Remember that your vendors and business partners are integral participants in your business continuity plan too. Repsher sees a growing trend among enterprises to insist that vendors demonstrate the viability of their own business continuity plans as a contingency of doing business with them.
Public reaction can sometimes make or break your recovery, too. "If you have employees speaking to the media about a disaster," says Repsher, "make sure they're trained in media relations. Otherwise, they may inadvertently say something that could create a competitive disadvantage, erode customer confidence, or place the company in a compromising situation."
Step 8: Be cognisant of how regional disasters can dictate priorities
Let's face it: in case of a flood, hurricane, or other regional disaster, getting a factory or a retail store up and running is going to take a back seat to hospitals, police, fire stations, and other facilities focused on citizen safety and security. Know your local emergency response organisation and what actions they're likely to take during a response so that you can plan accordingly.
Also, suggests Repsher, when you build your contingency plan, think about alternate locations that can pick up the workload outside the affected region. Don't put your disaster recovery solution too close to your main operation. And make sure the alternate location is on a different power grid from the disaster site.
Repsher advises that when you look at business continuity, don't think of it as a plan that you review once a year. "Business continuity management needs to become ingrained in your corporate culture," she insists. "It's amazing how little it costs to change the corporate mindset and how big the potential payoff can be in the case of preparedness for disaster."
And speaking of cost, Repsher cautions not to spend more money than you really need to. "Weigh protection costs against your company's ability to survive the disaster or business disruption. Don't feel you have to protect everything. And rehearse the plan on a regular basis," she counsels. "If you aren't practicing your plan every chance you get, don't expect a smooth response when disaster strikes."
While the goal of a business continuity plan is to get you back up and running as quickly as possible, your vigilance and diligence before the fact may even help you prevent some disasters and business disruptions from ever occurring.
