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In the fast-paced world of technology, one thing is certain: IT failures can happen at any moment. The question is, are you prepared for a sudden IT system failure?Without a plan in place, the consequences of a system failure can range from lost data and time to damage to your reputation and profits. An IT continuity plan becomes your safeguard in IT disasters, ensuring you can get back online swiftly and minimize interruptions.For over 25 years, WEBIT Services has guided clients in the greater Chicago area to develop robust IT strategies, including comprehensive IT continuity plans.By the end of this article, you'll clearly understand what an IT continuity plan entails, how to pinpoint critical systems, and the steps to create a plan tailored to your business needs.
At its core, an IT continuity plan is your roadmap for responding to sudden IT system failures. It’s aimed at restoring operations swiftly and minimizing productivity interruptions—a process known as IT continuity.IT continuity is a specialized aspect of the larger Business Continuity Plan that focuses on critical IT systems, workflows, and data locations.Essentially, your continuity plan demands that you know the following:
Your continuity plan should address key questions:
Before delving into creating an IT continuity plan, it's crucial to identify your organization's critical IT systems.The goal isn't to have continuity for every system; this could lead to unnecessary expenses and complexities. The goal is to support mission-critical systems that sustain your business.Imagine a scenario where the payroll software for a tech helpdesk goes down, requiring 24 hours for restoration.This downtime is acceptable for this business as it doesn't halt overall productivity. However, if the online ticketing system, essential for daily customer communication, fails, it results in significant losses, impacting profits.In this example, the ticketing software is deemed a critical IT system, warranting a continuity plan to minimize downtime and potential losses.
To assist in identifying critical IT systems, consider these eight questions, keeping in mind the three core business pillars: Operations, Finance, and Sales.
If any pillar relies on technology (hardware, software, or process) daily, and its absence would incur a loss of profit or productivity, it's a critical system.
IT systems contributing to maintaining or gaining profits, whose downtime results in financial losses, are critical.
Systems with a limited acceptable downtime before significant financial loss are considered critical. The timeframe created by the acceptable downtime is known as that system's “Recovery Time Objective” (RTO).
The “Recovery Point Objective” or “RPO” determines how often the system is backed up. How far back in time do you need to go to recover lost data?A critical system will need frequent backups to retain as much data as possible because critical systems carry information vital to your organization. Critical data could include client records, product developments, and other confidential data.
Systems with legal ramifications in case of data loss qualify as critical.In this case, a legal advisor can recommend standards to be followed, and the IT provider or internal IT department can assist with building IT systems and procedures to meet those standards to prevent legal action.
Critical systems house irreplaceable data that is crucial for the organization. This data cannot be recreated from memory or manually. The original data must be maintained either due to its content or due to legal consequences if it is lost.
Systems integral to compliance standards should be considered critical.For example, if your business is part of a regulated industry (i.e., finance, healthcare, etc.), it will have IT compliance standards. These standards will involve processes like encryption, data retention (how often it is backed up and how long it is retained), and system monitoring.The goal of regulated IT compliance is to protect both the business and its clients.Breaking compliance standards endangers confidential data and often leads to legal action and loss of your business’s reputation.
Each company must determine its level of acceptable risk. Some businesses prefer to prevent as much risk or potential damage as possible. Others are all right with a bit of risk, while some are comfortable with significant risk.Determining where a system falls on the risk scale helps classify it as critical or not.What damage or loss would it create if this system goes down for a day?If you are comfortable with the potential losses a failed system may create, it is unlikely that this is a critical system and would not require an IT continuity plan.However, if you are uncomfortable with these losses, this system may qualify as critical and benefit from an IT continuity plan.
With answers to these questions, you'll identify which IT systems are critical for your business's success. You'll know:
Next, establish a budget and communicate your needs and expectations for continuity. Calculate acceptable downtime for each critical system and collaborate with your IT provider or internal IT department on the next steps.Remember, you, the client, define acceptable downtime.Quality IT providers recognize this and tailor plans accordingly. A one-size-fits-all approach may not meet your unique continuity needs. Your IT continuity plan should be as unique as your business.Being proactive with an IT continuity plan is the key to safeguarding your business from the unexpected. Armed with a thorough understanding of your critical systems, you can easily navigate potential disruptions and keep your operations running smoothly.For over 25 years, WEBIT Services has helped hundreds of happy customers create and execute IT continuity plans to prevent loss and frustration.If you are looking for a new IT provider or have questions about managed IT services, schedule a free 30-minute consultation with WEBIT services to see if it can help.If you are not ready to make a commitment but would like to learn more about IT strategies like IT continuity plans, we recommend the following articles:
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