The View from Here: BC/DR Planning Must be Proactive and All-Inclusive

June 18, 2008

On Monday, we posted a story written by Dr. Vas Srinivasan, the Vice President of Marketing at Sonasoft, on disaster recovery/business continuity planning.

The need for IT and financial people—the check signers—to communicate effectively is nowhere greater than in DR/BC. For a plan to actually be effective—not just to make people feel a false sense of security before an emergency strikes—there are myriad details that require a clear understanding and deep cooperation between IT and the finance folks.

For instance, a situation may arise in which limited functionality can be restored at an early point. The two sides of the house must have a crystal clear understanding of which systems have the priority for restoration and which can wait. Likewise, employees understanding of their role in emergencies—where to go, what emergency duties to undertake, who to report to (and who to report to if the first choice is inaccessible), etc.—can only really effectively be created via deep cooperation between IT, the executive suite and various operational leaders.

Assuming that these decisions can be made on the fly assumes that communications will exist and that decision-makers will be accessible. It is impossible to guarantee such conditions, of course. It’s simple: Not making these decisions before the emergency hits is extraordinarily reckless.

A company is never more vulnerable than during an emergency. Almost by definition, its money generating endeavors are slowed or halted. In the best case scenario, such emergencies are rife with in-decision and fear. A good DR/BC plan can show a path through these trying times, and good communications between IT and the rest of the organization is key in creating one.

Posted by Carl · Filed Under Uncategorized