Disaster Recovery: When the Going Gets Tough…

Planning for something unprecedented, to foresee the unforeseen is at best tough. Having said that, planning for something like the World Trade Center (WTC) attack must have been relatively less complex, because it did have a precedent. Though none could have foreseen the extent of the damage, the precedent did help in planning ahead and the state of readiness. When the WTC was bombed in 1993, disaster recovery was a fledgling concept with most businesses not yet ready to tackle any disruptions to their computer- and network-centric operations. However, when disaster struck the second time, most of them were ready, armed with some of the most professional backup and recovery plans. And, when the twin towers went down, these disaster recovery plans were already activated, ensuring smooth data flow.

A case in point is Verizon Communications, whose office adjacent to the WTC was extensively damaged by the attacks. The telco operates 2 million phone lines in lower Manhattan alone and fulfills 20 percent of Wall Street's communication needs. Remarkable efforts from the telecommunications company saw The New York Stock Exchange, which was closed for business for four days, resuming operations within the week. The exchange managed 15,000 voice and data backups within five days after the disaster and handled a record volume of 2.37 billion shares on the day it reopened. Verizon had reconstructed, constructed, or rerouted some 4 million voice and data circuits in Manhattan and parts of New York within the first week of the attacks and transmitted a record number of calls each day. The key to its resilience? Planning.

Planning is All

For IT professionals, disasters are an everyday reality. Disasters may come in all sizes and shapes-right from spilling coffee on your computer to a Trojan attack or one of the WTC kinds. Typically, disaster recovery plans are like your insurance-they are of little use until you actually need them one day. But, operating without one of these recovery plans in place could mean business failure, especially so when e-business is gaining widespread acceptance. Implementing a well thought-out disaster recovery plan could be time and resources consuming, but the impact of downtime and data loss could be worse-lost revenue, loss of customers, decline in share value, and poor profitability. And, if bound by contractual obligations or federal regulations, you may be required to deliver the goods no matter what.

Planning for disasters is complex, and requires the time of technical staff, funds, and whole-hearted support from the management. A typical disaster recovery plan would include the following:

• A thorough understanding of the kind of risks a business is likely to face and defining the scope of the project
• A study of the existing security systems and assessing their vulnerability
• Determining the enterprise's disaster threshold. For example, rate the risks on a factor of ten and determine the severity of impact, grading them from the least harmful to the most
• Step 3 will help in defining the requirements in terms of hardware, software, and remote support and facilities
• Identify the vendor, upgrade existing systems to ensure compatibility with the disaster recovery plan
• Test, test, and test. Try out a partial recovery. See if the system is in working order. This exercise will also help gauge the timeframe for getting the business up and running in case of a disaster
• Maintenance and frequent upgrades. The latter depends purely on business requirements

The Crack Team

Three names that continuously popped up in the media in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks were IBM, SunGard, and Comdisco. Their disaster recovery services range from providing office space to supplying computers to recreating data.

IBM's Business Continuity and Recovery Services Group achieved miraculous success in helping businesses affected by the attacks by providing backup locations. Most of its customers were back on their feet within 72 hours and critical telecommunication lines were restored as early as 48 hours. The company has already outlined major plans for Project eLiza, which will focus on developing self-managing systems that will reduce the cost and complexity of IT infrastructure. IBM promises that such systems will not just reduce the need for human intervention, but will also improve performance and efficiency dramatically as well as simplify user management.

There were 30 SunGard customers in the WTC and a hundred others located within a mile radius, all of which successfully recovered their data, and resumed their networking and backoffice functions. SunGard got its first SOS just eight minutes after the first plane hit the WTC. By September 14, it had configured 50 workstations with PCs and a WAN connection to an RS/6000 in its Philadelphia MegaCenter for the New York Shipping Association and put the harbor back in action. The company has now tied up with the GSA Federal Computer Acquisition Center (FEDCAC), a federal agency, to offer hot site services, mobile, workgroup and network recovery, electronic vaulting and recovery plan development, and testing services to agencies belonging to the U.S. Government.

After the attack, 47 companies with roughly 3,000 customers declared disasters with Comdisco, which meant their operations had to be shifted to remote locations. A majority of them were banks, insurance companies, investment banks, and brokerages, to whom downtime or data loss could prove nightmarish. The company, which was also supporting one of the exchanges in New York, had 13 of its 23 data recovery centers in the United States operating in full swing at one point of time. And, by the 25th of the month, 20 of its 47 customers had returned to their facilities.

