Business
Continuity is even MORE critical in a Down Economy. Why? We’ll
discuss that at another time.
Today
we’d like to discuss funding…how to maintain it, how to increase
it, and how to pay for new projects.
Packaging
– Regardless of what you need to enhance your BCP program,
packaging multiple solutions, even from different vendors, will save
you money. And, it’s easier to get one approval than three.
Suppose you need a software-planning tool, or an Emergency
Notification Product, consulting help, or a Hot Site. By packaging
all of them together, you’ll get a better deal. But, do not get
locked in to one vendor though, for all solutions. You can still have
a packaged solution with multiple vendors. Various vendors have
partnerships that will allow them to give you a packaged solution
from different companies. If your prime vendor won’t do that, pick
another prime, or you’ll be sorry in the future when you have an
additional requirement.
Want to
go to the DRJ Conference but don’t have the money? You can package
attendance with consulting. Or, you can become a speaker and attend
for free.
Hot
Site Contracts – There
used to be just the “big three” major commercial Hot Site
vendors, plus a couple niche providers. Today, there are a thousand.
And many have the capabilities of the “big two or three.” If your
contract is up for renewal in the next year or so, you can negotiate
savings to pay for other projects like consulting or software.
Better yet, package these solutions with your Hot Site. The best way
to negotiate these savings is with a professional that guarantees you
results and only charges you a percentage of the savings. Even if
your contract is not up for renewal, you may be able to negotiate a
better deal (especially with a professional). The following is not
recommended, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You
can negotiate additional hot site services for free, or save money
for other projects by extending your current Hot Site agreement,
regardless of when it expires. You’re better off to let your
contract expire, and negotiate a new/better contract, even if it’s
with the same vendor.
Telecommunications
– If your organization spends a lot of money (most do) on voice and
data communications, you can save money or package a BCP solution,
like software or consulting. You have two choices to accomplish this.
First, like Hot Site services, you can hire a professional
negotiator, who will get you a better deal for a share of the
savings. Or, you can outsource these services to a professional
organization that will manage the carriers for you, save you money
(guaranteed), or enhance your BCP.
Other
Peoples’ Money (OPM) –
The best way to secure funds for new BCP projects is to gain allies
within your organization to help you seek money or pay for the
solution with their budget. For example, one of KETCHConsulting’s
IT clients was trying to acquire an Emergency Notification Tool, but
they had no budget. During Katrina, this company was unable to
communicate with hundreds of employees for weeks. As a result, and
by educating the Human Resources Vice President, we were able to get
HR to buy the Notification product.
At
another client, an Emergency Notification tool was justified by IT
Operations to improve production and availability. Critical
Application teams were defined, in the tool Data Base, which included
DBA’s, Application Programmers, Systems Programmers, etc. When an
outage occurs in the Data Center, all the critical resources can be
instantly notified and found, reducing down time.
Security
may be a source of funds for a Notification Tool in case of workplace
violence, or some other emergency.
Sales
may be a partner because of SLA’s (Service Level Agreements), or
for emergency notification to customers, for product recalls, or new
product offerings. Communications, Legal, and Finance may be on your
side because of potential fines, product recalls, or customer,
stakeholder, and media communications.
Procurement
could see the value of a Notification Tool for efficient and rapid
communications with suppliers.
Teleworking
as defined by ITAC (the International Teleworking Advisory Council)
is working anywhere but a traditional office, such as home, coffee
shop, library, in the airport van, or at a client. You should
convince the management of the critical people, identified by your
BIA, that they should be able to work from home, for productivity
reasons. When you accomplish this, you’ll have a BCP solution paid
for by the user departments. It’s also the best solution for a
Pandemic. And it will be tested frequently, because every time they
work from home, they will have executed a successful test. You can
even use Teleworking to recover your call center, with an alternate
switch, Voice over IP, and “soft phones.”
Develop
a partnership with your facilities department. Educate them on the
value of teleworking to reduce office space, save money, and create a
BCP. Also, they may be aware of empty facilities that can be used as
a “free” recovery center. Plus, if you get them onboard with your
BCP, they’ll be your ally when they realize that your BCP may
eliminate the requirement for them to quickly find alternative space
at a premium.
Billing
Accommodations – Many
vendors will provide a service now for payment later, e.g., deferred
billing for consulting or a reduced price Hot Site contract while a
plan is put in place. Also, most BCP solutions can be financed.
2009
is a tough year for everyone. But don’t let the economy slow the
progress of your BCP. Whether it’s packaging, contract
negotiations, OPM, or billing accommodations, there’s a solution
out there for you.
About the author: Edward (Ted) Brown III is President & CEO of KETCHConsulting, a BCP and DR Consulting firm headquartered in Pennsylvania, but National and International in scope. Both Mr. Brown and KETCHConsulting are members of the BCP Hall of Fame. You can reach Mr. Brown at 570-563-0868, or PO BOX 641, Waverly, PA 18471, or at TedBrown@KETCHConsulting.com.
MORE INFORMATION: View the BCP in a Down Economy Webinar.
