Energy resilience is essential for businesses. This is why disaster recovery (DR) planning is so crucial, as it helps organisations to prepare for worst-case scenarios such as a weather-related outage or mains power failure.
Without a comprehensive plan in place for getting key systems back online, the consequences can be disastrous. Businesses can lose money, reputation and suffer a serious dent in productivity.
How to Plan for Disaster Recovery
There are certain elements that are at the very core of disaster recovery planning. These are:
- Identifying critical business functions – these are the systems and processes that will be most badly affected by a power outage, and that need to be protected with backup power solutions. This may include servers, manufacturing equipment, security systems, communications or safety systems such as HVAC.
- Conducting risk and impact assessments – these should include an evaluation of potential threats and an analysis of the cost and operational impact of downtime
- Defining recovery objectives – for example, setting key targets for recovery time and acceptable limits for data loss
- Identifying backup power requirements – this includes the size, load requirements and run-time needs of any backup power solution, such as a generator. It can be sensible to work with a power continuity specialist for this part of your plan.
There’s also budget to consider, of course. The organisation needs to set out a budget and resource allocation plan to ensure readiness for a disaster recovery scenario. Without adequate funding, all you’re really left with is a plan on paper.
How to Prepare a Disaster Recovery Plan
How do you write a disaster recovery plan? The first crucial stage is to carry out in-depth risk assessments, so you know exactly the kinds of scenarios you’re planning for – along with your organisation’s main vulnerabilities.
You’ll also want to develop:
- Clear roles and responsibilities for DR teams
- Chain of communication and escalation procedures
- Detailed step-by-step response workflows
- Data protection and cybersecurity – such as backup strategies and cyber recovery protocols
- Supplier and vendor coordination.
You also need to think about backup power solutions. At this stage, a site survey is required, to identify your power needs and develop a tailored solution.
An expert such as Pleavin Power can recommend the right generator type and size, installation location and much more. They can put in place a maintenance schedule and refuelling contract, as well as considering electrical distribution requirements and carrying out regular power quality surveys. It’s all to ensure that your emergency power solution is 100% ready, whenever it’s needed.
How to Manage Disaster Recovery
When drawing up your DR plan, it’s helpful to consider how it’ll actually be executed if and when the time comes.
Once a disruption occurs – whether it’s a power outage, equipment failure or environmental event – your business needs clear processes that guide the response from the first minute through to full restoration. It all starts with strong management and clear communication.
A typical process may involve activating a designated disaster recovery team, who will then work through the workflow protocols to manage power continuity while the situation is ongoing. This may involve deploying backup generators and monitoring their performance, as well as adapting operations to reduce power demand and keep everyone safe.
For example, moving staff to unaffected locations, reducing non-essential workloads to conserve resources or cloud-based applications if your servers are down. It’s all about having a Plan B ready to go, for as many scenarios as possible.
A final part of your disaster recovery plan should involve getting operations back to normal after a power cut. This may include inspecting equipment for damage, verifying data integrity and bringing systems online in a controlled and orderly sequence.
Many organisations also carry out post-event reviews. These help you to learn from what happened and identify areas for improvement.
How Often Should a Disaster Recovery Plan Be Tested?
The only way you’ll really know if your disaster recovery plan works is by testing it. This involves simulating an emergency event like an outage, and executing the plan.
Ideally, this should be done at least once a year. However, businesses which are heavily dependent on consistent power (or heavy power users more generally) should aim to conduct a test more frequently.
DR testing and drills should also be carried out after any major business change. For example, if you move into a new building or install new equipment.
What Are the Benefits of Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan?
An effective disaster recovery plan can offer the following benefits for businesses and organisations of all sizes:
- Reduced downtime – preventing financial losses and operational disruption
- Improved resilience – ensuring the business stays operational during power failures
- Regulatory compliance – many sectors require formal DR plans as part of regulatory requirements. For example, NHS England requires all NHS organisations to have continuity arrangements in place.
- Stronger customer trust – fewer interruptions to everyday service means a better reputation among customers and clients
- Cost savings – proactive planning can reduce emergency costs and equipment damage, as well as the costs associated with lost productivity and missed schedules
- Better employee safety and confidence – clear procedures help to keep everyone informed and protected.
- Optimised power infrastructure – one unexpected benefit of DR planning is that it often uncovers inefficiencies and power vulnerabilities.
How Pleavin Power Supports Disaster Recovery
To effectively develop and implement a disaster recovery plan, you’re going to need to partner with a specialist. This is where backup power experts like Pleavin Power can help.
We can help your business strengthen both energy resilience and disaster readiness, by helping you plan for and maintain reliable backup power. Our experts can assess site risks and develop tailored contingency power strategies. We offer a comprehensive service, from design, delivery and installation to testing, maintenance and monitoring.
Our team is also there for you in a crisis, with 24/7 disaster recovery and emergency generator support.
