PREPARING FOR BUSINESS CONTINUITY

DURING THE HURRICANE SEASON

By Kris Self

As we approach the upcoming hurricane season, many of us are making evacuation plans for our families and pets. Some of us are small business owners or are in management positions. Hurricane plans for your business need to address the evacuation but should also include getting your business back in operation as soon after the storm as possible. When putting your plan together there are two areas that need to be addressed, operations and staff.

Ideally, the operations plan should include having 3 sets of computer backups. Each of these needs to be assigned to three different people that will not be in the same geographic area. If possible one person should have your server with them.  Most people use tape backup for their network, so you should be sure that one of the three people has the tape drive with them and that the other two have written documentation on the specs of the tape backup and software used. An even better way to ensure business continuity is the use of external USB/Firewire drive with an image of your server.

During the hurricane season of 2005, I was the Director of Operations for a manufacturer’s rep firm. We were a national operation and needed to keep the business running even though we were evacuated for Charlie.  Due to the fact that our orders and credit applications came in through efax , I was able to redirect the email delivery to someone in another area. We also had a call center in south Tampa. The 800 number was redirected to someone outside this area. This allowed us to continue supporting the reps in the field without missing a beat.

             Really, the best way to come up with a plan is to walk around your business, think and ask yourself what business processes are handled by this particular piece of equipment (i.e. - fax, server, email). Then decide which processes are mission critical. How can you redirect those processes if there is no electricity or even a building?

             Another important factor in your plan is keeping track of your staff. After the storm, you’ll need to get your business back up and running as quickly as possible. One recommendation is to have your staff submit their evacuation plans to their supervisors.  After the storm communication can be very challenging. Many times text messaging will work when the cell phones do not. Make sure that all of your staff knows how to use text messaging. Each manager should have a copy of management’s contact information and evacuation locations as well as their staff’s info. Your staff will have many needs depending on how hard the area is hit.

             After the event, the first thing should be to locate everyone to make sure that they are OK. Next you will need to do a survey of their needs. It will be challenging to maintain continuity if you staff is injured or homeless. After addressing the medical needs as much as possible, basic everyday needs will needs to be addressed. Establishing a central location that has electricity and running water will help your staff and your business begin the process of returning to normal.

 

For more information or assistance please contact me at:  kris@islandecomputerconsulting.com or (727) 692-7823.

Hurricane Tips for Your Business