The Cost Factor

Data recovery services range from simple system recovery (usually a tape backup) to complex hosting services (no data loss and a maximum downtime of two hours in case of a major disaster) with uptime guarantee and continuity services. The costs too vary accordingly, from a few thousands to close to a million dollars for continuity services wherein all the client data is mirrored in servers at a remote recovery center. Most stock exchanges as well as a majority of health service providers rely on this service to protect their data.

For companies that had just taken a perfunctory look at disaster recovery so far, the happenings of September 11 have changed everything. The redundancy built in by WTC has taught them a lesson in disaster recovery and planning for contingencies.

strategic marketing solution

Generally, managers are hired for their strategic abilities to plan and problem-solve to achieve business goals. And that's what you spend your time doing, isn't it?

If you answered, "Right. Who are you kidding?" you probably belong to the vast majority of managers with the ability and expertise to bring tremendous value to their organizations. In reality, you just don't have time to make that strategic contribution to efficiency and productivity - you're too busy putting out fires.

Most managers can relate to this phenomenon. The number of problems in any business exceeds the number of people or the amount of time available to solve them. So people learn to juggle problems, patching here, patching there, all in a race to get that last patch on before the first one falls off again. And it invariably does, strategic marketing solution article.

When you look at it that way, it seems rather futile, doesn't it? Yet managers do it every day, week and month of the year, knowing full well it's a never-ending cycle. Why? Because they don't see any practical alternative. Doing anything else would take more time - and they don't have any of that to spare, strategic marketing solution article.

If this sounds uncomfortably familiar, it's time to rethink things. As leaders, we show our employees how we expect them to approach their work - and their problems. And if we already know what we're doing is ineffective, do we really want the next group of up-and-comers doing the same thing?

So how can we break the cycle? By taking a more effective approach to problem solving. After all, if that first patch had been a long-term solution, you wouldn't be rushing to get back to it now, would you?

The answer is to develop a problem-solving culture, and that means taking a different approach to problems as they occur. Start by reviewing each problem and assigning priorities based on business impact. Then establish strategic problem-solving teams that consist of various levels of employees and management. Their mandate? To determine the root causes of problems and solve them - permanently, strategic marketing solution article.

Training problem-solvers using a systematic approach is the best way to build the problem-solving skills required and ensure consistency of approach. This also allows standard measurement criteria to be established for the purpose of employee reward systems that reinforce the problem-solving culture, strategic marketing solution article.

effective teamwork

Despite the warmth and fuzziness of the "effective teamwork" concept, many companies have found that implementing a team-based organizational model is not as easy you might expect.

Why? Consider the reason for the meteoric rise in popularity of the team-based approach - primarily the widespread adoption and use of new technologies and integrated information systems. Their extensive introduction in the '90s has changed organizational focus from standardization, coordination and control to creativity and innovation. To achieve the former, management "policed" the system, where the latter requires a radically different management philosophy and style - and therein lies the challenge , effective teamwork article.

The benefits of the team model are significant. Increased pressures from global competition, the need to reduce costs, restructuring, downsizing and outsourcing have all led to reduced numbers of "core" employees. Lower head counts necessitate greater flexibility within the remaining workforce, so teamwork provides an ideal vehicle for efficiency gains and productivity improvement, effective teamwork article.

In addition, the empowerment in work teams gives individuals and teams the ability to better manage both their work and their immediate environment. For many, this has been a welcome change in quality of work life, and has increased problem-solving and innovative capabilities for businesses, effective teamwork article.

To achieve results in a team-based organization, management supports people and new technologies by creatively problem-solving. They manage events and transactions "by exception" (meaning simply those transactions or events that fall outside the parameters of "normal" thus cannot be handled by "the system"). This means that problem solving is more complex, and, thanks to automation, management faces a barrage of issues in rapid succession on an ongoing basis, effective teamwork article.

Not surprisingly, a number of problems associated with team-based organizational models have emerged. For example, teamwork can introduce its own inefficiencies such as requiring more meetings that take up more time. And research has shown that seven out of every ten teams fail to produce the desired results, effective teamwork article.

