Technology can be daunting, especially new technology that you haven't used before. When making a major change for your business, it is important to have a Plan B for when things go wrong. Most software companies focus on the reliability of their live platform and may not provide a disaster recovery system for customers, although they may have internal plans to restore functionality. Even large companies are not completely immune to downtime.
A Plan B for your key business systems is essential.
Consider the following scenarios:
How will you access existing orders if you can't access your system?
Downtime can prevent you from accessing critical order information. It's crucial to have an automated backup system. For instance, setting up an automated process to send order details to a secure, accessible location like a dedicated email folder or cloud storage can be invaluable. This ensures you can retrieve order information even if the primary system is down.
How will you continue to add new orders?
During an outage, maintaining business operations is critical. Having a manual order form that captures all essential order details can allow you to continue taking orders. These forms can be later input into the system once functionality is restored. Alternatively, a temporary spreadsheet system can be used for the same purpose, ensuring no orders are lost.
What will you do if you can't access your usual till functions?
If your point of sale (POS) system goes down, reverting to a manual cash register or a backup POS system can keep transactions flowing. Many businesses keep a simple cash box and manual receipt books on hand for such emergencies. Ensuring your staff are trained to handle manual transactions will minimise disruption.
How will you manage order fulfilment during peak times?
Peak times can be particularly challenging during an outage. To mitigate this, create a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that includes steps for printing labels, order worksheets, and delivery routes manually. Ensuring you have physical copies of key documents and a way to manage logistics offline can help maintain order fulfilment.
To address these challenges, consider implementing the following strategies with your software company:
Automated Order Backups
Automatically sending a printable PDF of each order via email ensures that you have a backup of every order. This can be done using email rules to direct these PDFs to a special folder for easy access when needed. This method provides a simple yet effective way to keep track of orders during system down-times.
Manual Order Forms and Spreadsheets
If adding orders is not possible through the system during an outage, use a printable order form to capture all necessary information. This data can be imported into the system once the issue is resolved. Additionally, using a spreadsheet as a temporary order log can help maintain order accuracy and continuity.
Dedicated Disaster Recovery Page
Create a dedicated disaster recovery page that includes printable labels, order worksheets, order sheets, and delivery routes to use during technical difficulties. This ensures you have all necessary documents readily available to maintain operations without relying on your primary system.
Why You Need a Digital Recovery Plan
In today's business environment, reliance on technology is greater than ever. This high dependence on digital systems for everything from order processing to customer management means that any disruption can significantly impact operations. A robust digital recovery plan ensures that your business can continue to operate smoothly, even during technical difficulties.
Once a system is in place, any changes can be disruptive. Businesses develop workflows and processes around their existing systems, and an unexpected change or failure can throw these processes into disarray. A digital recovery plan provides a structured approach to handle such changes, minimising downtime and maintaining service continuity.
Even if you are not using a specific floral software, these measures can help you prepare for potential issues. The average cost of unplanned downtime is significant, emphasising the need for robust contingency plans . Reach out to your software providers to understand their contingency plans and ensure you know what steps to take if the system goes down. This preparation can help you handle downtime efficiently and minimise disruptions to your business.
Digital Florists build software that could help all Florists have more time to do what they love by reducing admin whilst giving them the tools to run their business.
