How to Write an Accounting Disaster Recovery Plan
A disaster recovery plan is your company's road map for responding to any event. Disasters may include the loss of company servers, fires, widespread illness of key employees or any number of other crises. Responding quickly to an event can get your company up and running with the least amount of interruption. This is critical for an accounting business because it keeps your clients happy and keeps their data secure. Follow your disaster recovery plan to get your business back to normal as quickly as possible.
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Instructions
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Identify the potential threats to your business. Include weather, personnel problems, technology and your third party vendors. Create a list of the potential threats.
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Assess the specific implications of all possible events. Consider how each element of your business would be impacted. Determine what data and systems would be lost and how those losses would impact your business.
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Develop a paper-based system for tracking transactions and financial data in the event that your accounting systems are unavailable for a long period of time. Document this paper-based process.
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Create a document that outlines the steps that will be taken during the crisis. Create steps that will minimize the impact to the company. Evaluate how your clients may be affected and how you will lessen their perceived impact. Document all the steps that will be taken to get the company running normally.
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Execute a mock disaster that will test the recovery plan. Every employee will follow the steps outlined in the recovery plan as they would in a real disaster. Modify the plan to address any flaws uncovered during testing.
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Revisit the recovery plan regularly. Update the document with any changes in personnel, systems or business practices.
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Tips & Warnings
A disaster recovery plan is a living document. As your business changes and grows, your disaster recovery plan will change as well. Assign one person to keep the disaster recovery plan current.
