The best plan for your business in dealing with disasters is to be prepared before the disaster occurs. Disasters, natural and man-made, are sometimes unavoidable, so we need to be ready to keep the business running no matter the circumstances surrounding.

A disaster recovery plan is a documented, structured approach that describes how an organization can quickly resume work after an unplanned incident. A DRP is an essential part of a business continuity plan. The recovery plan should be applied to the aspects of an organization, especially the ones that depend on a functioning IT infrastructure; all processes and technology or computer-oriented.

A DRP aims to help an organization resolve data loss and recover system functionality so that it can perform in the aftermath of an incident, even if it operates at a minimum level.

The step-by-step plan consists of detailing the precautions needed to minimize the effects of a disaster, so the organization can continue to operate or quickly resume critical functions. Typically, disaster recovery planning involves an analysis of business processes and continuity needs. Before generating a detailed plan, an organization often performs a business impact analysis and a risk analysis so recovery objectives can be established to all the operational areas.

How extensive should your recovery plan be?

Nowadays, with cybercrime and security breaches becoming more sophisticated, it is important for you as an organization to define your data recovery and protection strategies. The ability to quickly handle incidents can reduce downtime and minimize both financial and reputational damages.

Disaster recovery plans allow organizations to ensure they meet all compliance requirements, while also providing a clear roadmap to recovery.

Some types of disasters that organizations can plan for include:

• Application failure
• Communication failure (Internet or power outage, etc)
• Data center disaster
• Building disaster (earthquake, fire, etc)
• National disaster

Recovery Plan Considerations

A disaster recovery strategy should start at the business operational level and determine which applications are most important to keep the organization running.  Recovery time objective describes the target amount of time a business application can be down, typically measured in hours, minutes or seconds.

Recovery point objective describes the age of files that must be recovered from backup storage for normal operations to be resumed.

Recovery strategies define an organization’s plans for responding to an incident, while disaster recovery plans describe how the organization should respond. Recovery plans are derived from recovery strategies.

In determining a recovery strategy, organizations should consider such issues as:

•  Budget
• Insurance coverage
• Resources — people and physical facilities
• Management’s position on risks
• Technology
• Data
• Suppliers
• Compliance requirements

Management approval of recovery strategies is necessary. All strategies should align with the organization’s goals. Once disaster recovery strategies have been developed and approved, they can be translated into disaster recovery plans.

Types of disaster recovery plans

Disaster recovery plans can be specifically tailored for a given environment. Some environment-specific plans include:

• Data center disaster recovery plan:   Data center disaster recovery plan focuses exclusively on the data center facility and infrastructure. A well executed operational risk assessment is a key element in data center disaster recovery plans. It analyzes key components such as building location, power systems and protection, security, and office space. The plan must address a broad range of possible scenarios.

• Cloud disaster recovery plan:   Cloud disaster recovery can range from a file backup in the cloud to a complete replication of data and information. Cloud disaster recovery can be space, time and cost-efficient, but maintaining the disaster recovery plan requires proper management. Manager must know the location of physical and virtual servers.

• Virtualized disaster recovery plan:   This process provides opportunities to implement disaster recovery in a more efficient and simpler way. A virtualized environment can spin up new virtual machine instances within minutes and provide application recovery through high availability. Testing can also be easier to achieve, but the plan must include the ability to validate that applications can be run in disaster recovery mode and returned to normal operations within the RPO and RTO.

• Network disaster recovery plan:   Developing a plan for recovering a network gets more complicated as the complexity of the network increases. It is important to detail the step-by-step recovery procedure, test it properly and keep it updated. Data in this plan will be specific to the network, such as in its performance and networking staff.

The plan must address security, which is a common issue in the cloud that can be alleviated through well executed testing.

Don’t make the mistake of letting them guess what has happened, keep your customers, employees, and vendors informed at all times. Communication is vital in these types of situations.  Not keeping your customers informed may cause them to start looking elsewhere for the type of service you provide. So start planning for the future to assure your business will keep on going no matter the circumstances.

The post Why Is A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) So Important? first appeared on World Connection.

Preparing to keep our business running even when snowstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, power outages, fires and floods occur is essential, as your customers need the agents to be available at all times to solve their queries and help them with any situations they need.

Disaster recovery plans should cover multiple levels of the organizations, from covering employee shifts when not all are available due to a pandemic, or an earthquake striking your headquarters, leaving them unable to perform their jobs. It is necessary to get creative about possible scenarios and solutions to these situations to have every angle covered.

