at [email protected].