Another issue is that senior managers may opt to focus on team building to achieve performance improvement rather than adopting more immediate solutions to company problems. These efforts often do not result in improvement, as research has also shown that a combination of changes to both technology and social organization is necessary to move toward best-practice standards, effective teamwork article.

Finally, typical implementation problems include the difficulty of defining clear team objectives, the tendency toward "group think", conflict between teams and worsening tensions across functional areas. This is exacerbated by failure to change reward systems focused on individual achievement to those that are aligned with the strategic direction of a team-based philosophy, effective teamwork article.

So, can team-based business models work? Absolutely. Are there strategic advantages to be gained with a team approach? Definitely. Do they have the potential to help organizations make the most of their people and other resources? Without question. How can your business reap the rewards of a team-based approach? By ensuring that management and employees at every level are committed to the direction, operate within the new team structure and are rewarded for doing so.

strategic business thinking

The more we read about business, the more we hear about strategy, strategic planning and the strategic thinking that we need to get our businesses to where we want them to be. Clearly, the idea of being strategic ­ essentially viewing the evolution of your business over the long term ­ is a practical one. Not so clear, though, is exactly what strategic business thinking is. Thinking strategically is similar to thinking scientifically ­ the central activities of both are the generation of hypotheses, and the testing of those hypotheses. In simple terms, strategic business thinking means asking the creative question, "What if?", as well as the practical question, "if …, then …?". Strategic business thinking allows relevant data to be included in the analysis of the potential outcomes and financial impacts of a proposed plan of action.

One of the benefits of strategic business thinking is that it requires managers to think beyond their own realms of responsibility. They learn to appreciate the connection between their roles and the operation of the broader organization. In the process, they develop a greater sense of the interdependencies between the various functions and the roles of their peers with their own.

Strategic business thinking assumes a future that can only be defined in general terms. A shape or direction can be defined, but the specifics will continually evolve as the business environment changes over time. Therefore, those closest to the front line are able to contribute critical information that is vital to the development of long-term strategy. The concept challenges the traditional top-down planning process by requiring involvement at many levels of the organization.

Thinking strategically requires a re-thinking of how we develop our business strategies, how we share information and with whom. In the past, information was shared on a "need to know" basis, so mid level managers and their employees often did not understand why they were doing what they were asked to do. The ability to think strategically was once only valued in executives. Now it is important for managers and employees at many different levels to possess this capability, so they can make a valuable contribution to the strategic business planning process and ultimately the long-term evolution of the company.

Good advertising strategy

Good Advertising Means Making a Great First Impression
"You never get a second chance to make a first impression"… and in the case of advertising, truer words were never spoken. Brochures and advertisements are often the first communication between your business and your potential customers, so the image of your business depends on them.

All of the elements of your advertisements carry a message - the pictures, the layout, the colours and, above all, the words (or "copy"). Often it isn 't what you say but how you say it that makes the difference between communicating the way you intended - and the way you didn't intend ­ with your target audience.

So, who writes the best text for advertising? Like designing a product or managing a business, writing marketing copy is a special skill, so a professional writer is your best choice. Many business people think they should write their own marketing copy, because they know their business best. And they're right ­ they do know their business and their market best. But they should partner with a professional writer to make their knowledge, ideas and messages come to life. The fact is that most people who are not in the business of words lack the skill and experience required to create the right tone and style. But just what makes a good advertisement?

Good advertisements are:
Entertaining ­ both fresh and interesting.
Informative ­ they tell your customers what you want them to know.
Appropriate ­ customers are comfortable with the content, vocabulary, tone and style.
Well designed - layout is appealing, attractive and complements the text message.
Well illustrated - contain the right pictures or graphics with a few words to clarify what the picture is saying.
Well written ­ grammatically correct; no spelling errors. There are some other critical elements of advertising that also should be considered when developing an advertising piece. Is the choice of type and image professional? Does the text consist of a few, well-chosen words? Everything, even the paper you print on, carries a message.
One of the foremost authorities on advertising, David Ogilvy, says the fact that few people actually read the average advertisement is in most cases the fault of the design. The layout, graphics and text must work together to effectively communicate the message. It is not uncommon for the visual image to dominate to the point where the brochure or advertising looks terrific, but the message is entirely lost.

