Disaster Recovery and Planning - Business Documents and Records

Disaster wears many faces. People know the importance of insuring their homes, vehicles, businesses, and lives from both natural and man-made disaster. When tragedy strikes, the most important concern is obviously human welfare - surviving the event with minimal or no permanent damage. The next concern, however, is the kind of permanent damage that can feel like a life has ended: losing imperative data. While facilities and equipment can be replaced, nothing can replace damaged or destroyed documents. Every company keeps data that is so important; losing it would be catastrophic to the business. However, many businesses have unreliable disaster plans, or none at all. These companies are facing very large and unnecessary risks.

There are hundreds of news articles featuring businesses that have lost invaluable information to natural disaster. Consider the possible flukes that can set a building ablaze: gas leak, poor wiring, equipment failure, and negligence. Weather concerns are relevant across the world. The source of destruction depends on geographic location, but severe weather happens everywhere. The point is that every business is vulnerable to disaster, and no business can afford to lose their most valued data and documents. This article will discuss the aspect of document recovery in disaster planning. To efficiently and successfully prepare for the worst, several points must be considered:

Nature of disaster capable of occurring
Type of information that would need to be recovered
Format of documentation or information
How these factors affect the decision-making process

What could happen?

As stated earlier, the two kinds of disaster that can ruin a business are natural and man-made. Each is a separate and real risks.

Natural disasters: The most common natural disasters, depending on geographic location, come by way of hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, earth quakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, extreme cold or heat, landslides, snow or ice storms, hail, and fire.

Man-made disasters: This category may include explosions, arson, hazardous materials, terrorism, sabotage, theft, structural collapse, nuclear catastrophe, computer viruses, power disruption, and power spikes.

Either form of destruction can have an enormous impact on records and files. Without backup copies or alternate forms of recordkeeping, this data may be gone forever. No matter how unlikely it is for such an event to take place, it is always a possibility.

What information needs to be saved?

There are numerous categories of information that may need to be recovered in the event of a disaster. Some include:

Drawings
Specs
Vital HR records
Video or audio records
Procedures
Financial records and information
Customer information
Quality and product tracking records
Inventory
Certificates
Licenses
Security information

Assess which records and data would be most vital to recover if all was lost forever. How would the organization function without them? What is the safest way to ensure a copy is available if the building and equipment are destroyed? How do you go about recovering this document in the event of a disaster?

How the information is kept

Businesses that most urgently need disaster planning are obviously those whose records are only kept on paper. Drawings, manuals, and books are often kept in filing cabinets, drawers, shelves, and boxes on-site. Even paper files that are kept in an off-site storage facility are susceptible to destruction. It is wisest to keep records in more than one format. Following is a brief description of non-paper methods of keeping and storing information.

Electronic Format: Files stored and retrieved by computers. Some common formats for vital records include TIFF images, PDF/searchable PDF, databases, video files, and audio files. Electronic files can be stored on hard drives, CD's or DVDs, flash drives, floppy discs, and tapes. This would include paper documents that are scanned and indexed for fast retrieval.

Microfiche: A flat film that contains a matrix of micro images that can be stored in boxes, file cabinets, drawers and envelopes.

Microfilm: A reel or roll of film that can be perforated in 35mm or 16 mm format and contains micro images. Microfilm is typically stored in open-reel type systems or in cassettes.

Aperture Cards: A punched or non-punched card with a microfilm image mounted. They can be stored in boxes, file cabinets, drawers and envelopes.

Putting it all together

Knowing what could happen, what would be destroyed, and what is most important to recover, you want to decide on the disaster-recovery plan that is best for you. Here are a few key elements to consider when choosing a method of document safekeeping:

Prioritize: Not every record or document is critical, and the likelihood of a hurricane hitting South Dakota is zero. It is ridiculous to address every possible situation, so address the most catastrophic situation that is most likely to occur.

Storage: Very few storage systems are 100% disaster proof. Humidity, extreme temperatures, fire, water, and chemicals will destroy or degrade paper, microfilm, microfiche, and aperture cards. Even electronic formats are susceptible to the elements. Duplicates of your vital records should be stored in an off-site location. To minimize damage at the off-site storage, consider the type of destruction possible. For instance, if hurricanes occur in your area, it may be wise to choose a site that would likely be out of harms way should a hurricane destroy your site.

Document Integrity: Time alone can compromise paper, microfilm, microfiche and aperture cards. Be prepared to replace that which degrades over time.

Access: Documents that are difficult or impossible to retrieve are no more useful than destroyed documents. Your retrieval system must ensure that any given document or record can be found quickly. In the case of electronic storage, images need a logical indexing format for easy search and retrieval.

Conversion: Microfilm, microfiche, paper, and aperture cards can all be converted to electronic format with digital scanning technology. The most common electronic formats are TIFF (image) and PDF (including searchable PDF). While scanning, a document can be indexed for efficient retrieval. Indexing allows the documents to be searched or cross-referenced by a number of fields, such as: name, SSN, model or serial number, date, etc.

Electronically-formatted documents are easiest to store and retrieve. One can rent electronic storage in a dozen locations around the world at a minimum cost. Retrieval is instantaneous. Electronic data can be automatically backed up to off-site locations daily or even hourly if needed. Cost is typically based on the amount of memory needed, but is relatively inexpensive compared to physical storage facilities

Documents may also be converted from electronic format to eye-readable formats (such as microfilm or microfiche.) From a security standpoint, retrieving electronic information may be impossible if power or internet access is interrupted. For some, computer/network hacking is a greater threat to security than a physical break-in at a secured storage area.

Above all, be realistic and take disaster recovery-planning seriously. Choose only what is most likely to happen and thoroughly prepare for it. Devise a plan that will work, not just a checklist that no one can put into action. Hopefully your company will never suffer the kind of disaster that can destroy a business. If the worst were to happen, though, there's no turning back. Preparing for disaster today may save your business tomorrow.

Rick Romens founded Microfacs in 1988 after having 10 years in the micrographic industry. Microfacs Inc is a digital conversion company that specializes in microfilm scanning, microfiche scanning, scanning aperture cards and paper scanning services.