When an emergency occurs—whether you lose one key individual, one strategic system, an entire building, or a whole network—communications is the most critical element for enabling people to effectively manage and recover from the disruption. Most organizations have at least a semblance of a business recovery plan, but the Business Continuity Institute reports that only 2% of companies' plans actually consider the value of their telephony systems. Even more sobering, according to FEMA, 60% of companies without a communications continuity plan would not survive a disaster and would be out of business within two years of the event.

 

Communications is the key to managing and recovering from a crisis. Think small: a coworker falls very ill and you need help fast. Think larger: the office building is heavily damaged in a fire and employees must be set up to work elsewhere. Larger still: a natural disaster hits your community and you can't get to work—if the office is even functioning. The primary way to exchange information, define and assign actions, and ultimately resolve a situation is through communications, much of it via telephony applications.

 

Avaya counsels expanding your business continuity plan to highlight communications continuity. Your communications continuity plan should go beyond traditional back-up and redundancy capabilities. It's essential to rethink your communications strategy, establishing alternate methods for reacting to a myriad of crisis scenarios, and putting in place communications recovery options that will operate before, during, and after an event.