With this in mind, give careful consideration to the development of your next advertising piece, program or campaign by asking the following questions:
What do you want to achieve? (the purpose)
Who will receive the advertising? (the audience)
What do you want to tell them? (the content)
What format will be used? Booklet, brochure, newspaper, magazine, billboard, online?
What software and hardware resources do you already have or want to use, and what are their specifications?
What are your document management requirements?
What is your budget?
Once you've determined the fundamentals, call in the specialist skills needed to bring your ideas ­ and your business ­ to life for your customers. For more information on developing advertising campaigns, promotional materials or special marketing programs, contact 5th Business. Our Marketing Mix services can help you create innovative, dynamic marketing programs and materials that deliver results fast.

integrated business strategies

Marketing professionals have different ideas about what it takes to build the ideal market presence but most agree that the key to success is an integrated overall strategy.

Integrated business strategies have changed with the business environment over the past 10 years. As a result, there has been a dramatic shift in the way successful Integrated business strategies look at new integrated marketing strategies. In the 80's, it was not uncommon for many marketing strategies to parallel national social attitudes ­ in other words, spend, spend, SPEND. Companies often relied on narrow marketing initiatives that focused on a single media or mechanism ­ strictly advertising, for example. The theory was that more money = more results.

Today, companies are far more strategic in their marketing strategies- the emphasis is on maximizing exposure and minimizing cost. This results in a best-value scenario that ensures a high impact market presence and an excellent return on marketing investment. The best way to achieve this for your business is to integrate a variety of strategies and tactics, including both proven performers and innovative new programs.

The integrated approach to busines strategies offers significant advantages:
increased exposure through a variety of media and mechanisms
improved efficiency as a result of better targeting
more consistent messages and improved corporate image
market perception that your business has achieved greater critical mass
opportunity to differentiate from competition
flexibility to allow quick response to changes in market conditions
The key to successful integration of marketing activities lies in two critical marketing tactics. First, dramatically increasing impact on your target market by creating a barrage of consistent, high impact messaging and imaging. How? As an example, instead of spending the entire marketing budget on trade advertising split it between direct mail, targeted publicity and promotion, telemarketing, online marketing and trade advertising. (Keeping in mind that you don't want to "water down" your marketing messages too much.)

Secondly, and most importantly, ensure that all your messages are consistent. All marketing communications activities should be guided by an overall strategy. Specific key messages must be repeated through a variety of media to ensure that every marketing dollar is working to build your business, integrated business strategies research.

Larger firms can still afford to maintain a full in-house marketing function but in the '90s the trend is toward "outsourcing". This can be accomplished either on a project by project basis or through an ongoing relationship with a firm that offers a full range of marketing and communications services. A good way to determine which approach is best for you is to meet with a reputable marketing communications firm to discuss your objectives and current market position. A qualified firm can work with you to tailor an integrated marketing solution that will work with your business objectives as well as your budget.

effectiveness of advertising in media

The daily newspaper is, in comparison to other media, the medium that satisfies cultural demands most according to its users' expectations regarding layout and reporting. Newspapers, as documents of the "relevant set," are continually forced to keep their articles "reasonable" and "relevant to everyday life."

In the entirety of this "reasonable/relevant" quality lies the strength of the advertising medium newspaper. The information in newspaper ads pertaining to prices, retail addresses and product details serve in the orientation and decision-making processes in a confusing world of goods and brands.

Even studies regarding quality show that newspapers have a credibility advantage in comparison to all other media. The credibility and seriousness of the reporting spreads out to the advertising in the newspaper.

The credibility of the newspaper as an advertising medium is not only a prerequisite for selling success, it is also an important guarantee for the success of image and information campaigns.

In image campaigns, the daily newspaper proves to be an important medium of rationality and relevance to everyday life components of a brand's image, which are brought across reliably to consumers. Information campaigns can rely on newspapers as an advertising medium to be fact-oriented and contain informative product- and brand-advertising.

Another plus, particularly of local and regional newspapers, is newspapers' local and regional competence. From international politics to local events, newspapers prepare "the world" for a "local life." Brands and services can thus be "regionalised," meaning the consumer is shown how he can reach products and services in the most economic way.

For the effectiveness of advertising in regards to quality, the context in which editorial or advertising are placed is significant. This applies to an even greater extent to radio and television advertising. I am not speaking only of the context of placement, but, more importantly, the position of an ad within the advertising section has influence upon its effectiveness. In radio advertising, for example, the same ad can make a loud and obnoxious or a moderately quiet impression, depending on the placement of the ad.