Ensuring Business Continuity Amidst Power Disruptions: Info-Tech Research Group Publishes Guide for Uninterrupted Operations

Info-Tech Research Group’s latest blueprint delivers essential strategies for organizations to maintain continuity during power outages, emphasizing the importance of preparedness for operational resilience. This research outlines proactive measures to safeguard operations against the increasing frequency of electrical disruptions, enhancing both strategic planning and crisis response capabilities.

TORONTO, May 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – In today’s digital landscape, having uninterrupted operations during power outages is critical for any organization, as disruptions can lead to significant operational and financial losses. To assist organizations in enhancing their resilience against power disruptions, Info-Tech Research Group has released a new blueprint, Maintain Continuity in a Power Outage. This newly published research highlights the importance of preparing for specific outage scenarios, conducting regular tests, and performing comprehensive business impact analyses to safeguard operations and reduce the risk of significant downtime.

“There is a significant risk of rolling blackouts around the world due to potential natural gas shortages and weather events such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires, as well as crumbling power grids in some developing countries,” says Mark Tauschek, Vice President, Research Fellowships and Distinguished Analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. “We generally discuss disaster response planning (DRP) and business continuity planning (BCP) as comprehensive plans that cover all technology domains and business processes. However, it is advisable to narrow the scope to a single incident or event if there is a materially higher risk of it happening.“

Info-Tech’s blueprint details how organizations can specifically prepare for and manage power outages to maintain operational continuity. It emphasizes the need for organizations to undertake thorough business impact analyses and develop focused disaster response strategies that address the most likely scenarios, such as power interruptions. This approach includes crafting detailed, scenario-specific recovery workflows and regularly testing these plans to ensure readiness.

Our guidance is to prepare for power outages as if they were a near certainty. If you don’t have a documented DRP or BCP or if they are dated and untested, take this opportunity to laser focus on a single event – a loss of electricity,” explains Tauschek. “Understand the business impact and risk, conduct comprehensive and honest tabletop planning, develop recovery workflows, and test your capability to maintain business continuity during a power outage.

The firm also stresses the importance of a layered backup power strategy, incorporating solutions like uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, generators, and possibly renewable energy options to ensure resilience during prolonged outages. This multifaceted approach can help organizations respond effectively to immediate disruptions and sustain critical operations during extended power failures, aligning with best practices for business continuity in unpredictable environments.

Every organization should maintain comprehensive disaster recovery and business continuity plans. However, Info-Tech advises that organizations in areas particularly vulnerable to power outages prioritize refining the following processes to enhance their ability to respond to and sustain operations during such disruptions:

1. Conducting a business impact analysis (BIA):

Understand the dependencies and impacts and define recovery time and recovery point objectives for a power outage.

2. Execute tabletop planning:

Tabletop exercises are the most effective ways to test and increase business confidence in business recovery capabilities.

3. Make recovery workflows practical:

Document the steps identified in the tabletop exercises to create a draft recovery workflow.

4. Pull the plug – test backup and recovery:

Real-world testing of recovery workflows is essential to ensure the process is effective.

By implementing the strategies outlined in Info-Tech’s blueprint, organizations can maintain critical functions even under adverse conditions, thereby protecting assets, minimizing downtime, and upholding service reliability. This strategic preparedness is invaluable for fostering resilience and confidence among stakeholders, positioning organizations for sustained success in an unpredictable environment.

For exclusive and timely commentary on this topic from Info-Tech’s experts and access to the complete Maintain Continuity in a Power Outage blueprint, please contact [email protected].

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About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

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