publish date is November 17th, 2017
By: Alexa Strohm

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), “Roughly 40 to 60 percent of businesses never reopen their doors following a disaster,” and “90 percent of smaller companies fail within a year unless they can resume operations within five days.”
It’s easy to delay Disaster Recovery planning, and you certainly hope to never have to use it, but a lack of planning could possibly mean that your business becomes another statistic.
So where do you begin? That’s where we come in. We have outlined nine key elements to developing a Disaster Recovery plan.

Without backup there is no recovery. Investing in a solid backup solution is the foundation on which your DR plan is built.

Do you know what you are planning for? What is your Recovery Time Objective (RTO)? Or your Recovery Point Objective (RPO)? How long can your business afford to be down? And what risks are you faced with?

What key assets do you have? What do you need? Are these the solutions you need to allow for proper Disaster Recovery? What about critical applications and data?

There should be an order of operations if you will. Which comes first? Consider dependencies and critical business processes.

Your business is intertwined with other people and entities and they depend on you. When your business is affected by a disaster, who do you need to communicate to and what do you communicate? Think employees, vendors, clients and partners.

In the wake of disaster, where do you begin putting the pieces back together? Assigning roles and tasks will save time which is critical.

If you’re unable to resume operations in your current location, where do you go? Are employees able to work from home? If so, is the necessary equipment available?

The stress and worry of a disaster can cause missteps. Having a thoroughly documented plan that has received buy-in from stakeholders is a necessity.

Testing your plan will reveal any weaknesses and allow you to refine and improve.

Sophisticated Systems’ has been providing technology services and solutions to Central Ohio for more than a quarter-century. Our Technology Solutions Group has more than 200 years of expertise amongst its team, and we are knowledgeable and experienced in developing Disaster Recovery plans.
We offer customizable technology solutions that fit the needs of our clients. Our skilled technology professionals deliver measurable value to our clients so that they can focus on their business priorities.

Our suite of technology services and solutions includes IT projects, managed services, cloud services, technology deployment, network monitoring and security, hardware and software procurement, and professional services.

SSI has been recognized multiple times for its dedication to uplifting the Central Ohio community as Corporate Caring award finalist and recipient, as well as one of the fastest growing companies, both locally and nationally, by Columbus Business First, FORTUNE and INC. magazines.