An interview with Sally Cohn, MBCP

e-GUIDE(): What are some of the obstacles companies face using convention software applications?

Sally Cohn: Before the industry came out with specific Business Continuity Software, software applications, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Lotus Notes were the popular way to create and maintain Disaster Recovery/Business Resumption Plans. Companies have relied upon disaster recovery plans to assure operational continuance for over twenty-five years. Banking and financial services were one of the first industries to acknowledge the need for information high availability and required plans to recover from a mainframe disaster. Early plans were created utilizing word processing software, spreadsheets and databases. As personal computers and network servers populated the information technology infrastructure, the distributed environment added challenges to mainframe recovery plans. Businesses recognized the need for distributed business continuity planning, but were limited by resources. Homegrown technology databases and distributed documents required demanding involvement to maintain. It was time-consuming because data was in many files, not always up-to-date and accurate. A name or phone number might have been changed in one area, but not in another. It was possible to plan for several scenarios, but that made maintenance even more of a nightmare.

Other obstacles companies face using convention software applications are:
Plans are kept in the trunk of the Continuity Manager's car.
Not knowing if all copies of the Plan are up-to-date
High-speed notification is "how fast your finger could dial."
Volumes of notebooks are needed to have multiple plans, multiple scenarios or multiple locations.
Tracking the events of a disaster depends on people's memories.
No central management of Plans
Commencing the call tree depends on one person.
Collaboration on the Plan takes place in lengthy committee meetings.
Information that needs changing on a regular basis is scattered throughout the Plan.
You can't remember which section of the plan that important diagram or document is a part of.

What are some of the benefits of web-based Business Continuity software?

Sally Cohn: Today, companies look to technology as they fortify business continuity planning and operational readiness. In addition to planning for "worst-case scenarios," some companies require a way that could help them better facilitate the creation, distribution, execution, test, and audit of multiple plan scenarios. Plan ownership and information availability is shared between information technology and business units. Templates that could assure consistency and accuracy are requested more and more. Organizations want plans that are as up-to-date as possible.

Reports released by the META group find that, "only 20% of Global 2000 organizations have business continuity plans that ensure a strong likelihood of surviving a disaster without lasting adverse impacts to the enterprise. Fewer than 50% have robust, well-tested, end-to-end business continuity processes." As organizations attempt to address enterprise wide business continuity planning, many are struggling to implement an effective program and strategy. Planning initiatives are driven by manual, time intensive processes resulting in plans falling out-of-sync with business objectives and out-of-date with technology infrastructure.

Web-based technology, now available for business continuity planning, can help facilitate the development and management of effective business continuity plans more efficiently. There are some Web-based business continuity software packages that easily interface with a human resource database to maintain current employee contact information. Plan change and version control can be permissioned to the owning business unit and tracked to assure timely updates. Business Impact Analysis (BIA) modules provide for convenient information analysis. The BIA information is then integrated and accessible on-line, saving time historically spent updating plans. Outbound notification modules facilitate the contact and accountability of mission critical personnel and vendors when an event is declared.

For some companies, web-based business continuity planning software will cost effectively enhance the development, management, and accountability of mission critical operations throughout the enterprise. One might argue that it is cheaper to have one person do all the maintenance on the conventional applications (Word, Excel, Access or Lotus Notes) than pay for a Business Continuity Package. Many BC software companies are now hosting their web-based Business Continuity Software, assuring the customer that in the event of disaster to their data center, they would still have access to their plan. As long as there is a way to access the Internet (at home, in the Library, etc.) there is a way to see your plan. The result is more effective information readiness and less organizational risk.

So with today's technology, can Business Continuity Software be used to manage a company's disaster?

Sally Cohn: With a web-based Business Continuity Software package, there is no longer the need to search for your Disaster Recovery Handbook, and hope you have all the new revisions. Utilizing web-based business continuity software, current plans are easily accessed by logging on to the Internet.

Today, the Internet has emerged as an application that has taken Business Continuity further than any other form of technology. Web based business continuity software allows companies with multiple locations around the United States and internationally, the ability to have their Crisis Management Teams involved with their disaster no matter where they are physically located. Interactive recovery is possible.

Web based business continuity software embraces the power of the Internet by allowing organizations to effectively manage disaster declaration, recovery, and critical communications across the enterprise, regardless of a team members' physical location. Business continuity and disaster recovery planners, cross-functional teams, business units, operations managers, and technologists are drawn together in a single environment with access from anywhere. The result is decreased response time, distributed ownership and faster communication at a time when it is most critical.

What kind of time and labor commitment (in addition to software costs) must a company justify before moving in this direction?

Sally Cohn: The purpose of using Business Continuity Software is to help reduce the time and labor needed to create and maintain Business Continuity Plans. If you consider the time and money it would save by enabling your staff to use templates instead of "re-inventing the wheel," a company can have a viable plan in less time and have the assurance that they will survive the next disaster.

Business Continuity Software is most valuable in the maintenance and distribution of a plan. It is also valuable because everyone is using the same copy of the plan. When you update a plan on the conventional software (Word, Excel, Access or Lotus Notes) you then have to send everyone the latest version and hope that they take the hardcopy and replace the old pages with the new. By using a web-based Business Continuity Software package, the plan is always online. As long as you have an ID and a password, you can access your plan and know that it is the latest version.

The cost for Business Continuity Software packages can vary greatly. Before looking at what is available, an organization must determine their planning needs. Defining and understanding the purpose of the tool will ultimately drive the cost. The number of users, and the number of people maintaining (editing) the plan will determine the cost. Viable, tested business continuity plans can give companies a competitive edge. More and more organizations are asking their smaller suppliers if they have a Business Continuity Plan. This must be factored into the cost. How many deals has a company lost because they didn't have a Business Continuity Plan?

About Sally Cohn
Sally Cohn, MBCP, Director of Planning Services, MBCP - is CAPS' Director of Business Recovery Planning. She began her career in disaster recovery in the early 1980's when she was a co-founder of Host Consulting, Inc.; a company that created contingency plans. Host also had a disaster recovery software tool called "HOST 100," which she helped create and implement for Host's customers. Sally has designed, developed and tested contingency plans in the banking, utility, manufacturing, and other Fortune 500 industries for approximately 75 companies. During her employment at GTE, Sally developed documentation, reporting procedures, departmental workflow analysis, and structure and design for HRIS. Her Masters Degree in Information Systems (MIS) from Pace University has enabled her to remain on the cutting edge of technology and Disaster Recovery Planning. She is a Certified Master Business Continuity Professional (MBCP) from DRI International. You can contact her directly at (203) 925-3900; email her at: SCohn@capsbrs.com; or visit CAPS' website for more information at: www.capsbrs.com.