![\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hurricane_Sandy\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Hurricane-Sandy-as-at-24-Oct-2012-Wikipedia.jpg\" "\\"Hurricane")
<\/a>Hurricane Sandy as at 24 October 2012 (Source: Wikipedia)<\/p><\/div>\n
As at yesterday, 30 October, 119 people were confirmed dead as a result of Hurricane Sandy, and the United States alone is estimating damage in the region of USD\u00a010\u201420 billion. No doubt we have all watched the images showing the breadth and depth of the destruction experienced, and initial expectations, especially in the United States, is that normalcy would be restored in a few days. However, there is now a growing realisation that a full return to \u201cpre-Sandy\u201d operations might be several weeks away.<\/p>\n
With just one month to the end of the 2012 hurricane season, and looking forward to 2013 and beyond, here are four questions that should be asked by managers and business owners when preparing an organisation for a possible disaster.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Does the organisation have a disaster plan?<\/h3>\nAlthough the impetus for this article are the weather systems, specifically hurricanes and Tropical Storms, that are prevalent in the Caribbean, there are a broad range of disasters that organisations ought to consider, such as:<\/p>\n
\n- fire<\/li>\n
- floods<\/li>\n
- earthquakes<\/li>\n
- tornados<\/li>\n
- civil unrest\/riots.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Unlike hurricanes and Tropical storms for which there can be several days\u2019 notice of their arrival, for those highlighted above, there might be a few minutes notice at best, in which to prepare.<\/p>\n
A disaster plan allows an organisation to consider and implement steps that would help it to manage risk and mitigate possible losses associated with each type of disaster. In our July post, we discussed 5 important practices to ensure your electronic data survives a disaster<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Those measures could be incorporated into a more comprehensive plan for the entire organisation.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 What backup provisions have been made?<\/h3>\nAlthough our earlier post, 5 important practices to ensure your electronic data survives a disaster<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, focussed on measures that should be implemented, primarily from an IT perspective, the points raised, to varying degrees, can be adapted to be applicable across the entire organisation.<\/p>\n
\n- collecting and protect critical documentation<\/li>\n
- backing up data<\/li>\n
- having copies of all software<\/li>\n
- storing data in a secondary location<\/li>\n
- ensuring adequate provisions are made to protect the organisation\u2019s equipment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is emphasised that the agreed measures should be dovetailed into a more comprehensive disaster plan, and of course, should be implemented well in advance of a disaster to ensure adequate preparedness.<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0 What is the organisation\u2019s continuity plan?<\/h3>\n
The critical question a business continuity plan should address is: \u201cwhat measure can an organisation put in plan so that it ensure it is still operational during (as might be necessary) and in the aftermath of a disaster?\u201d According to Wikipedia<\/a>, business continuity is<\/p>\n
\n- If the organisation\u2019s only office, or if one of its locations, has been compromised due to a disaster, what options might be available to ensure operations continue, at that location? At another location?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If there are options, what provisions are necessary to establish a viable business continuity framework?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In a similar vein, it is also critical for organisations to examine business continuity as a customer \u2013 the goods and services the organisation requires other vendors to supply \u2013 and the ways in which potential loss of such inputs could be mitigated.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0 What is the organisation\u2019s recovery\/restoration plan?<\/h3>\nIn the longer term, and especially if an organisation\u2019s premises has been badly damaged, it might be prudent to consider, and to devise a plan of action, on how the premises, and operations at those premises, may be restored in the days, weeks and months following a disaster. It should be noted that a distinction is being made between business continuity, and business recovery. With regard to the former, the emphasis is on establishing interim arrangements that allow an organisation to still operate, or to undertake critical functions in the anticipation of and immediately following a disaster. The latter speaks to the steps necessary for a more permanent recovery in the longer term.<\/p>\n
With regard to business restoration, many organisations and landlords, rely on pay outs from the insurance policies they might have. However, processing of insurance claims can be quite a protracted, which means that the restoration of premises, and operations at those premises, could be unduly delayed, and ultimately lost.<\/p>\n
The local business environment is becoming increasingly competitive and dynamic, due to the growing reach of international businesses, along with the impact of technology, particularly the Internet, on business. Hence organisations could benefit considerably from establishing a more comprehensive and targeted strategy to guide their recovery.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Image credits: Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
___________<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Unlike hurricanes and Tropical storms for which there can be several days\u2019 notice of their arrival, for those highlighted above, there might be a few minutes notice at best, in which to prepare.<\/p>\n
A disaster plan allows an organisation to consider and implement steps that would help it to manage risk and mitigate possible losses associated with each type of disaster. In our July post, we discussed 5 important practices to ensure your electronic data survives a disaster<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Those measures could be incorporated into a more comprehensive plan for the entire organisation.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 What backup provisions have been made?<\/h3>\nAlthough our earlier post, 5 important practices to ensure your electronic data survives a disaster<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, focussed on measures that should be implemented, primarily from an IT perspective, the points raised, to varying degrees, can be adapted to be applicable across the entire organisation.<\/p>\n
