Downtime can be more than an inconvenience – often, it leads to reduced revenue, frustrated customers, and unplanned expenses. But while over 60% of business leaders said they could recover from a downtime event within hours in a recent survey, tests found that only 35% actually could.1
That’s why BCDR planning matters.
BCDR combines business continuity planning with disaster recovery strategies to help your organization prepare for and recover from unexpected disruptions. Read on to learn why business continuity and disaster recovery planning are so important and how to build a BCDR plan that protects your operations, no matter what.
Business Continuity vs. Disaster Recovery
Business continuity and disaster recovery often get grouped together, but they serve different purposes. Knowing what makes them unique can help you build a stronger BCDR plan.
- Business continuity is proactive. It outlines the steps you’ll take to maintain essential operations during and immediately following a disruption, such as maintaining communications, supporting employees, and delivering services.
- Disaster recovery is reactive. It begins once the disruption is over and focuses on restoring IT systems, data, and tools that your teams rely on.
When both are in place, your team can better understand how to respond at every stage of an event.
Why Is Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning Important?
Every organization depends on technology and steady operations. Without a clear BCDR plan, a sudden outage or security event can create problems like extended downtime, revenue loss, and lasting damage to your brand's reputation.
Business continuity and disaster recovery planning let you spot areas where your business is most at risk, then create steps employees can follow if something goes wrong. It also shows customers and partners that you take reliability seriously and are committed to protecting their information.
What BCDR Scenarios Should Businesses Prepare For?
No two disruptions are exactly the same, but many fall into a few predictable categories:
- Security Incidents: Cyber attacks and data breaches are some of the most common triggers of BCDR activation, with 85% of businesses experiencing at least one data loss incident in 2024.2
- Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, floods, and fires can physically damage infrastructure and disrupt entire regions.
- Power Outages: A localized blackout can shut down network operations and damage hardware if no backup systems are in place.
- Hardware Failures: Unexpected equipment issues, such as a failed switch or corrupted server, can interrupt access to data and services.
- Human Error: From accidental deletions to misconfigured settings, internal mistakes can have serious business implications.
Each of these scenarios requires tailored response strategies, and the best way to prepare is through proactive planning and simulation.
How To Build a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan
Creating a BCDR plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow these steps to make sure you're prepared:
Assess Business Risks and Essentials
Start with a risk assessment to uncover the threats most likely to affect your business. Then, determine which of your operations need to be prioritized during recovery with a business impact analysis (BIA).
Define Recovery Objectives
Set your Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) to determine how quickly systems must come back online after a disruption, as well as your Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) to define how much data loss you can tolerate.
Designate a Response Team
Choose team leads for areas such as IT recovery, customer communication, HR, and facilities. Everyone involved should know their responsibilities, who they report to, and how to reach each other during an incident. Training your response team regularly builds confidence and helps prevent delays in decision-making.
Create Detailed Playbooks
Write clear steps for responding to the different types of disruptive incidents that could impact your business operations. Include information on backup systems, roles, procedures, and communication templates.
Train Your Teams
Provide training sessions to help employees learn what to expect during a disruption and where to find resources if systems go down. Clear instructions and regular awareness reminders make it easier for everyone to stay calm and follow procedures.
Test, Refine, and Repeat
Despite the importance of keeping BCDR plans up to date, only 25% of businesses test their disaster recovery plans every year.1 Make sure to schedule regular simulations to practice what everyone should do during a disaster, then review what worked well and what needs improvement.
Tips for Choosing the Right BCDR Plan and Solutions
There’s no one-size-fits-all BCDR solution – your choice should reflect the complexity, size, and goals of your organization. Here are a few tips to help you determine what works best:
- Decide on Self-Managing or Outsourcing: Think about whether you have the resources to build and maintain your BCDR plan in-house or if working with a managed services provider makes more sense. Outsourcing can bring specialized expertise and predictable costs without adding to your internal workload.
- Prioritize Cloud Capabilities: Look for platforms that offer cloud-based storage and easy remote access to your data and applications. Cloud capabilities help you recover quickly and keep your team productive if your main location isn’t available.
- Consider Compliance Requirements: Review any compliance requirements in your industry and confirm that your solutions help you stay in line with regulations.
- Integrate With Existing Systems: Choosing tools that can connect with your current software, storage, and security systems helps you avoid compatibility issues and keep processes running efficiently.
Selecting BCDR tools that are easy to use and align with how your team already works makes it much easier to put your plan into action.
5 Best Practices for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
A little preparation goes a long way. Here are some best practices to help you create a reliable BCDR framework:
1. Use Cloud Backups
Storing backups in the cloud protects your data if your main location is affected by a disaster or outage and helps restore files quickly without relying on local hardware. If your business deals with sensitive information, make sure to confirm that your cloud provider meets your security and compliance standards.
2. Document Everything
Keep all your procedures, contact lists, and recovery steps documented in a central location that’s easy to access, even during a stressful situation. Review and update your documentation regularly to reflect any changes in your systems, team structure, or vendor relationships.
3. Perform Drills
Tabletop exercises and live drills help your team understand what to expect and how to follow your BCDR plan under pressure. Simulations can also highlight gaps in your process or tools, so you have time to fix them before a real disruption happens.
4. Keep Communication Plans Simple
Clear communication is essential during an outage or crisis. Create templates for internal updates, customer notifications, and partner messages so you can share information without delays. Include contact information for everyone who needs to stay informed and set expectations about how often updates will be shared.
5. Partner With Key Vendors
Bring your internet providers, cloud vendors, and other technology partners into your BCDR planning. Share your recovery goals and expectations so everyone is prepared to help quickly if needed.
Boost Your BCDR Plan With Fatbeam’s Fiber Solutions
A dependable internet connection is a big part of staying resilient. Fast, stable connectivity helps keep your systems online and ensures your teams can respond without delay.
At Fatbeam, we build high-performance fiber networks designed to support your business when it matters most. Our services include:
- 99.99% uptime backed by responsive support
- Redundant data center infrastructure
- Flexible bandwidth options that adapt as you grow
- Local, responsive support
- Simple billing with no hidden fees
Ready to strengthen your BCDR strategy with better infrastructure? Contact us today to get started.
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