Disaster Recovery for Documents & Data

The last two years have taught us that we don't know what will happen in the future – a global pandemic, flooding, wildfires, tornados, thunderstorms, heatwaves, system outages, cyber-attacks... But businesses can prepare for the unexpected with the right help and technology.

Is my business at risk?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) found that 40% of businesses close their doors following a disaster, and another 25% fail within a year.

When an organisation is affected by a disaster, it may have to deal with damage to physical assets and property and lost or destroyed data. Did you know that 70% of companies that experience significant data loss from a natural disaster or cyber-attack go out of business within a year?

It’s not all bad news…

For leaders who want to be proactive and safeguard their business operations, it’s time to write a Disaster Recovery Plan.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?

Disaster recovery is an organisation's ability to respond to and recover from an unplanned incident that negatively affects business operations, such as a natural or manmade disaster. A Disaster Recovery plan contains strategies for reducing and managing the effects of a disaster so that an organisation can resume operations as quickly as possible.

Disruptions in service can result in unhappy customers, leading to lost revenue and damage to your brand. The longer a business takes to recover, the more significant the impact and the greater the chance of closure. So, having a good disaster recovery plan in place is essential.

It’s important to consider the following:

• If your business was affected, how quickly could you recover documents and data?
• Would your business processes continue to work if you had to relocate or work from home?
• Would your team be able to collaborate and share files easily if they weren't all in the same place?
• Would you be able to communicate with and support your customers? Can your team take their office phones home? Do phone numbers need to be redirected?
• What technology do we have in place that can help? You may not be utilising existing tech to its full potential.
• What technology do we need to ensure we can access our documents and data quickly and easily? Find a good technology partner to advise on what is right for your business and its unique challenges.

How can a Document Management (DM) system help as part of a Disaster Recovery Plan?

1. Digital files

All files in a DM system are digital and can be stored on-site, off-site or in the cloud. There are no physical files to damage or lose. All files are stored with metadata (for example, author, date created, date modified etc.), allowing users to search for and retrieve a document in a matter of seconds. DM systems can also save and store emails, ensuring they are fully recoverable.

2. Back up

Backing up documents and data is essential so businesses can recover them quickly and easily. This process can be automated so that it happens at the same time every day/week/month.

3. Automate workflows

Automation ensures that your business-critical processes aren't forgotten or delayed unnecessarily. Automating workflows allows specific tasks to continue working automatically, even if staff are unable to. This means you can continue giving your customers good service and meeting deadlines, leaving your team free to work on other tasks.

4. Work from anywhere

Your team can go home, plug in their laptops, log in to the DM system and continue working with little or no downtime. The system is secure and compliant and ensures that sensitive business, employee or customer data can be stored, accessed and managed correctly. Teams can continue to collaborate and share files easily with colleagues, suppliers and customers.

5. Support

One of the advantages of working with a technology partner is that they are there to support you and help you get back up and running as quickly as possible. If you need help connecting remote workers or connecting from a new location, they can support you with that too.

“Remember: when disaster strikes, the time to prepare has passed.” Steven Cyros

If you would like to learn more about Document Management for disaster recovery, get in touch with Jack Wright, Sales Director at YourDMS. Call 01285 810606 or email [email protected].

Domino Task Productivity Hack

This week we are going to share this brilliant Practical Prompt from Charles Burdett, founder of Pip Decks. We hope this prompt will help you to be more productive.

Play dominoes

The best way to be productive: choosing your tasks wisely.?

Try to find your ’domino task’ — the task that will have the greatest impact on your goals/life by creating a domino effect of action.?

E.g. Going to the gym = better sleep = more focus at work?

Tell us your best productivity prompt or hack in the comments.

Do good. Make a difference. Share.

Let’s talk. YourDMS.