Any agreement you enter into for recovery should include specific metrics such as time, cost, availability, response time, throughput, bandwidth, etc. These metrics fall under the category of Service Level Agreements (SLA) and include a number of different elements such as:
- Response time to initial request for services
- Technical capabilities – computer equipment specifications, storage space, data capacities, etc.
- Access to recovery facility and equipment
- Access to adequate work area and access for staff
- Security procedures and guarantees
- Processing controls
- Access to technical and functional support (time, response time, etc.)
Other important aspects to reviewing recovery service level agreements is to look at any existing SLAs you may have with external parties such as clients or customers. You may need to review your recovery options in light of those contractual agreements. It’s good to take the opportunity to ensure your risk mitigation strategies address your contractual obligations.
Michael Herrera
Michael Herrera is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MHA. In his role, Michael provides global leadership to the entire set of industry practices and horizontal capabilities within MHA. Under his leadership, MHA has become a leading provider of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery services to organizations on a global level. He is also the founder of BCMMETRICS, a leading cloud based tool designed to assess business continuity compliance and residual risk. Michael is a well-known and sought after speaker on Business Continuity issues at local and national contingency planner chapter meetings and conferences. Prior to founding MHA, he was a Regional VP for Bank of America, where he was responsible for Business Continuity across the southwest region.
