Continuity Centers

Nailing the strategic elements of business continuity

Corporate strategies are almost always reliant upon the adequate management of people, processes and technology, and this could not be any truer than when it comes to business continuity and disaster recovery. Any one vulnerability or issue can quickly upend the effectiveness of the strategy at large. To use a cliche, these programs will only be as strong as their weakest links and, suffice it to say, businesses cannot afford to allow any frailty to enter the equation. 

Risk management is all about being thorough, and the melding of management programs and policies to ensure that every large and small component of the relevant strategies are efficiently covered will be invaluable in the fight to shore up defenses against threats of all kinds. This begins with the core policy elements of disaster recovery and continuity, which must be tightly handled before moving on to the provisioning of technologies and distribution of guidance to employees. 

Essentials in planning
Supply Chain Management Review recently listed some of the core demands involved in manufacturers' disaster recovery and continuity planning, affirming that leaders must be exhaustive in their relevant actions. Even if a business is competing in a different industry, manufacturing presents a unique and helpful example of the best practices of recovery and continuity management given the immense and complex risks involved in the modern globalized supply chain. 

Planning is critical in business continuity. Planning is critical in business continuity.

According to the news provider, the creation of policies should be informed by plenty of internal and external research, with managers identifying all of the potential risks involved and proactively incorporating contingencies that cover every possible problem during recovery. Then, the source suggested implementing a measurement system that efficiently and accurately assesses any changes in the business or its market that could transform its continuity needs. 

This is one of the more overlooked aspects of continuity planning, and it is one that could lead companies to either spend too much on their relevant investments or fall victim to disasters that were not outlined in the original strategy. In that same vein, Supply Chain Management Review noted that the maintenance of these plans should be a constant priority among leaders who are responsible for keeping them in optimal form, with adjustments and analysis occurring regularly. 

Moving on to technology
Another advantage of putting enough effort into the planning stages is the fact that the subsequent policies and included information will make it far easier to make the right decisions on technology investments. This includes the provisioning of data backup and virtualization services, as well as supportive tools from managed solutions providers that can guide the company through the various stages of recovery. 

With this in mind, small-business owners will likely see their needs a bit more clearly following the creation of an exhaustive and intelligent continuity plan, and then can identify a service provider that closely aligns with the specific requirements involved in their operations. So long as leaders are thinking comprehensively, continuity and recovery performances can be quickly improved by these more progressive planning practices. 

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