IT Disaster Recovery Planning For Dummies®

Chapter 11. Keeping DR Plans and Staff Current

Change is a constant force in organizations of all shapes and sizes. Updates in technology, modifications to business processes, and other changes prompt you to revisit and revise your DR documents, including you Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and disaster recovery procedures. This chapter can help you understand the types of changes you need to make to your disaster response procedures and plans when changes in the business occur.

Speaking of changes, personnel changes often happen. People come, people go, and people move around on the org chart (who reports to whom). These new people in new roles require training and retraining to keep teams and departments ready if a disaster occurs.

Understanding the Impact of Changes on DR Plans

By their nature, businesses are undergoing continuous metamorphoses. Businesses change their business models, org charts, product and feature sets, and SLAs (Service Level Agreements) as frequently as you change your underwear.

In the following sections, I discuss the types of changes that occur in businesses and the impact those changes have on disaster recovery plans. I group these changes into five categories:

• Technology changes: Upgrades or changes in software, hardware, and other technologies.

• Business changes: Changes in processes, mergers and acquisitions, and relocation.

• Personnel changes: Changes to the org chart, attrition, changes in department and individual responsibilities, and so on.

• Market changes: ...