Everyone agrees that organizations must be able to restore their technology systems after a disruption, but questions persist over how much investment in IT disaster recovery (IT/DR) is necessary, especially when it comes to testing. In today’s post we’re going to explore some of the well-known and lesser-known benefits of IT/DR planning and testing to underscore why they deserve whole-hearted, ongoing support.
The combination of our high dependence on technology, the intensifying threat landscape, and the steady drumbeat of news stories about companies that have been brought low by tech outages have made belief in the importance of IT/DR universal.
If there is one thing that today’s organizations have in common it is the expectation that their IT departments should be able to quickly restore their technology systems after an outage.
These factors have led to a certain amount of support for IT/DR everywhere. However, differences persist regarding exactly how much support for it is warranted. We often see people’s priorities diverge at the point when IT/DR goes from being the IT department’s problem to one that requires the cooperation of other departments.
This comes up most often in the area of testing, creating obstacles that can bring a testing program to a halt. This is regrettable because realistic, ongoing testing of IT recovery plans and strategies is essential to validate that they work (and uncover gaps so they can be closed). Testing is also where many of the hidden benefits of a robust IT/DR program lie.
Mindful of these dynamics, we thought it might be helpful to remind readers of the benefits of having a robust, ongoing, fully supported IT/DR program, including both the development and the testing of the plans and strategies needed to recover the organization’s technology services in the event of a disruption.
Below are six key ways having a sound and complete IT/DR program, including testing, can benefit an organization. The first four are well-known; the last two could be considered hidden benefits.
This is the main reason companies develop IT strategies and plans, and this alone makes them worthy of vigorous support. Our technology is central to all the work we do. Meanwhile, the threats to that technology are more intense than ever, whether it’s from cyberattacks, employee error, extreme weather, the loss of a critical supplier due to global unrest, or something else. If an organization’s networks or applications go down, that organization is likely to find carrying out its core business activities difficult if not impossible. And the longer the interruption persists, the more severe the impact will be. Having a robust IT strategy and plan—ones that have been validated and refined through realistic testing—reduces the likelihood of a technology-related outage and enables swift recovery if one occurs. When a disruption happens, it can make the difference between experiencing the event as a brief inconvenience or as a catastrophe.
Outages commonly result in fines and contractual penalties, incur added staff costs, divert resources from productive activities, prevent organizations from manufacturing and shipping products or providing services, and alienate customers, leading them to take their business elsewhere. Having a strong, tested IT strategy and plan enables a company to recover its technology services quickly, thus reducing downtime and limiting or avoiding financial impacts.
Internal and external audits are a fact of life at many organizations. Few people on the receiving end enjoy them. Having a robust, tested IT strategy and plan reduces the chances an organization will be audited. If it is audited, they improve the likelihood that the audit will be relatively painless and the results positive.
Technology outages that bring a company’s operations to a halt are rarely a private matter in today’s world. Word tends to get out. People feel the impact, it disrupts their plans and operations, and they complain on social media. In extreme cases, outages can receive blanket coverage in the news. Moreover, contrary to the hopes of many executives, people rarely take a forgiving attitude toward technology disruptions. The assumption is, they were foreseeable and should have been prepared for. Technology outages can seriously damage an organization’s reputation for competence and reliability. Having an IT/DR strategy and plan that have been proven to work through testing lowers the likelihood that an organization will suffer this kind of damage by reducing the chances that it will experience an outage and ensuring that, if it does, it can recover quickly.
This is the first of what might be called the hidden benefits of having a strong IT/DR program, and it’s one that emerges most strongly during exercises. Testing IT recovery plans and strategies often uncovers the existence of servers or applications that are no longer in use but which continue to exercise a drain on company resources. Our consulting clients often find that the chance to identify and remove technological clutter is a valuable side benefit of their work in developing and testing a recovery solution.
The final benefit and second hidden benefit we’ll mention pertains to another insight that working on IT/DR can provide about the organization’s technology environment. Testing IT recovery plans and strategies often find this work uncovers previously unknown integrations and dependencies (such as changes caused by the downloading of applications by non-IT staff). Having integrations and dependencies lurking in the environment without the knowledge of IT can create consequential vulnerabilities, such as to the organization’s security and financial systems. By uncovering these connections, performing DR tests can help IT do a better job of supporting the organization and protecting it from threats.
While the burden of developing and testing IT/DR plans and strategies can indeed fall in part on departments other than IT, the benefits to the overall organization far outweigh the inconveniences. A fully supported, well-tested IT/DR program ensures not only a swift recovery from disruptions but also strengthens the organization’s resilience, efficiency, and security.
The importance of IT/DR planning and testing is widely accepted, but the level of commitment can vary—especially when other departments are asked to participate. As we’ve outlined, a well-supported IT/DR program not only prevents and mitigates disruptions but also delivers financial, operational, and reputational benefits that extend beyond IT alone.
Beyond the obvious advantages, IT/DR efforts also uncover hidden opportunities, such as reducing technology sprawl and exposing critical system dependencies. Despite the effort involved, organizations that invest fully in developing and testing IT/DR strategies will be better positioned to navigate disruptions, safeguard their operations, and maintain a competitive edge.
Are you interested in strengthening your organization’s IT/DR position? BCMMetrics, the business continuity tool suite developed by MHA Consulting and used in conducting its client engagements, is available by subscription to other organizations. It includes modules that can provide significant assistance to companies interested in developing a robust IT/DR strategy and plan and validating them through testing.
To learn how BCMMetrics can help your organization develop and implement a strong its IT/DR strategy, plan, and testing program, explore the BCMMetrics website or contact us today.