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There is a common misconception that a disaster recovery plan (DRP) is the same as a business continuity plan (BCP). There are meaningful differences between each. A comprehensive BCP is necessary for businesses of all types and varieties. If you need any assistance forming such a plan, our IT services team in Houston can help.
How BC and DRPs Work in Unison
Properly preparing for a disaster to keep your business operating like a well-oiled machine is easier said than done. A detailed set of business continuity and DRPs must be implemented now before a crisis occurs. Your business should be thoroughly prepared for disasters of every type. Adequate planning ensures your company keeps its doors open and recovers in a timely manner. Your BCP must provide access to your DRP. It must also notify important participants in the disaster recovery plan as soon as the emergency occurs.
Additional Facets of BCPs
BCPs must pinpoint decision makers across each level of management. These individuals should be ready and willing to step up and perform at a top level. Furthermore, their specific duties in the face of disaster should be detailed. Every single office system from computers to connectivity must be accounted for. An alternative work site should be identified.
Safety is also a key facet of business continuity. The plan should set out instructions to ensure a safe evacuation from the building. Furthermore, the matter of communication must be handled in a careful manner. The ways in which personnel will interact with one another as well as clients, suppliers, and insurance providers must be identified in advance.
How to Build a Successful BCP
A truly effective BCP requires the assistance of IT experts. If you do not have such a plan in place, prioritize it. You never know when an emergency will occur. Our IT services team in Houston can help you craft the ultimate plan. Even if you are slightly concerned about your plan, we can provide valuable input to ensure you are fully prepared for crises. We will help you define the plan’s scope, key in on the most important areas of your business, pinpoint essential functions, and gauge reasonable downtime for functions. It is also important to pinpoint discrepancies between business functions and areas that have the potential to cause conflict. The result will be a detailed master business continuity plan that empowers you to maintain operations amidst any type of crisis.
Testing Your BCP
Once your BCP is in place, it must be tested to ensure it will actually prove effective amidst actual threats. Testing involves everything from conference room exercises to structured walk-through sessions and simulations. Such simulations should be performed at least once per year in an environment that simulates the disaster. This simulation empowers you to determine if business functions can continue amidst threats.
If you need help with your BCP, contact us at ICS. Our IT services team in Houston can help your business with all aspects of IT. If you have any challenges with your network, digital security, databases, servers or other tech, look no further than our team of IT experts.
Further reading
ICS is a Texas-based 40-year-old technology company specializing in Managed IT, VoIP, Video Conferencing and Video Surveillance solutions for US and International businesses. ICS has over 4000 regional installations and specializes in multi-site businesses between 25 and 2500 employees. ICS’s customers enjoy the experience of ICS’s Total Care program which provides clients flat fee services with obsolescence and growth protection. Whether a customer elects to deploy their IT, Video Conferencing or VoIP in the cloud or on the customer’s premise, ICS can provide a full turn-key solution for our clients under one flat monthly fee.