| A good management prepares itself to protect its | | | | different approaches and be completely exclusive |
| most significant functions from emergencies and | | | | of one another so that they deal with potential as |
| contingencies. With efficient planning, management | | | | well as unforeseeable and extraordinary |
| can make the effects of system failure vanish | | | | emergencies strategically. The plan which seems |
| with immediate implementation of an alternative | | | | to be a perfect solution for one problem may not |
| plan to ensure normal functioning. System failure | | | | be so for another. So, it is important to plan with |
| may be due to several disastrous and unexpected | | | | the different catastrophes from the simplest to |
| reasons and emergency situations. But one should | | | | the most tedious one that a business may have |
| always be prepared with a valid logical plan of how | | | | to face in mind. The priorities, needs, human |
| to recover and restore the operations which have | | | | resources available, the work scenario, budget |
| come to a standstill. Recovery and restoration | | | | allocation, and technology available all play an |
| alone are not the key factors, the time within | | | | important role in planning. Business continuity |
| which it has to be accomplished takes | | | | planning minimizes risk and cost of failure. |
| precedence. The process of planning to handle | | | | Planning alone will never be sufficient to handle an |
| these unexpected risks is called Business | | | | emergency situation. The role each person has to |
| Continuity Planning. | | | | play and the technology involved has to be well |
| Telecommunication plays a significant role in the | | | | defined. The execution of the job should be |
| success of a business and its interruption or failure | | | | practiced well. Equipment involved in such plans |
| will be disastrous and cause irredeemable loss to | | | | should be well maintained and technology |
| the business no matter what the reason is for | | | | upgraded to the state of the art from time to |
| the failure. It affects not only the internal but also | | | | time. Centralization of manpower and equipment |
| the external functioning, especially customer | | | | should be avoided. The equipment and manpower |
| relationship, which no business can afford to risk. | | | | should be spread throughout the physical premises |
| Emergency situations may vary from simple | | | | of the business. Authority and decision making |
| malfunctioning of systems to complex scenarios | | | | should be spread throughout the business |
| where there is an unauthorized entry or | | | | structure as well. Reliance on one service provider |
| breakdown of the system due to power, | | | | should be avoided. The communication network of |
| network failure, natural calamities, man-made | | | | staff in emergency situations should be well |
| disasters, etc. | | | | established. |
| First, business continuity plans should first define | | | | The cost involved may be prohibitive. But if a |
| the normal process to be followed for efficient | | | | business continuity plan is not in place the entire |
| day-to-day operations. Second, it is essential to | | | | business may crash taking with it years of hard |
| have plans to handle all types of anticipated | | | | work, effort, and finance. Risk management is a |
| emergencies and contingencies. Third, the most | | | | must for every business as is business continuity |
| unexpected circumstances must be foreseen and | | | | and telecommunication services the life line of a |
| planned for. It is always better to have multiple | | | | business should be handled with care. |
| plans. These business continuity plans should have | | | | |