Community archive

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Get executives involved with DR

0 helpful
8 replies

by editor's response

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
Tell us what you think about Mike Talon's advice about involving executives in the DR process, as featured in the Jan. 21 Disaster Recovery e-newsletter. Is this information is useful to you. Please rate this column from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.

8 replies

by jeff.campbell

Mike, I agree. The next question is how. The answer is to work out expected ten year costs of not preparing for DR i.e. costs if we allowed loss of data) Then present an expected cost of preparing for DR. If the preparation is more than the saving the exec will say no, but will be aware of likelihood of data loss. More likely, there will be an expected saving over ten years from DR. The exec should then be willing to provide budget.

by wrlang

Most executives hide behind the perception that a business interruption will probably not happen, especially if they have never experienced one. By adding a real threats analysis to what Jeff has stated, the possibility will become a probability. For example, Mr. Executive, every 20 minutes a tanker truck filled with material that could force the evacuation of this entire building for several days passes through a busy intersection within 100 feet of your office. There are 75 accidents at that intersection each year, so it is just a matter of time before it happens.

by jgraham

Just a quick comment...

Your articles are a bit obvious... Most people with 1/2 a brain realize the DR costs a lot of money and usually have to get approved. Most upper managemt realize this and dont sign up for ten(s) or hundred(s)of thousand dollars worth of equipment / payments without at least knowing what is going on. So, that being said thank you again for telling us what we already should know.

If you are going to throw it out there.. at least give us a path to follow not just a statement of what should be. Anyone can do that.

Thanks,
J

by miketalonnyc

Actually, the take away from this was that Executives need to be involved *directly*, not, I repeat NOT simply signing off on budget. How you get them involved is something that a single column can't cover, but I did try to hint at a few possible ways to do it (i.e. have them become responsible for non-technical regulations that are part of every regulatory agency's written procedures).

The idea of the article was not to sit back and simply let them sign things. Get them involved WAY beforea single PO hits the exec's desk, or you'll never get enough budget to pay for everything (or nearly anything) you'll need.

Mike Talon

by miketalonnyc

If you let the subject get boiled down to only numbers, you will always lose budget. Time after time this has been proven.

Get your Exec's into the field. Have them talk to other Exec's who went through a real DR situation, and failed. Let THEMwrite up the justification, after learning just how much cash they'll lose if they fail to plan.

Mike Talon

by havenmoth

Great article- what's missing? Each Businnes Unit should also have someone specifically assigned to see that their area is covered in the disaster recovery plan. Even if the high ups are involved- if each business unit doesn't hold the true responsibility for ensuring that they are included (or excluded, which is an option)the plan is NOT COMPLETE.

by miketalonnyc

I actually covered this particular topic in a previous article, and my editor gets very edgy when I get redundant.

Have no fear, I will do another article on this general topic in the near future.

Mike Talon

by marv wainschel

Execs don't need to know about bits and bytes any more than I need to know about how the plumber fixed my leak. Still, DR/BC planners need Exec INPUT to understand how the technology supports the business and how much needs to be recovered within specific time frames after a disaster. Execs need to be involved to provide this input, principally during a Business Impact Analysis. In short, we need to perform a BIA to ascertain Recovery-Time Objectives and Data-Loss Tolerances. Since 1983, my company has had no problem involving the highest level of management in large corporations. Once we tell them how they need to get involved and why, they just do it. I don't know why planners persistently report that they have problems involving senior management. You cannot do an effective job without them, and if you let them know that in simple terms, they invariably understand. It's not magic.

This discussion is closed to new replies.