Extolling the Virtues of Workplace Recovery Sites

I love Twitter, in fact I would go as far as saying I am completely addicted to Twitter so much so that I have had to limit my interactions with the Twitterverse to between 7pm and 8pm on a workday. One of the main reasons why I have fallen so deeply in love is because on Twitter you get such diverse information – news that mainstream outlets do not report on. It is on Twitter that I read a tweet from a woman currently unable to access the building she normally works in because it had been quarantined as a result of the coronavirus. She bemoaned the fact that she was unable to work because most of her “work” was locked up in the building.

Cases like this always remind me of the importance of having a workplace recovery site. We have one at Supreme, read on to find out why you should too.

What is a Workplace Recovery Site?

A workplace recovery site (WPRS), also known as a backup or disaster recovery site, is a place that a company can temporarily relocate to following a security breach or natural disaster. The idea being that it can continue operations at this site until it is safe to resume work at its usual location or a new permanent location is secured.

Disasters or security breaches that may require relocation to a temporary backup site are becoming common place. The coronavirus is one example, but so are storms, fire, flood, unexploded bombs and even terrorist attacks. The scenarios I have linked to caused these locations to be out of bounds for several days.

Consider the impact this could have on your business? It is no wonder that one of the fastest growing insurance cover is Disaster Recovery Protection, the best will include provision for a workplace recovery site.

So, What Should a Company Consider When Choosing a WPRS?

It can be hard to weigh the costs and benefits of different types of disaster recovery sites, but a company should keep the following factors in mind when choosing a site:

Location

How far is the disaster recovery site from the parent site? If it’s too far away, it might be harder for people to get to work. If the parent location is close to public transportation and some employees rely on that resource, moving to a remote site can be a problem. The company should also consider the surrounding location based on safety and amenities important to its employees.

Time

This is two pronged. Time as in how quickly you would need to start using your WPRS following a disaster and also in terms of how long you might need to use the disaster recovery site. If you need to be able to access the site as soon as a disaster strikes, then you will be better off having a site that is pretty much ready to go with your business-critical resources in situ. You may have to pay a retainer fee for such a site (or have your own site). Also knowing how long you may be out for will help you budget for the eventuality.

Cost

How much is the company willing to spend for an adequate disaster recovery site? Generally, the more resources available, the higher the cost, so the company must weigh the cost of the site against its benefits.

Resources

What company resources and technology are essential to the business? Is it necessary to have access to all data, or can employees operate independently of the systems? This will help you decide which of your business-critical resource you will need to have at your WPRS.

Internal vs. External Sites

An internal recovery site is organized and maintained by the company, while an external recovery site is maintained by an external provider. Internal recovery sites are often set up with full access to the company’s data, which is ideal for a company that relies heavily on its information. This infrastructure means internal sites tend to be more expensive than external. External sites can range from hot sites to cold sites. Hot sites contain all customer data and information that an employee would be able to access at the company’s primary site, while cold sites have no company data. Benefits of external sites include lower cost (for cold sites) and not having the responsibility of everyday maintenance.

Mobile sites are also an option – these often come in the form of trailers and can be arranged in specific locations and fitted with the requisite technological infrastructure.

Supreme Systems can provide businesses with a hot site for workplace recovery in Birmingham. You can find out more about our WPRS offering here. Outside of Birmingham? We can also offer cold sites for workplace recovery anywhere in the UK, working with our serviced office partners. To find out more, call 0121 309 0126