COVID-19 has caused an enormous shift in how many companies do business, forcing rapid changes in the nature and location of what is normally described as office work. Since the outbreak, many companies have successfully implemented work-from-home policies, with roughly 37% of organizations now mandating offsite work, according to an article in Forbes. While a success in terms of allowing those organizations to continue, this shift has also highlighted the importance of disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
With the end of the pandemic still unclear and likely far in the future, organizations need to continue to update their continuity plans, with the focus on agility, to support the upcoming unknown. To achieve this goal, companies should examine their existing structures, and consider the following:
- How mature are their existing business continuity plans, and do they provide a strong platform for further development, or do they require revisiting to better capture the current conditions?
- What are the core applications required for their continued operation, and how can the protection of those be prioritized?
- Can these organizations work to develop their internal talent, to both offer increased flexibility through the addition of skills, and help prevent burnout of key resources?
With conditions still unstable, flexibility in response will be critical in the coming months. Efforts to embed this flexibility in your business continuity planning will help to ensure your organization is as prepared as possible for whatever threats come next.
