Disasters are bound to occur. When they do, they cost money. It is, therefore, prudent to have a clear disaster recovery strategy beforehand. It is a plan that clearly stipulates a roadmap towards the restoration of business operations following the occurrence of a disaster. Its objective is to guarantee a smooth continuation of fundamental business operations (Martin).
According to Wallace and Webber, the primary goal is not to bring the business process to exactly the way they were before. However, it ought to ensure that fundamental business operations are restored to a minimally accepted level. This minimally accepted level should then enable the business to meet the needs of its customers without undue interruptions while according the business the opportunity to plan and implement a long-lasting recovery (Wallace and Webber 71).
Disaster recovery planning akin to insurance is presumptive. Its usefulness is realized when the risk against which contingency measures are taken occurs (Wallace and Webber 71). There are critical elements of a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. One should, therefore, ensure that they are all followed when developing a disaster recovery strategy (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Furthermore, analysis of the resources required to ensure a smooth restoration of business operations is carried out. Such resources comprise vital people, equipment, technical know-how and facilities. This will help in identifying gaps that might be triggered by disasters and identifying appropriate mechanisms for filling them (Cisco).
Filling the gaps may demand entering into partnerships or contracting with third parties or displacing other business operations. Therefore, a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy should clearly stipulate such potential parties (Martin).
Moreover, there may be a need to relocate business operation depending on the nature of the disaster. Viable alternative locations ought to be identified to this end. Considerations such as whether the alternative site is endowed with adequate resources to support the operations carried by the affected site are also made at this point (Cisco).
Measures such as telecommuting should also be provided for in a prudent disaster recovery plan. This requirement ensures that certain critical employees will have access to communication equipment so they can work from home if need be, owing to destruction of a business site (Martin).
Finally, there are businesses that specialize in disaster recovery. A sound disaster recovery plan ought to identify potential such firms and their contacts. They can then contract for their services during disasters. It may be an expensive option, but it comes with the benefits of experience and expertise (Cisco).
Preparation for disasters goes beyond developing a disaster recovery strategy. It also entails the creation of an Interim Plan Notebook. This notebook ought to contain an assortment of information regarding disaster recovery for reference purposes (Wallace and Webber 85).
Secondly, an interim plan notebook ought to enshrine information on access to the facilities. It should detail the locations of keys to every cabinet, door or closet that houses equipment that is vital to the operations of the business. It should also provide information on access to copies of passwords of password protected systems (Wallace and Webber 85).
Thirdly, it should contain information regarding service contracts. This entails the names, addresses, and telephone and cell numbers of firms responsible for servicing equipment of the business. The serial numbers of the equipment should also be contained in this section (Wallace and Webber 85).
Fourthly, the notebook ought to contain a vendor list. This refers to the assortment of information on the contacts and addresses of firms with which the business has established accounts for the purchase of emergency supplies (Herrera).
Additionally, an Interim Plan Notebook ought to contain a mobile asset inventory. This entails information on assets that are required for emergency restoration of business operations. Moreover, it should contain information on critical software assets that the business is protecting or for which it has taken insurance covers and the risks against which the covers have been taken (Wallace and Webber 86).
Information regarding vital business operations should also be contained in an Interim Plan Notebook as well. This entails details of business functions and processes whose operations ought to be kept running with minimum interferences (Herrera).
Furthermore, an Interim Plan Notebook ought to stipulate operations restoration priorities. Here, the operations that have to be rectified and restored first are stated. Additionally, the order in which the operations in question are to be restored is clearly laid down.
Works Cited
Cisco. Disaster Recovery: Best Practices. Policy. San Jose CA: Cisco Systems Inc, 2008.
Herrera, Michael. "11 Steps to Building an Interim Plan." 12 September 2013. MHA Consulting. 3 March 2016 <http://www.mha-it.com/2013/09/11-steps-to-building-an-interim-plan/>.
Martin, Bryan C. "Disaster Recovery Plan Strategies and Processes." February 2002. SANS Institute. 3 March 2016 <https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/recovery/disaster-recovery-plan-strategies-processes-564>.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT Business Continuity Plan. 1995. 3 March 2016 <http://web.mit.edu/security/www/pubplan.htm>.
Wallace, Michael and Lawrence Webber. The Disaster Recovery Handbook: A Step-by-step Plan to Ensure Business Continuity and Protect Vital Operations, Failities and Assets. New York: AMACOM, 2011.
