Carrara Companies Cleaning & Restoration Services Blog

Time Matters in Disaster Recovery

Disaster Recovery, a topic many of us have heard of, yet few wish to think about. Management execs and business owners alike would agree that this investment in time and resources may or may not pay off. It is a gamble on a gamble at best. Why plan for the improbable?

It is reported that even in this post Katrina era, fewer than 50% of businesses today have a Disaster Recovery Plan and of those that do, less than half have tested their plan. In today’s challenging economic climate why put forth the effort in time and resources to prepare for something unlikely to happen to you or your business? Time is money.

A recent Gartner Group study found that 70% of companies that suffer a major disaster, without a valid recovery plan in place, fail within the next year and only 10% who survive make a full recovery. Companies without a plan have slower recovery times that are more costly resulting in lost customers, revenue and shareholder confidence.

Experts agree that businesses hit by disaster are stunned into reality as seconds turn to minutes and minutes to hours as they find themselves unprepared to deal with a disastrous event in the workplace. At the end of the day, you may never need it – yet, the evidence is clear that having a Disaster Recovery Plan in place will assist your business to:

1. Save lives & minimize property damage
2. Contact EMS vendors to assist with immediate recovery & restoration efforts
3. Quickly resume mission-critical functions and minimize business interruption
4. Restore service and customer confidence
5. Minimize overall financial impact

Now is the time to plan for disaster – this is not only prudent business decision but can make the difference in surviving the’ unthinkable’. Having a viable Disaster Recovery plan is an absolute must in the world of business today.

What is Disaster Recovery?

Disaster can mean different things depending on who you are. A disaster may range from a flooded basement or fire, to a natural disaster. We will assume, for this example, a disaster happens at work.

A tornado has directly hit your building, and there is no power or structure left. What happens next, and how will your company get back to normal business? This is a prime example of disaster recovery. What can you or your fellow employees do to help business resumption. There are many different things to think about.

Hopefully your company has put some thought into developing a disaster recovery plan. This plan will pose as a bible in getting your business back to normal operations. What is covered in a disaster recovery plan? One could have a list of a thousand line items, but some major components of the plan should be:

IT Recovery, structure repairs, temporary office space, call tree, evacuation procedures, server backups, Insurance, data recovery, phones, temporary tasks for employees, customer notification, media response, and risk assessment.

Each of the above topics should list details in addressing the needs of your company. The goal is to reduce any loss of revenue by getting resuming business. If a plan is developed beforehand and implemented effectively, a lot of money can be saved and prevent your company going out of business. Many companies have experienced a disaster and failed at an effective recovery with an end result of closing its doors – forever.

If you are reading this and are unsure if your company has a Disaster Recovery Plan, ask. Without a plan business resumption is difficult, whether you work for a small business or a large corporation. Many of us think, "A disaster won't happen to us", well I hate to say it, but it will.

Six Starting Points For A Disaster Recovery Plan

When a disaster occurs, it usually happens when you are least prepared, and damaging materials and equipment, you cannot afford to lose. When you know what needs to be done before, during, and after an incident, you can prevent the initial panic and overwhelming feeling of loss. A disaster recovery plan will reduce the extent of the damage, and assist you in carrying out an organized recovery effort.

Disaster plans differ from one organization to the next, but they all contain the basic principles addressing pre-loss preventative measures, emergency procedures, and post-loss recovery efforts. Here are the six starting points you need when drafting your Disaster Recovery Plan.

• Goals: Determine and prioritize the goals for your organization. They must have support and validity from the senior-most personnel.
• Simplicity: Simply put make it simple. A complex plan full of fluff will cause more of a disaster when it becomes time to execute. Keep the goals and priorities clear and simple, and the plan will be successful.
• Maintenance: Periodically schedule a review of the plan, which is usually about every six months. This is necessary as administrative information changes, along with job responsibilities, and business goals and priorities.
• Practice: Setup disaster drills to ensure the plan actually works as intended. Separate out the weak links, and make changes as necessary.
• Business Impact Analysis (BIA): Quantify the hard cost of the business or portion of the business being inoperable. This loss is cumulative dollars verses time. This will define the window of time available to renew business operations, and define the restoration project timeline.
• Risk Analysis: Vital documentation should be defined, as 5% - 7% of total documentation exists in original copy form. The location of this documentation must be written into the plan to ensure recovery. Consider either safe storage options or maintaining backups offsite. Critical assets and equipment, along with critical business partners, must be written into the plan and addressed as well.

Contact Eric Schlaubach or Jim Dunphy for more information about establishing your own Disaster Recovery Plan.

Disaster Recovery: Filing an Insurance Claim

Immediately following a flood, tornado, severe storm, hurricane or earthquake, ensuring your family is safe is the main priority. Once everyone is safe, disaster recovery for any damage to your home is the next phase and the following steps are critical when filing a claim with your insurance company.

Contact your insurance company and/or agent, and get the following information:

• Are you covered for the losses incurred?
• Is the claim more than your deductible?
• How long does the process take?
• How many estimates must I get for any structural damage?
• What if I do not have proof of ownership for the items in my home?
• Are there any living expenses covered in my policy?

If you elect to make temporary repairs, make sure you do it in a safe manner. Save all receipts for any materials you purchase, and do not make any permanent repairs. Photograph all of the objects in your home, and create a home inventory. Also, save any receipts for your living expenses.

Soon after the natural disaster, an adjuster will arrive to assess the damages. Make sure you pay attention to what the adjuster is looking at and for, and get copies of any disaster recovery forms and/or notes the adjuster fills out. You will be required to fill out a Proof of Loss form, so be sure to be as detailed as possible. If the adjuster is not able to complete a full inspection, ensure you schedule a second visit to accurately document everything.

Make sure your electrical and heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems are thoroughly inspected, and note all structural damage to all buildings on your property. Do not throw away any personal belongings or furniture, and use the photographs and home inventory when determining your losses.

Be sure you get estimates from reliable and experienced restoration services companies or contractors. These should be as detailed as possible, and if they aren't, be weary of questionable business practices. Remember to document and retain everything, as it will help you in the long run.

Proper Flood Cleanup Prevents Indoor Mold Exposure

Winter only last several months, but the accumulating snow may cause severe problems when the Spring thaw arrives. Sewers and rivers back up and spill out and over into homes and offices, potentially causing health issues during the flood cleanup.

Failure to remove contaminated materials and to reduce moisture and humidity can present serious long-term health risks. Standing water and wet materials are a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria and mold. They can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions, and continue to damage materials long after the flood.

Exposure can be minimalized or eliminated with the proper protection and knowledge of how to tackle the flood cleanup. Ensure personnel are trained in flood restoration, and are well equipped in properly removing any hazards for your home and office.

Carrara Companies Launches Cleaning and Restoration Services 15-Minute Callback Guarantee

Carrara Companies recently launched a 15-minute callback campaign for cleaning and restoration services. We guarantee a response from Carrara representatives — 24/7 — within 15 minutes of the initial consumer contact through our 1-888-502-5326 phone number. In addition, when consumers contact us through CarraraCompanies.com, we guarantee a response within 15 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day.

The campaign is very important for emergency response situations, as well as our customers who contact us through our Website. We stand by this guarantee by offering a discount on a cleaning or restoration service if contact is not made within 15 minutes.