Flooded with data disaster

Janette Martin says too few businesses have adequate disaster recovery plans in place

While large-scale natural disasters in the UK are rare, the latest UK-wide flooding suggests that UK businesses are not immune to disaster.

Yet some organisations are still unprepared; they lack a properly structured recovery plan.

Although the threat of a catastrophic event is comparatively rare in the UK, in recent years it seems the risk has become greater than ever in terms of natural disasters.

This can disrupt a business's day-to-day operations and many may never recover.

Many organisations may claim to have adequate business continuity plans, but often the reality is different.

There certainly appears to be a growing threat from damaging weather events, so it is essential for organisations to formulate sensible and workable business continuity plans to cover any eventuality.

The safe storage of business documents through document management and archiving is key.

This can be integrated with accounting and ERP systems, enabling inbound and outbound paper documents to be scanned and barcoded.

Once electronically archived, all documents are stored securely and can be retrieved via the accounting or ERP system, or via a web browser.

Most businesses ensure that their IT systems are appropriately backed up.

However, a worrying number fail to consider secure document storage.

Document management technology should form an integral part of disaster recovery planning.

Not only does it ensure that key business documents are safe from fires or flooding, it can also help organisations comply with document retention requirements and help prevent fraud.

Janette Martin is managing director of V1