Has it been a few years since you last analyzed your business continuity plan? Well, plenty has changed in that time; you’d be doing yourself and your organization a favor by taking a deeper look at your approach to keeping everything running smoothly, regardless of the situation or disaster at hand.
Considering the bull market and the positive economy that just about every industry has enjoyed since recovering from the Great Recession, it has been relatively easy to set the cruise control on your business continuity plan. But, given the pandemic and the continuing threat from cyber criminals, it’s time to turn off autopilot and consider a few continuity best practices.
Addressing Flexibility
It recently became painfully obvious that remote-work opportunities are important, and so is your approach. Pandemic aside, the workforce has demanded more options when it comes to the hours they put in: they want the freedom to work from home or anywhere besides the office environment. In some cases, it’s less a preference than it is a necessity. Perhaps the most important thing you can do to facilitate this is to improve your support options.
Organizations that have embraced non-office-related work have implemented remote monitoring and management tools and improved self-service tools, such as chatbots, that help guide an employee through an issue that is impacting their ability to complete tasks. Some companies have even set aside dedicated IT teams whose only focus is serving the remote workers.
Empowering the Workforce
Empowerment comes in different forms. From giving employees more decision-making freedoms to educating them so they have the knowledge it takes to meet personal goals in the workplace. There is also empowerment involved with equipping them with the right technological tools.
While there will be communication tools that the company makes standard as the preference to convey information, employees will have personal preferences that can also be catered to for promoting productivity. While one employee might prefer to use a chat tool to communicate with leadership and other team members, another might prefer video conferencing. Regardless of the channel, the tools must be easy to use to provide the best business continuity options.
Work With Third Parties
It isn’t easy knowing which technologies will best suit your needs today and in the future. That’s why you should consider getting an advisor to assist you with your business continuity plan. The best advisors are often able to perform audits that provide insights into your business and the telecom and IT infrastructure you already have in place. They can then develop project requirements and share those with top service providers. From there, informed decisions can be made regarding the next steps to take toward providing you with what you need for reliable business continuity solutions.
At eXemplify, we’re helping our customers make smarter IT decisions. Contact us and let’s discuss our approach.