V1 warns businesses to implement full disaster recovery plan following UK’s winter floods
UK businesses are putting their futures at risk from a disaster by failing to have a comprehensive business continuity plan in place, according to electronic document management software company, V1. The recent UK-wide flooding, with forecasters predicting further heavy rain, has crystallised the worst case scenario for disaster recovery planners. Whilst the threat posed to the UK by large-scale natural disasters has been rare, the increasingly common freak weather events have shown that UK businesses are not immune to disaster. Despite this, some organisations are still insufficiently prepared and lack a well-structured recovery plan.
Janette Martin, Managing Director of V1, says: “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. The impact of this can cause significant disruption to a business’s day-to-day operations from which many may never recover.
“Many organisations may claim to have adequate business continuity plans in place, but often the reality is different. With what certainly appears to be a growing threat of damaging weather events, it is essential for organisations to formulate sensible and workable business continuity plans to cover any eventuality.”
The safe storage of business documents is a vital part of an organisation’s business continuity plan. Having a document management and archiving solution in place is key to this strategy. Document management technology, which can be tightly integrated into organisations’ accounting and ERP systems, enables their inbound and outbound paper documents to be scanned and barcoded. Once in the electronic archive, all documents are securely stored and can be retrieved by drilling down through the accounting/ERP system or via a web browser.
Janette added: “Most businesses ensure that their IT systems are appropriately backed-up, however a worrying number fail to consider whether their documents are securely stored. Document management technology should form an integral part of a robust disaster recovery plan. Not only does it ensure that key business documents are safe in the event of a fire or flood, it also supports document retention requirements and helps to prevent fraud.”
V1’s recently expanded its product suite to include: document management, professional services automation, project accounting, facilities management, and training & learning management software.