Does Your Business Have a Continuity Plan? (Part 1 of 2)

10/26/2021 (Permalink)

If a disaster hits your workplace and you suffer storm damage as a result, don’t be caught unprepared. Put together a plan for continuity in advance!

Protecting your business from a natural disaster requires that you take the necessary steps to prepare your workplace and your workforce. Could you access copies of your critical business documents, insurance papers, and financial information after major flooding? Would you know how to start up again after disabling storm damage? Creating a business continuity plan is vital to ensure the longevity of your company.

Here are some basic steps to start a plan: 

• Complete and document an analysis of a potential issues.
• Document what would be required to recover core business processes.
• Identify a team of your employees who would manage if your business were to be interrupted.
• Develop relocation plans and document recovery procedures.
• Hold training and practice exercises.
• Create and test emergency communication plans.

Recovery Strategies. 

When creating a continuity plan to address damage, consider full-loss and partial-loss scenarios. How long can you run your business if you don’t have access to a building? Does your staff have the ability to work from home or from another location? Document your recovery strategy, and include manual workarounds to plan for technology or machinery loss. Here are some things to review and consider:

 Increasing production at other locations (if applicable)

• Use of third-party vendors to cover gaps
• Telecommuting
• Use of another location
• Prioritization of workflow to complete critical deliverables