Once IT was just another important business resource. Today IT is the business for many companies. Without it, most organizations would be incapable of serving customers, collaborating with partners, developing new products, or performing other basic business functions. As a result, data center availability has become an essential precondition to competitiveness and profitability. Yet despite… Continue reading 10 Ways to Increase Power System Availability in Data Centers

Three years ago I asked, “What if a disaster shut down access to Valley Forge?” At the time, no one expected such a catastrophe to happen, but that question led to AmeriGas’ development of a disaster recovery and business continuity team that established a back-up plan. Begun in 2006, the plan spanned IT and critical… Continue reading Fire Tests AmeriGas Plans

Do you remember the old mob movies where the gangster extorts money from the business owner in exchange for protection? “What if I don’t pay?” he asks. “Well then, I can’t promise that something bad won’t happen to you,” the mobster replies, pounding his fist into his palm menacingly. It reminds me of the time… Continue reading 10 Reasons Your Boss Should Invest in a DR Plan

There has been a lot of discussion around the importance of conducting a business impact analysis (BIA) and a risk assessment (RA). Which is more important? Which should be done first? What I have learned over the years is they are both important and it doesn’t matter which gets done first, as long as they… Continue reading What’s More Important?

Businesses have come a long way in the process of continuity planning and planning for disasters. Although these plans are meant to be a living and dynamic process, many have developed impressive contingencies that promise to ensure the longevity through the worst incidences, that lately, have seemed to occur more and more frequently worldwide. In… Continue reading Redefining Hazard Analysis to include the ‘Economic Disaster’

All risk managers/business continuity practitioners put a lot of time and effort into developing programs and plans to avoid or mitigate risks. We put a lot of time and effort into developing response plans to recover from an event. Personnel are trained and plans are exercised, critiqued, and the plan adapted as necessary. We know… Continue reading Are You Really Ready To Recover?

As a person who spends a large amount of his time analyzing how organizations prepare for and react to crises, I was disappointed to see the recent articles criticizing Johnson and Johnson and their subsidiary McNeil for their response to their product recalls. Over the years, I have used the company as the standard bearer… Continue reading Give Credit To Those In Charge

The Editorial Advisory Board’s Glossary of Terms Committee, in cooperation with the Disaster Recovery Institute International, revised the definition of the venerable term “recovery time objective” (RTO) in this fall’s update to the DRJ Glossary. The new definition answers two issues that have plagued the term: when does the recovery time clock start and stop?… Continue reading Explanation, Implications of Redefining Recovery Time Objective

I recently returned to the office from our Fall World 2010 conference. Along with the boxes, supplies and paperwork required to put on a conference, I brought back positive feelings about the business continuity industry. The vibe at the Fall World conference was markedly improved over those from the past few years. While all our… Continue reading Build A Stronger BC Program With Certification and Networking Opportunities