Introduction
When disasters occur, a business should always be prepared to cope and recover from it. In this way, it will be easy for them to measure, determine, and reduce risks in the future. Staff members often get stressed when disasters occur as they are unable to work effectively causing poor productivity of the business. Most disasters are unpredictable and can happen abruptly. In case of such events, disaster planning strategies equip businesses with the necessary techniques and tools to help in recovery.
Analysis
Disasters such as interrupted power can lead to mass data loss and threaten a business center’s operations. When such disasters occur, it is always advisable to have emergency power systems. By making appropriate methods minimize the potential of component failure, it is possible to achieve power assessments and audits hence increasing power availability (Wheeler 2011). Therefore, with a reliable power system and emergency power equipment reliability in business will thus be improved. Emergency power can be provided by auxiliary power systems and uninterruptible power systems.
Auxiliary power systems are mostly provided by diesel generators. Other sources such as gas, petrol, or hydrogen may also be used when using fuel cells. Unfortunately, due to the delay caused by a generator to reach its operating power and supply electricity, will affect computer applications significantly. For this reason, a power source that is not interruptible is preferred. This is because it stores enough power and protects the business from power interruptions. It is mostly found in lead-acid batteries and can also be found in flywheel systems and NiCad batteries. Therefore, uninterruptible power sources are highly recommended in bookstores as they prevent data loss when electricity is abruptly interrupted.
In the case of external disasters, a team specialized in crisis management should always be available. The team will be responsible for managing the recovery from the disaster. The team should decide what changes should be made in the company’s daily activities and prioritizing schedules of resources and also the acquisition of hardware and services. Therefore, they will have the authority of declaring a disaster in business as all unit requests in the business departments will be channeled through them. They will always work close to where the disaster occurred as this helps in determining the amount of damage caused by the disaster and also how to recover.
A recovery plan should also provide database information recovery plans to facilitate the recovery process (Andress 2011). Database information should contain information on employees, suppliers, customers, asset listings, and specifications of the equipment. This database can also include information on computerized building drawings. Most of this data will be accessible from the company’s existing sources. However, these sources may not be available during the time of the disaster but in the area that was damaged.
Thus, maintaining the database information will provide a central point to find all the vital information. The database information and the entire plan should be kept current to provide unique and periodic reviews for the company. Management and employees should be trained in their responsibilities and duties and the overall plan requirements.
An employee preparedness program should also be considered when planning on the recovery process. Business recovery should not start anywhere else but within the business itself. To facilitate the recovery of bookstore operations in case of regional type disaster occurrences, the use of Family Disaster Plans, formulation of a Key Employee Support Network, and involvement of employees in Community Response Plans should be substantially encouraged.
The crisis management team should also be assisted by a support team of logistical managers. The logistical support team should provide administrative support and acquisition to all other teams. Their work is to arrange for all the requirements necessary for the recovery of the company. These requirements would include things such as temporary staffing arrangements, mass transportation and vehicles, training, day and night care, food flight, and hotel accommodations.
A damage assessment team to evaluate conditions of the interior facility, workstations, servers, peripherals, and files should be mobilized. The team will help the crisis management team to report to the damaged facility in the recovery of the business from the disaster. In addition to these teams, a technical support team that will be responsible for voice, data, and network connectivity for the business recovery will also be mobilized. This team will help in the recovery of the data center and service bureau.
With all the teams in place, the damage recovery process will automatically start. In the first steps, all power should be closed, and nobody should be allowed to enter the premises until this is done. It is the duty of the business unit managers to ensure that vital records of the business are well kept and protected. Later, the logistic support team and technical support team is required to prepare the site and establish a list of people who are authorized to access the facility during the time to the emergency command center and update them (Landoll 2011).
Therefore, no one without unauthorized access will be allowed into the facility. The business unit team together with the disruption directors will be directed by the crisis management team to prepare for additional information on the assessment of the damage. In addition, they will also decide whether to move the business recovery site to a different place or recover it in the damaged facility.
Marketing managers on the crisis management team should be responsible for updating telephone messages listed on the facility’s website. Moreover, they should make sure not to reveal confidential information on the status of the facility as the number is a public facility.
Reports obtained by the crisis management team from the damage assessment team local police and fire department will help to determine if primary data operations will be supported by the business recovery site or the data center. Senior management will be responsible for notifying regulators of the business process disruption. The media will also not be able to get any information on the ongoing recovery processes. Later on, the infrastructure of the business recovery, workstation applications, and data files at the site should be considered.
When all this is done, the staffing and training needs and operating fund requirements will then be started. All issues on the recovery process should be documented by the disaster recovery specialists. Verification of processing systems status network capabilities and telecommunications should begin. Data synchronization processes will begin, and connectivity and accessibility should be validated.
Conclusion
Therefore, with all these processes put into consideration and verified, a bookstore will quickly recover from disasters both externally and internally if the follow the strategic plans for recovery. This will hence improve operations of the facility as there will be no worries about disasters occurring as a good plan for recovery will be at hand for the business.
References
Andress, J. (2011). The Basics of Information Security: Understanding the Fundamentals of Infosec in Theory and Practice. New York: Syngress.
Landoll, D. (2011). The Security Risk Assessment Handbook: A Complete Guide for Performing Security Risk Assessments. New York: CRC Press.
Wheeler, E. (2011). Security Risk Management: Building an Information Security Risk Management Program from the Ground Up. New York: Syngress.