There are many ways to prepare for these situations, planning and investing is necessary to make your disaster recovery plan a functional one.   The key is to plan for the long run, so the efforts and investment made can be diluted in our annual budget.

A fully developed Disaster Recovery Plan should take into account a variety of elements that can take place, but one of the most common problems a company has to deal with is power outage, especially when the office is isolated. To be really prepared you will need to build an uninterruptible power supply system and backup generators to protect our systems and data through short and extended outages.  Having a back-up partner handle your calls while located in a different area or country can prove extremely beneficial.

Every second that a customer service agent can’t respond to a call could mean the difference between a clean recovery or a complete disaster.  Very few customers can wait.  If they have to wait, your calls will increase and your customers will decrease. Sometimes a simple call can change a customer’s opinion about making another purchase or not, so leaving them unattended can become a disaster, just as picking up can be a sales opportunity.

As it is not plausible to open up another office location merely to have a back-up option in case of emergencies, an outsourcing partner can prove to be the solution to having a complete workspace in another location, so calls can be switched over between locations when necessary.  It is important to keep calls coming and queries being solved. 

Backup operations and data is a must. It is vital to establish a backup operational system that saves the information at all times. It may even be suggested that the backup should be stored in a location far from the working spaces and to have more than one copy.

When disaster strikes, some communication methods may be affected, so a company should consider multiple communication tools and methods such as text message, email or automatic chatbot. When your phones go down, your customers should have ways of getting in touch.

Disasters happen when you least expect them, so being prepared can make everything easier. First aid kits, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, emergency routes and exits, to mention a few, and lets not forget about emergency training for all the employees, can seem extreme in times of peace, but you certainly appreciate them in an emergency.

Insurance can also be a determinant factor in business recovery.  In some cases, being protected at this level is the only way to fully guarantee investments. Finding the right insurance policies can be hard but with the right research and assessment you can find the best one for you. This will give you peace of mind, so you can focus on making the business grow and expand.

Staying offline too long will impact any business negatively. Always keep in mind that your customers expect to be taken care of at all times, they don’t want to wait while you get back on track, and not to mention, you will need to reaffirm them of your reliability often to stay on their top of mind. 

With multiple locations and a solid recovery plan, your lines will be always open for business, and this way you will never stop taking care of your customers and will get back up and running at full capacity in no time.

Invest the necessary time and planning on your company’s Disaster Recovery Plan to guarantee its proper development and execution, and go about your business!

The post Quick Recommendations For A Top-Notch DRP first appeared on World Connection.

The two main areas on a well-developed recovery strategy should be Backup and Redundancy. Most companies don’t count on the necessary preparation in those areas, because they don’t understand their importance usually until it is too late.  

Although the concepts of backups and redundancy may seem similar, there are a few important differentiators. Backups are specifically about creating copies of data in the event that your business experiences an incident where data loss occurs.

Redundancy, on the other hand, is much more than just data storage. Redundancy makes sure your business is able to provide continuity in its services no matter what happens. Redundancy ensures your data is stored in multiple geographically disparate locations.

You need to research the best ways to lower the risks of interruptions of your service when customers may need it most. Redundancy is a way to guarantee that your data will be secure and the systems will keep running if disaster occurs, but companies need to take a deeper look within their business to really cover all areas.

This engineering term means “duplication of critical components and functions in a system with the intention of increasing reliability”.  As such, you should be thinking about redundancy in many relevant areas of your business.

The process of adding network devices and lines of communication to maintain availability and decrease the possibility of data loss is known as network redundancy.  Colocation redundancy is the management of your geographical area to reduce incidents when a disaster or outage occurs.

What would happen to your servers if the power went out? Would they stay in line or be turned off. Power redundancy provides the capability to have a generator and a backup power supply to all equipment to guarantee the system will be online to keep the business running.

Geographic redundancy recommends that the backup servers are placed in a completely different location of your business office, this will allow you to recover faster if a disaster should occur. If your current location is inoperable you should already look for a solution and a fail-over location for your data, such as outsourcing options.

As we have been learning in backup and redundancy the term better be safe than sorry fits to perfection.  Call and contact centers focus on these areas to help companies manage their business in case of emergency during rough times, but are a cost-effective way to be covered during better days.

Having a BPO partner as a contingency service contributes to your business running smoothly through any crisis. They make sure that if something fails, you are able to work regardless of the problem.

