Mind Your How’s and Who’s: People and Procedures Keep Business Running

One important lesson to be learned from the Gulf War is that people and the jobs they perform are critical factors in business continuity. Not only did the call-up of reservists represent a loss of manpower, but also a loss of their training, skills and knowledge for the duration of their absence. While the circumstances… Continue reading Mind Your How’s and Who’s: People and Procedures Keep Business Running

Telecontingency Planning What’s Your Excuse Now?

Are we in the Decade of Disasters? For the past several years the Disaster Recovery Journal has described dozens of disasters. It has also offered plenty of excellent advice to disaster recovery planners. Precedents for establishing a business continuity plan are everywhere. So why are so many companies still without comprehensive contingency plans? What’s it… Continue reading Telecontingency Planning What’s Your Excuse Now?

Effective Use of Scarce Planning Dollars

Coordinating the hotsite recovery of a flooded $100 million data center last summer provided me with an arsenal of disaster recovery war stories. As manager for data security of a $12 billion financial services institution, I was assigned the project of replacing an outdated disaster recovery plan in January 1987. The Chicago flood struck August… Continue reading Effective Use of Scarce Planning Dollars

Performance Hierarchy of DR Solutions

There is no shortage of information regarding various disaster recovery strategies. The sheer volume can overwhelm contingency planners as they attempt to sift through this information and develop a disaster recovery strategy to fit the needs of their business. Companies must decide on the amount of resources they are willing to commit to disaster recovery… Continue reading Performance Hierarchy of DR Solutions

How to Develop a Comprehensive BR plan

A “good start” is not that hard. An independent or internal auditor’s comments are usually enough to compel a senior manager to move forward with a disaster recovery development effort. A near miss or a direct hit can also stimulate sufficient interest in developing Business Resumption Plans (BRPs) for your company. Unfortunately, after a few… Continue reading How to Develop a Comprehensive BR plan

Disaster Recovery for Businesses

When AT&T and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania kicked off “Operation Restore Thunder” in late April, our challenge was to demonstrate the company’s ability to replace our Harrisburg central office if it was destroyed by a massive explosion and fire. The week-long exercise began with a simulated drama: The Commonwealth Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Operations Center… Continue reading Disaster Recovery for Businesses