Effective business continuity and data management over the winter period

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If you’ve attempted to commute in snow or heavy rain, you’ll understand the havoc that extreme weather can bring for transport systems and infrastructure. The resulting chaos can often prevent staff from getting into work on time - if at all. A study from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows just how costly this can be for a business, reporting the daily expense of only a 10% staff absentee rate to be as much as £600m. Almost a third (31%) of UK companies were affected by extreme weather between 2007 and 2010 according to a study from Defra, which also cites harsh conditions as the biggest cause of loss of productivity for companies during this period.

When we consider the adverse weather experienced across the UK over the last 12 months, it’s no surprise that so many businesses were hit so hard. The question is, could they have been better prepared with a business continuity or disaster recovery plan?

How can businesses react?

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With regards to costly absentee rates, if businesses were to implement systems whereby employees are able to work from home, then this could help improve productivity levels. Failing this, companies should make sure there is enough cover in the event of an increased absentee rate.

What else should they do to ensure business continuity during extreme weather?

An FSB report states that a loss of IT systems and communications is one of the major risks of extreme weather. A further study from the FSB, which looked at 412 of its members affected by weather, found that almost 10% had suffered a loss of power. The potential for these organisations to have lost data, even temporarily, would have been significant.

Although this should add weight to an argument in favour of effective document management systems, many organisations feel that it’s out of their remit. In reality, the statistics for the number of companies who suffer during harsh weather speak for themselves. There are companies out there who offer specialist services including scanning services and data capture. They offer businesses peace of mind that their information is secure and accessible.

With these systems in place, companies are in a stronger position to execute effective disaster recovery plans. With increasingly unpredictable weather across the whole of the UK, these issues should be a key consideration for business owners.

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