To create a functional disaster recovery plan you should pay close attention to every area of a company, focusing then on the important departments that need to stay active when a business is in trouble. 

Business continuity is at stake if you haven’t planned and acted ahead, even when the disaster was unforeseeable. If a natural disaster or a major disruptive event occurs, having a BPO partner can continue to provide your service for you, even if only temporarily.

During physical events or threats, an offsite backup can be really helpful to get the business going with no downtime.  If you are able to redirect calls to another office, that can be the plan.  However, if no other location or site is available, nearshore or offshore BPOs are especially a safe option to keep in mind, as it is unlikely the same event with influence the two distant locations

Data loss and downtime can have a lasting effect on the bottom line for a business, so planning and investing ahead on a redundant backup contingency solution or partner is necessary for any business.  When your disaster recovery plan is data focused you help mitigate damage caused to the organization, outsourced partners will minimize the effect on your organization in case of any disaster or emergency.

Keep in mind that it is necessary to have backups done often and stored in several locations to ensure the successful continuity of your business, as well as to be prepared for any legal or regulatory issues.  It is impossible to know when an event will occur but with a well-planned and developed disaster recovery or business continuity service in place,, you can rest a bit more peacefully on your safety net.

The post Outsourcing vs. In-House: Backups And Redundancy first appeared on World Connection.

A disaster can strike your business at any time, as we’ve seen during this year 2020 with many businesses worldwide, and it is usually when you least expect it and in many shapes and forms.

A power loss can be a huge disaster in a manufacturing industry, in businesses that deal with high volume of messages, a shortage of communication due to internet failure can lead to money losses added to a customer’s loss of confidence in the product and the company.

Therefore, creating a business disaster recovery plan is a must.

1. Back-up, redundancy and recovery

A great example of being prepared is seen in most call centers, where large units of data is managed and transmitted between agents and customers, so a power outage could be critical for the company. Another important thing to consider is data security, all call centers handle customer’s information and keeping it safe is a key part of the business, alongside with productivity and customer service.

A disaster recovery plan is necessary in all call centers in order to reduce the impact that most disruptions could cause to the business.  And so, either you spend on labor and infrastructure, or you outsource it to them.  The easiest, most cost-effective way could be to have a call and contact center at your disposal.  The proper call center will have your back, and help you oversee potential risks and security breaches, immediate manpower in place, as well as hardware checkups, software licensing, digital infrastructure, cloud-based solutions and more.

2. Where are the risks?

To create a disaster recovery plan that oversees the whole business, you will need to do intensive research into all possible dangers that may affect your business, however unlikely, a wide range of possible risks should be considered. 

From a loss of communications due to black-outs, loss of network-based information, internet outage to human error and damage to equipment due to natural disasters.  

In the case of a natural disaster, you should think about the physical damage to the equipment, and when infrastructure goes down, your entire customer experience could be affected as the calls stop. And this is adding another disaster to our list of problems to oversee.

An intensive and also creative time should be spent looking into the task of defining issues, as it is vital to cover most of the possible scenarios to see potential risks accurately and have a realistic, functioning disaster recovery plan.

3. Tailor your Recovery Plan

Now that you have been through the process of identifying most of the risks faced by your business, a disaster recovery plan should be tailored to effectively solve these issues with a fluent, flawless and smooth transition.  If applied properly, your customers should not even notice a change.

As mentioned above, a clear and simple option is to outsource your customer service, tech support, sales, back office, document processing, and any repetitive process. through a BPO.  

Or, the alternative is to take care of each of the steps to ensure business continuity.

It is key to always have Backups, human or tech, as all data needs a backup system, so do your customers. So backup. Keep in mind that you should research all cloud-based backup solutions, to guarantee that information is never lost when the power goes out.

Contact all emergency and security institutions in your area to get contingency, evacuation and safety plans on your location, to develop your own following the right instructions and all the laws.

The IT team needs to work on an emergency contact list that includes all power supply companies, tech and maintenance service suppliers, likewise, get the managers to update contact lists of all vendor and network service providers. This will ensure that all necessary parties can be contacted as quickly as possible.

A top online security system to protect data should be needed. So look for several options and develop a specific budget created for this system.

Take into account all legal related situations due to disasters to have a specific course of action on this matter, too.  

Get options on power supplies, you should probably need a generator, back up batteries.

The key for most businesses to survive during these times of hardships is to keep calls or visitors coming in. So think about any possibility that helps assure this, be it working from home or mobile, redirecting calls to another one of your offices, or outsourcing this support.

