What is a DRP And Why Do You Need It?

Julie Starr • Sep 25, 2021

 

A disaster recovery plan or DRP is not the same as a business continuity plan (BCP).  It’s so easy to confuse the two and yet, if you knew the subtle differences you will never make this mistake again. In the hierarchy of recovery plans, it goes something like this. A crisis communication plan (CCP), then a disaster recovery plan and finally a business continuity plan. A DRP can be considered as a recovery plan that will be useful during the event.  As an example, perhaps a fire is raging in your warehouse, then you activate your DRP and begin to limit the damage being done. But why would you need this if you already have a BCP and a CCP? Here are the subtle differences.

 

What is being harmed?

The first thing you do is get your managers to tell you what are the key mission activities in their respective areas. For example, for the IT team to function, they require power to keep the servers ticking over. So some kind of emergency power generator specifically for the IT infrastructure is required. For the financial team, they need a connection to the financial markets and your business bank account, so some kind of internet access to the banking mainframe is required. You could have an emergency internet service provider that can provide support for your tablets or laptops so your team can function while away from work. So as you can see, key mission activities need to be fully understood before a recovery plan can be forged.

Reputational recovery

So as a warehouse is being flooded, you need to let customers and the media know what is going on. Customers haven’t gotten their orders and they get angry during a crisis which they have no idea is happening. That isn’t their fault, it’s your own. Working with a reputation management agency will let you know what kind of communication types you have at your disposal. They will form a communication plan which you can use to communicate with the media, customers, investors and the market, letting them all know what is going on and what you’re doing to save as much as you can. Reputational damage is long-lasting, so it’s very important you are prepared.

Going to the transition

So you have limited the damage of a crisis event, but now you need to get back online. Let’s say you have pumped out the floodwaters in your warehouse, but how will you get it up and running again? You need to transition to your BCP. This will be things like doing a health and safety risk assessment of the damage, replacing broken items, getting power back on and helping employees who are hurt, etc. This transition is done by completing a checklist of DRP activities. This is how you know when you can move on when the event is over and the damage limitation activities are completed. 

  A DRP is the compilation of activities done during a crisis event, in order to limit the damage that is being done. Every business needs one so you can save as many assets as possible in real-time. 

Keep Your Business Comfortable And Yet Sustainable

By Julie Starr • 11 May, 2024
Keeping your business comfortable and yet sustainable is a great idea. By keeping your business sustainable, you are doing your part for the planet, ensuring that you are doing something to take care of it. A lot of businesses don’t bother with this, but that’s the problem. You need to be different, and work out how you’re going to keep your business comfortable and sustainable at the same time. That’s what we’re going to be working on today, so keep reading if you’re interested in learning more. How Are You Powering Your Locations? The first thing that we’re going to say is that you need to think about how you are powering your locations. Whether it’s a business office, a warehouse, or any other large space, you need to think about the way that you are powering it. If you are using traditional electricity then you’re going to be contributing to part of the problem. We only have so much fossil fuel available, and it’s killing the planet to use. It’s a better idea to use a renewable form of power such as solar or wind, depending on where you live and the weather conditions. Look into this as an option if you can. We’re not saying that you have to completely rely on one or the other, you could use a combination as well as traditional power. Any power that’s coming from somewhere else is a bonus! Keep The Spaces Comfortable For Employees Employees work in a variety of places for your business. Again, perhaps some work in an office, some work in a warehouse, and some work in other locations, but they all need to be kept comfortable. For example, if we take the warehouse and you think about it, it’s not that comfortable, right? You’re not going to have couches and plush chairs all over the place, but you can still make it as comfortable as possible. You could use an industrial drum fan or something similar to keep the space cool, ensuring that your employees are content working there. Ensure Recycling Is A Top Priority The final important point that we want to make is that you should ensure that recycling is a top priority . It has been pushed on people for a long time now, and it’s essential that you are doing this to the best of your ability. Reusing materials wherever possible gives your company a more sustainable approach to business, setting the example for others. Recycling is the very least that you can do, it’s not hard, but it makes a world of difference to the planet. We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be doing to ensure that your business is comfortable and sustainable. We do understand that for some companies this is going to be a little more difficult than others, but there are always ways if you are dedicated enough. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you manage going forward.

Is Your Small Business an Appealing Place to Work?

By Julie Starr • 07 May, 2024
Bringing passionate, enthusiastic and talented people into your business is obviously a top priority when you’re growing a company. However, the only way to onboard the brightest talent is by ensuring that your brand is an appealing place to work. Driven employees have certain expectations when it comes to choosing their ideal workplace, so you need to show them what you have to offer. Whether you’re looking into your business ethos , or reassessing certain compensation plans, you can do so much to ensure you’re attracting the best possible employees. Consider some of the following methods and your small business will soon be the go-to place for skilled, driven and talented individuals to work. Pay and Benefits Should Be Competitive When you’re running a small business, the idea of paying regular salaries to your employees will always be on your mind. Keeping up with bills and ever rising costs will never be easy, but you have to offer a competitive salary in order to attract the right type of people to your business. You should also consider all elements of a compensation plan so that your employees always feel valued for their contributions at your workplace. It may be worth talking to your current staff members to see what would be most important to them so you can assess it in the near future. Create a Career Development Plan Working towards the next goal is certainly something that most career driven individuals are keen to do. Staying stagnant in the same role for a prolonged period of time can reduce motivation and cause issues with staff retention. Making sure that there are clear progression opportunities will help to bring in the most talented and focused employees who are willing to put in the work and climb the ladder within your business. Adopt an Eco-Conscious Approach More and more employees are looking for workplaces that put the environment at the forefront and actively choose sustainable processes. Taking care of the planet and going green with your business may help you to align with the right talent for your company. Although this might not be the priority of everyone, it’s certainly a very popular value that a number of people carry in the modern day. Working in an environment where sustainability is a priority is extremely appealing and these people will help you to work alongside like minded colleagues within your business. Your small business goes above and beyond you as an individual; it’s also about the people who work for you and the potential employees you could be onboarding very soon. You can be sure that you’re reaching out to the right type of people and attracting the best possible talent by offering competitive salaries and benefits and working in a sustainable way that always keeps the environment in mind too. Hopefully, these ideas will give you a huge advantage when it comes to bringing in new people who would be an asset to your business.
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