Workflow Automation Software

Millennia Group Blog

Business Continuity Makes Sense

Here are some key statements that jumped out at me during a recent presentation that I attended on business continuity planning:
  • A disaster recovery plan is not a business continuity plan
  • You don’t need to be a “doomsday theorist” to justify having a plan
  • Senior executives are onboard
All of the information presented was informative and useful, but these points grabbed my attention so here is a summary. A disaster recovery plan (“DR”) is typically focused on getting systems back up and running from a short term disruption like a power or internet outage or a server failure. Business continuity (“BC”) on the other hand is a more comprehensive plan to survive not only short term disruptions but also catastrophic and protracted business interruptions. A BC plan hopefully will help your company survive a few weeks or months without power to a key facility or access to an office in the event of a fire. A BC plan will also include a plan to protect your employees in case of a dangerous event or shield your company in a negative media situation. The justification for having a plan is fairly easy. Damaging storms have been occurring at an increasing rate in parts of the country. Cyber-attacks are real and very damaging. Internal mischief is more common than ever. Intended or unintended negative media leaks can happen in the blink of an eye.