Having distant sites and locations can be a huge plus in business recovery plans.

4. Act don’t React

Not knowing the risks your business is up against and getting cut off-guard are two of the worst enemies anyone can have, so get started early, act and don’t let any contingency get in the way of your business.

When a cable, internet, or power outage occurs, companies that put their disaster recovery plan to work effectively will make a shortage or outage that lasts a couple of hours feel like it took only minutes.

Call centers’ disaster recovery plans are no different, you have already worked all possible angles to make these risks lower, so if a disaster happens in your area, they are ready to handle everything the right way to guarantee your customers get the attention they deserve.

Planning your strategy, but most importantly acting ahead, is what should really define the effectiveness of your disaster recovery plan.

The post 4 Steps To Create A Disaster Recovery Plan first appeared on World Connection.

Having well elaborated continuity and disaster recovery plans will avoid disruptions in your operations in any type of emergency, this is the essence of Business Continuity Planning (BCP). The magnitude of the disasters cannot be estimated with 100% accuracy and maybe not all the operations can be immediately restored, but it is of great importance to recover the critical ones at the minimum, the world is an uncertain place and things can turn out to be very different from what you expect.

The hard work and expertise of your people is how you serve your customers.  They are the ones who maintain your brand’s promise, of course more critical in any Service industry.  Be aware that when a potential risk arrives you need to have a disaster and recovery plan in place to protect those people, colleagues and partners, which are your company’s most valuable and important asset.  This enables your business to continue its operations amid any given situation. This plan protects your business assets, human resources, business processes and business partners, your BCP outlines must have detailed information on the procedures the company will follow if something occurs.

Business Process Outsourcing will play a very important role in your BCP, especially with partners who offer an everyday support service. This way, they can take on more responsibility in a disaster situation and be ready to take on critical functions. So basically, if you are putting all your work and investment into your company, make sure to keep looking ahead; the more detailed and structured the plan is, the faster you and your partners will be able to respond when disasters arrive.

5 steps to make Business Continuity Planning effective:

1. Evaluate your business processes in order to be able to determine which are the most vulnerable. Now imagine if they were unavailable for hours, days or months. Thinking about it provides your business with its first impact analysis.
2. Maintain business-critical functions by identifying the skill set and the number of workers that would be required to keep them running.
3. Be very clear in setting out dependencies between each function.
4. Lower the service level path and rotate security controls for each individual critical function, establish acceptable downtime.
5. Determine and point out how each critical function will be maintained.

It is better to have a plan that maybe you’ll never need, than to need one and not have it at the moment something goes wrong. A lack of planning could be its own disaster for your company and your customers. Many people don’t think about business continuity until an incident occurs, and then it’s too late.

The technology research firm Gartner once pointed out that only 35 percent of BPO facilities have a well thought and comprehensive business continuity program. The research also found that less than 10 percent of the companies have worked out a formal business recovery and continuity process, putting a fair amount of businesses at stake.

The amount of work that goes in reacting to a natural disaster is huge, from cleaning up physical locations and getting any disrupted system back online, to filling up insurance claims and above all maintaining communication with your clients. No matter what the situation is, your customers will still need to get in touch with your business, which is why you need to ensure that your BPO partners have an updated disaster recovery strategy. 

A common solution to attend this necessity is relying on call center services which can maintain communications with your customers, retaining clients by being able to provide answers to their needs during a crisis, so you can focus on all the other recovery efforts.

In all call centers there is an enormous amount of data and information being transmitted at all times, that is why any kind of shutdown can be devastating. In these situations productivity and customer satisfaction aren’t the only things at risk, so is security data for the company and its customers. To be aware of potential risks and security breaches, managers need to be aware by maintaining an overall digital infrastructure, hardware and software analysis checks, including all cloud-based solutions.

Don’t wait for something to come your way, the best thing you can do is plan ahead, preparation is always crucial, remember changes can occur at any time and can come in many forms. Check your internal policies and procedures documented to get another team ready to dive in.

If you want one less thing to worry about whether you are in a disaster prone area or it simply arrives unexpectedly, relying on call center services allows your business to stay afloat in the majority of emergencies or events, preventing money losses and maintaining consumer confidence in your company. Having a professional disaster recovery program with your BPO partners will ensure calling customers will be addressed by a professional Call Center Agents that will represent your brand the way you intend at any moment.

The post Why You (And Your BPO Partner) Need A Disaster Recovery Program first appeared on World Connection.