\n- collecting and protect critical documentation<\/li>\n
- backing up data<\/li>\n
- having copies of all software<\/li>\n
- storing data in a secondary location<\/li>\n
- ensuring adequate provisions are made to protect the organisation\u2019s equipment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is emphasised that the agreed measures should be dovetailed into a more comprehensive disaster plan, and of course, should be implemented well in advance of a disaster to ensure adequate preparedness.<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0 What is the organisation\u2019s continuity plan?<\/h3>\n
The critical question a business continuity plan should address is: \u201cwhat measure can an organisation put in plan so that it ensure it is still operational during (as might be necessary) and in the aftermath of a disaster?\u201d According to Wikipedia<\/a>, business continuity is<\/p>\n
\n- If the organisation\u2019s only office, or if one of its locations, has been compromised due to a disaster, what options might be available to ensure operations continue, at that location? At another location?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If there are options, what provisions are necessary to establish a viable business continuity framework?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In a similar vein, it is also critical for organisations to examine business continuity as a customer \u2013 the goods and services the organisation requires other vendors to supply \u2013 and the ways in which potential loss of such inputs could be mitigated.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0 What is the organisation\u2019s recovery\/restoration plan?<\/h3>\nIn the longer term, and especially if an organisation\u2019s premises has been badly damaged, it might be prudent to consider, and to devise a plan of action, on how the premises, and operations at those premises, may be restored in the days, weeks and months following a disaster. It should be noted that a distinction is being made between business continuity, and business recovery. With regard to the former, the emphasis is on establishing interim arrangements that allow an organisation to still operate, or to undertake critical functions in the anticipation of and immediately following a disaster. The latter speaks to the steps necessary for a more permanent recovery in the longer term.<\/p>\n
With regard to business restoration, many organisations and landlords, rely on pay outs from the insurance policies they might have. However, processing of insurance claims can be quite a protracted, which means that the restoration of premises, and operations at those premises, could be unduly delayed, and ultimately lost.<\/p>\n
The local business environment is becoming increasingly competitive and dynamic, due to the growing reach of international businesses, along with the impact of technology, particularly the Internet, on business. Hence organisations could benefit considerably from establishing a more comprehensive and targeted strategy to guide their recovery.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Image credits: Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
___________<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is emphasised that the agreed measures should be dovetailed into a more comprehensive disaster plan, and of course, should be implemented well in advance of a disaster to ensure adequate preparedness.<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0 What is the organisation\u2019s continuity plan?<\/h3>\n
The critical question a business continuity plan should address is: \u201cwhat measure can an organisation put in plan so that it ensure it is still operational during (as might be necessary) and in the aftermath of a disaster?\u201d According to Wikipedia<\/a>, business continuity is<\/p>\n
\n
- If the organisation\u2019s only office, or if one of its locations, has been compromised due to a disaster, what options might be available to ensure operations continue, at that location? At another location?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n
- If there are options, what provisions are necessary to establish a viable business continuity framework?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In a similar vein, it is also critical for organisations to examine business continuity as a customer \u2013 the goods and services the organisation requires other vendors to supply \u2013 and the ways in which potential loss of such inputs could be mitigated.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0 What is the organisation\u2019s recovery\/restoration plan?<\/h3>\n
In the longer term, and especially if an organisation\u2019s premises has been badly damaged, it might be prudent to consider, and to devise a plan of action, on how the premises, and operations at those premises, may be restored in the days, weeks and months following a disaster. It should be noted that a distinction is being made between business continuity, and business recovery. With regard to the former, the emphasis is on establishing interim arrangements that allow an organisation to still operate, or to undertake critical functions in the anticipation of and immediately following a disaster. The latter speaks to the steps necessary for a more permanent recovery in the longer term.<\/p>\n
With regard to business restoration, many organisations and landlords, rely on pay outs from the insurance policies they might have. However, processing of insurance claims can be quite a protracted, which means that the restoration of premises, and operations at those premises, could be unduly delayed, and ultimately lost.<\/p>\n
The local business environment is becoming increasingly competitive and dynamic, due to the growing reach of international businesses, along with the impact of technology, particularly the Internet, on business. Hence organisations could benefit considerably from establishing a more comprehensive and targeted strategy to guide their recovery.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Image credits: Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
___________<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"