| Today's organisation is increasingly dependent on | | | | loyal but dissatisfied customers. But most likely, |
| its IT infrastructure and communications network. | | | | they will seek another, more reliable supplier. |
| Remote offices, customers and business partners | | | | Consumers will seek an alternate supplier whose |
| are all reliant on their ability to access your core | | | | systems are available. If your customers are |
| systems, Intranet or Extranet - often 24 hours a | | | | other businesses, they will need to have |
| day, 7 days a week. | | | | confidence - for their own survival - that you |
| Disaster recovery of your systems is therefore | | | | have an effective disaster recovery plan in place. |
| fundamental to your organisational risk strategy. | | | | In fact, depending on their level of dependence on |
| In assessing your risk, you need to consider: | | | | you, they may require to see it before they |
| - How would you recover your key business data | | | | agree to do business with you. |
| in the event of a major equipment failure or | | | | Lost Revenue |
| outage caused by a service provider failing to | | | | If your computer systems are unavailable for a |
| deliver? | | | | considerable period of time - or your disaster |
| - What would be the financial consequences of a | | | | recovery plan doesn't cover every base - loss of |
| temporary shut-down of your data centre | | | | revenue is bound to occur. Current revenue will |
| location - due to site contamination, industrial | | | | be lost while you are unable to take and fulfil |
| action or an extended telecommunications or | | | | orders, or complete production schedules. Future |
| power outage? | | | | revenues will be lost as your staff struggle to |
| - Worse still, if your computer systems were | | | | make up the backlog, and your customers desert |
| destroyed in a major disaster such as a fire or | | | | you for a supplier with more dependable |
| flood, would your business even survive? | | | | operations. |
| According to industry analysts, the top three | | | | Failure to ensure disaster recovery of your |
| business risks from failure to implement an | | | | computer systems has such serious ramifications |
| effective disaster recovery plan are decreased | | | | that, according to Gartner, "two out of five |
| employee productivity, customer dissatisfaction | | | | enterprises that experience a disaster go out of |
| and the loss of current and future revenues. Let's | | | | business within five years" (Disaster Recovery |
| consider the ramifications of each. | | | | Plans and Systems are Essential, September |
| Employee Productivity | | | | 2001). |
| If your premises are uninhabitable, where will you | | | | Disaster Recovery: Planning for the Worst |
| relocate your staff? If you operate an inbound | | | | Just as there are many types of organisations, |
| contact centre - or even a rotary phone system | | | | there is - unfortunately - a Pandora's Box of |
| - can you afford for it to be down for more than | | | | potential disasters. Like your business, your |
| a few hours? Should your central computer | | | | disaster recovery plan will be unique, and will be |
| systems become unavailable, it affects not just | | | | based on a balance of cost and risk. Gartner again: |
| your head office staff, but all users of those | | | | "There is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to |
| systems across your network. For each hour of | | | | developing business continuity management |
| downtime, you must multiply by the number of | | | | strategies and plans. Using someone else's |
| employees unable to complete their work. | | | | requirements, which might turn out to be based |
| When - if - your systems are eventually restored, | | | | on limitations or regulations that your company |
| those same staff will have a backlog of | | | | doesn't have, could spell disaster of another type." |
| processing to catch up with, which may cost you | | | | (Gartner, March 2005) |
| overtime, and will certainly generate frustration | | | | You may choose to completely replicate your |
| and workplace stress. | | | | data centre at an independent location, or opt for |
| As well as costing time to recover, some data | | | | a cost-effective multi-subscriber disaster recovery |
| may be lost forever, causing ongoing reductions in | | | | service - or even choose a hybrid solution such as |
| employee productivity. A single server outage at | | | | live data/shared equipment. |
| WorkCover NSW in April 2006 cost the | | | | Whatever your decision, your business recovery |
| organisation nine working days to recover 98% | | | | plan must be up-to-date, regularly tested and |
| of the lost data, with the remainder having to be | | | | comply with your corporate risk strategy, |
| retrieved on an ongoing case-by-case basis. | | | | corporate governance and regulatory |
| Computerworld Australia reported an IDC analyst | | | | requirements. Most important, you need the |
| as being blunt about the glitch: "It shouldn't have | | | | assistance of an expert - a specialist disaster |
| happened. At least 50% of organisations' data is | | | | recovery services provider who mitigates risk on |
| not adequately protected [and] in the event of a | | | | your behalf, and offers the economies of scale, |
| major disaster you may not get it back. I'm sorry | | | | responsiveness and high level of services and |
| for them, but every organisation should have | | | | facilities your organisation will need should disaster |
| systems robust enough to withstand a failure. It's | | | | strike. |
| a wake-up call for everyone." | | | | In future articles in this series, we'll review the |
| Customer Dissatisfaction | | | | attributes of the ideal disaster recovery services |
| If you are unable to maintain customer service | | | | provider, and consider how you'd fare in a |
| levels because your systems are down for an | | | | disaster scenario affecting your entire street, city |
| extended period, the best you can hope for is | | | | block or suburb. |