| What is business continuity? It is about making | | | | Data is another important factor to consider. |
| plans to help your business return to normal | | | | What proactive plans does the business have to |
| following an interruption, crisis or even disaster. It | | | | ensure that a backup of data is kept at a |
| is not just about dealing with disasters when they | | | | separate location? How can this data be used |
| occur but also about planning procedures and | | | | effectively if the infrastructure is damaged or in a |
| systems to avoid any foreseeable crisis. | | | | worst case scenario - destroyed? |
| If you watch the news you will notice that | | | | Having clear plans in place to cope with injury and |
| disasters are happening on a daily basis around | | | | in worst cases a loss of life can often help to |
| the globe. The biggest harbinger of trouble is | | | | reduce any potential losses. Bear in mind that it is |
| Mother Nature with her volcanic eruptions, | | | | not only business that you have to think about |
| earthquakes, tsunami, floods and droughts. Have I | | | | but also the family members of the victims of |
| missed anything? | | | | the disaster. |
| Mother Nature is closely followed by man made | | | | How will your customers cope if you can not |
| disasters. Wherever man is around you can be | | | | meet their requirements in time? Do you have |
| sure that some sort of crisis is getting ready to | | | | alternative suppliers available to keep your |
| erupt. Man specialises in eroding the environment, | | | | customers ticking over until your business is ready |
| starting a war, oppressing the weak, bombing | | | | to supply them again? |
| innocent civilians and creating environments where | | | | Finally do not forget to consider your suppliers. |
| fire spreads quickly! | | | | They will also suffer and some could even close |
| In both man made and natural disasters the first | | | | down if you are their largest customer. |
| thing to often get affected is the internet and our | | | | By creating a business continuity plan the |
| ability to communicate effectively. So therefore | | | | manager of a business can get a deeper |
| this is the first item on the agenda in a decent | | | | understanding of the critical parts of the business. |
| business continuity plan. What proactive measures | | | | By having both proactive and reactive plans and |
| can the business can to have as many channels | | | | procedures in place, it makes it far easier to avoid |
| of communication open and how can it establish | | | | some foreseeable crisis and being able to deal |
| communication as soon as possible once it has | | | | quickly with a disaster when it does occur. |
| gone down? | | | | |