There is no question that Business Continuity Plans and Disaster Recovery plans are overlapping. But each exists independently. Companies are opting to concentrate more on one or the other, subscribing to a philosophy of Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery. However, implementing both a Business Continuity Plan and a Disaster Recovery plan ensure maximum coverage should the unimaginable occur.
Out there is a wealth of knowledge indicating that these two factors are one and the same. On the contrary, while Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are combined because they are linked to business preparedness, each concentrate on different goals. It’s wrong to use the words interchangeably so let’s break down each subject to achieve a clearer focus.
What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a written, organized strategy outlining how an organization can resume work quickly following an unplanned incident. A DRP is an integral component of a Business Continuity Plan. It applies to an organization’s aspects which rely on a functioning IT infrastructure. A DRP seeks to help an enterprise overcome data loss and restore device functionality so that it can operate at a reasonable level following an event.
The step-by-step plan consists of the procedures for mitigating the consequences of a tragedy so that the company can continue to operate or restore mission-critical functions rapidly. Disaster recovery planning usually includes an overview of business processes and the requirements for stability. A company also conducts a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Analysis (RA) before developing a comprehensive plan and sets recovery targets.
What is a Business Continuity Plan?
A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is a document detailing how an organization can continue to function during an unplanned service interruption. It’s more detailed than a disaster recovery plan that involves contingencies for business processes, properties, human resources, and business associates – any aspect of the company that may be affected.
Plans typically include a checklist that includes supplies and equipment, data backups, and locations on the backup site. Plans may also designate plan managers and provide contact details for emergency services, key staff and providers of backup sites. Plans can include comprehensive strategies on how to sustain business operations for both short- and long-term outages.
What is the main difference between a disaster recovery plan and business continuity?
The main difference is when the strategy comes into effect. Business continuity, for example, allows you to keep operations running during and immediately after the incident. Disaster recovery is about how you react after the incident is over and how you return to normal.
Although both technically integrate the “after” part, recovery from a tragedy is about going back to where you began before the incident happened. They remain distinct in how they work while they overlap.
For example, if your office building is destroyed by a hurricane, your business recovery strategy could be to let workers work remotely. This approach, however, only acts as part of emergency response and is not sustainable in the long term. Your disaster recovery plan focuses on how to bring workers back to a single location and how equipment can be replaced.
Periodic Evaluation
The disaster recovery and business continuity plans require periodic revisions, similar to the company and marketing plans. While these plans do not require quarterly revisions, accuracy should be updated periodically for the disaster recovery and business continuity plans. These plans should be changed as it changes and expands your company. The emergency kits should be replenished, and the plans reviewed to ensure that they still fulfil the company’s anticipated needs.
Correspondence
The disaster recovery and business continuity plans depend on one another. These plans are so interdependent that they are frequently solidified into one detailed plan covering all the unforeseen possibilities the company may encounter. Both proposals discuss many of the same things, such as factors of contact, temporary locations and safety features. Both strategies, however, include things which the other does not. The disaster recovery plan, for example, involves proactive steps the company can take, such as installing smoke detectors and performing fire drills. The business continuity plan incorporates measures that the company can use to ensure smooth operations, such as receiving loans for disaster relief and purchasing equipment to repair them.
Conclusion
The business continuity plan is a technique. It ensures continuity of operations with minimum interruption or disruption in service. A recovery plan for business disasters will restore data and vital applications in case the systems are disrupted when a disaster occurs.
It is a matter of importance to reconcile the two planning strategies. If most of your business transactions are online, then you need to make your number one concern about data security. Losing all or any of your data could halt your transactions. You could not bill buyers, pay suppliers or access details about your inventory. Your strategic intellect will go away.
You need to know just how long you can wait before the pain begins to return to full service. You must balance the delay against the preparation and implementation costs as well. Fortunately, reputable suppliers of professional services and consultants know how to do that. They will answer your issues cost-effectively and in a way that is consistent.
How Teceze Enables Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning?
Business continuity planning and disaster recovery plans involve coordination around the whole company – and working as a team together.
With the workflows from Teceze, you can build a BCP / DR programme that focuses on processes of risk management, incident response handling, reporting, aDisaster Recovery Plans Vs. Business Continuity Plansnd recovery. Our Software-as-a-Service also provides a two-way integration and collaboration adapter to ServiceNow.
Teceze’s task management function allows you to delegate tasks and monitor task completion to those responsible for them.
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a written, organized strategy outlining how an organization can resume work quickly following an unplanned incident. A DRP is an integral component of a Business Continuity Plan.
