Disaster Recovery Planning
Are You Prepared for Disaster?

Is "Disaster Recovery Planning" important to you? Hopefully, it's not because you have experienced an actual disaster, but because your company has prepared for a possible future disaster.

Although there may be reasons as to why disaster recovery plans are not designed, one of the most prevalent is that people simply do not believe their property will face a major disaster. A company may be fortunate enough to be in a location that does not suffer from hurricanes, seasonal flooding, tornados, or earthquakes; but what about an electrical fire or a broken or frozen pipe? Logically, it is next to impossible to think that any business is disaster-proof. Many man-made and natural disasters can occur anytime.

No one envisions that they will experience a fire, flood or a structural collapse at their property; however, in the event of a disaster, one can recover quicker because of a pre-written Disaster Recovery Plan. According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, an estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster. To avoid being included in this statistic, it is prudent to take the first steps towards writing and implementing such a plan.

The very first requirement for the plan to be viable and utilized at the time of a disaster is the unrelenting support of the owner(s) and upper management of the company. Other human resources are also needed to ensure the success of your plan: a Plan Coordinator and an Administrative Assistant.

The Plan Coordinator will act as the main contact and typically possesses excellent communication skills plus an extensive knowledge of the day to day operations of the company. The Administrative Assistant gathers and compiles the pertinent information to formulate the plan and supervises the meetings schedule. The following is a simple outline of how you can start putting your plan together:

1. Start by setting up a team consisting of the department heads in the company to discuss all the possible risks that might be encountered. That is, conduct a risk assessment study.
2. Set-up an interim plan to address any emergency that might happen today and how to face it with minimal losses. Make sure that you identify a command center and an outside communication line in case a disaster occurs.
3. Establish a written outline of the plan specifying and explaining all the necessary contacts and the responsibilities for each individual and/or department.
4. Test your plan and adjust as needed.

In the event of a disaster, your company is more than the computer, desk and chair each individual utilizes. There are many additional items to consider that relate to your business. This can include the company assets such as equipment, vital records, databases, client lists, vendor relationships, etc. You should take precautionary measures to protect them against loss, theft and physical damage in lieu of a fire, water or any other disaster. For example, one of the most essential assets of any business is computer data. Digital files must be protected from being lost or damaged through theft, fire, water, mechanical failure or virus attack. A quality virus protection program and a verifiable data back-up system are essential elements of a "data" disaster recovery plan. The back-up system should be tested periodically for successful recovery and be stored off premises.

Ultimately, the most important resource to protect is your personnel. The Human Resources department plays a vital role in preparing the employees on how to react to a disaster to minimize injuries and/or stress in order to protect life and return the business to normal in the fastest way possible. Your Disaster Recovery Plan should include information for emergency contacts and a "Return to Work" plan. If you do not have a Human Resources department, the Plan Coordinator can assume this function.

Often overlooked in a Disaster Recovery Plan, especially in small companies, are key personnel of the company. The key personnel in small companies are usually the owners and upper management. What happens if one gets hurt or dies? There is 'key-man' insurance which covers the company in case something disastrous occurs. This type of insurance can be cost prohibitive and may contain restrictions and requirements.

If there is more than one owner, the partners need to have a practical and sound legal agreement detailing how the company shares are passed in case of a death or long-termed illness. The heirs of this person may not be qualified to move in and carry out the functions of their loved one that just died. It can also be very disturbing if officials sell the shares to an outsider who may not have the same vision as the other partner(s).

One of the most crucial vendors that your company will ever have to deal with is the restoration company that will help you in the recovery process. Choosing a restoration company should not begin when your office is already in shambles, rather, it is wise to have selected a company to handle any type of disaster. There are many different types of restoration companies--look for the one that will best suit the company's needs and recovery plan. If you are currently using restoration companies in your line of business, select the most qualified. The following are guidelines that can help in determining the right vendor for your company's disaster recovery plan:

• Check the client references of the company
• Onsite visitation of the restoration company to see how they conduct their business. Meet their staff and tour the facility. Do not overlook the company trucks and equipment. Evaluate their level of professionalism from the management team to the field technicians.
• Check the background and history of the restoration company. What is their expertise? What are the services they offer? Are they a multi-faceted company- emergency mitigation/clean-up only or are they also capable of performing reconstruction services. Are they certified and licensed in the work that they do?
• Ask to see the "Disaster Recovery Plan" of the restoration company

Disasters, although a severe inconvenience, with comprehensive pre-planning can be managed to elicit a positive outcome.

Article Written By Issa Ashour

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