Comments on: Disaster Recovery and other happy subjects.

By: Lyndsay with Pivot

Lyndsay with Pivot — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:46:08 +0000

Focusing your disaster recovery on IT will maintain your information, but as you poined out it won’t keep your company rinning. Some IT firms offer more comprehensive disaster recovery, including private office space that you can use while your building can’t be accessed.

By: Rockey

Rockey — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:17:15 +0000

Agreed, Investing in the continuity of your company to sustain a disaster is such a struggle. During my days at HP, I spent a lot of time with customers who had shelved disaster recovery under Information Technology. While a resilient Information Technology platform is definitely needed, it is only a piece of the pie.

While I was in charge of operations for an insurance company, we did some planning at the upper management levels, implemented some relatively simple procedures, training and infrastructure. About a year later we were in the middle of the Northridge Earthquake. Our corporate office (also the operational hub of our $50 million company) was red-tagged. A lot of people had major family issues, but we did pretty well through it. The planning we did was not vast, but was enough to provide basic services and give us some options.

By: David McNeil

David McNeil — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:42:56 +0000

Dave is always insightful. This issue is one of the first Risk Mgmt discussions I always have with a new client. CRITICAL if you want the business to continue after such a loss.

By: Andrew Gelardi

Andrew Gelardi — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:40:48 +0000

Shockingly many organizations have no disaster recovery plans but even more organizations have given little if any thought to a business continuity plan. Many confuse the two but while they are related they should be separate plans. The Continuity plan allows the organization to operate at some capacity while the recovery is being executed.

By: Michael O'Daniel

Michael O'Daniel — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:09:29 +0000

A reminder that you need to do this sort of planning not only within your company, but your family as well. If you are a principal in a company, one or more family members should have the relevant information regarding your business, and your role in it, so they are not blindsided or in the dark if anything happens to you. For example, is there a buy-sell agreement in place? An attorney, accountant, or other trusted personal confidant should have this information as well.