Fire on Site: Lessons from TDS
Disaster doesn’t just test your systems. It tests your people, your business continuity planning, and your partners.
When a fire struck the offices of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), it wasn’t just a matter of physical damage. As an FCA-regulated organisation handling critical financial operations, prolonged disruption could have led to severe consequences: compliance breaches, reputational damage, and service failures affecting thousands of clients.
But thanks to their partnership with CiContinuity, TDS had a business continuity plan solution that ensured sufficient resilience from a fire on site. Within 24 hours, they were back up and running, minimising risk to their operations and ensuring uninterrupted customer service.
The Incident: Fire on Site
The fire on site damaged both the building and TDS’s IT infrastructure, making their primary office unusable. Without a robust disaster recovery plan, this could have resulted in:
– Regulatory Non-Compliance:
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has established strict regulations requiring financial service providers like TDS to develop and maintain contingency plans to address operational disruptions.
This means that organisations must be prepared for unexpected events that could hinder their ability to operate normally. If TDS had failed to restore their services quickly after the fire, they could have faced penalties for non-compliance with these regulations, potentially resulting in significant repercussions for their reputation and overall business operations.
This revision incorporates TDS into the context and emphasises the importance of a disaster recovery plan for their compliance and operational integrity.
– Loss of Customer Trust:
A long outage might have hurt trust in TDS’s ability to protect client money. This drop in confidence could have damaged the company’s reputation, which is important for keeping good relationships with clients and for the business’s success. Losing trust could affect both current and future customers, making them less likely to work with TDS again.
– Business Interruption and Financial Loss:
Every hour that the system was not operational could have resulted in significant financial losses for the business, causing delays in the processing of important deposits.
Additionally, this downtime could have created a backlog of tasks and issues that might take several weeks to address and clear up completely. Such setbacks could negatively impact both the organisation’s efficiency and its ability to serve its clients effectively.
CiContinuity’s Rapid Response
Systems Restored to Ship-to-Site Hardware
CiContinuity set up a backup system to help TDS recover important systems. They used off-site backups that were ready ahead of time. In just three hours, critical applications were running again. This let employees quickly return to their work from home. The fast response showed how well the system restoration worked and helped the organisation stay on track during a tough time.
Work Area Recovery Provided
While TDS looked for a new location to set up its operations, CiContinuity worked hard to keep the business running smoothly. They set up a recovery site with everything needed, including desks, internet, phones, and other important tools. Because of this, TDS was able to keep serving its customers without interruption. This helped protect the company’s reputation and operations during the move.
Business as Usual, Securely and Swiftly
TDS successfully moved its operations to CiContinuity’s data centre in the UK. Staff worked hard at the recovery site to meet all industry rules and keep services running smoothly. There were no major problems, which is a big achievement. TDS also improved in important areas, like answering customer calls faster. This shows that their recovery efforts worked well and that the organisation is strong.
A Partner You Can Rely On
“What CiContinuity could offer as part of the wider Centerprise group of companies was clearly head and shoulders above the competition.
They offered us dependable expertise, the right resources and the ability to mobilise it quickly and at scale.
Other companies may proclaim to have this, but we’ve stress-tested it in a unique way. The 4-hour SLA (Service Level Agreement) for Workplace Area Recovery does what it says on the tin. CiContinuity responded quickly in a crisis and was a crucial part of getting our employees and processes back online quickly and efficiently to protect our customer service levels.” — Steve Harriott, Chief Executive, Tenancy Deposit Scheme
Disasters are unpredictable, but with the right planning, downtime doesn’t have to be. For organisations that depend on FCA compliance, seamless service, and operational resilience, having a robust disaster recovery plan is essential, not optional.
As we mark Business Continuity and Resilience Awareness Week, it’s the ideal moment to reassess your readiness. Contact CiContinuity to review your recovery strategy and keep your operations running, whatever happens.
FAQs about Business Recovery Strategies
Q1: What is a business continuity plan?
A business continuity plan is a document that outlines steps and strategies an organisation can use to keep running during and after a disaster. This plan is important because it helps the organisation keep working, even in tough situations.
With a solid business continuity plan, an organisation can continue its operations and be strong against possible problems. Keeping business continuity is not just about getting through tough times. It is also about reducing the effects of these events and making the recovery process easier.
Q2: How does a business recovery strategy work?
A good business recovery plan is important for any organisation. It explains clear steps to help get things back to normal after a disruption. This plan aims to reduce downtime so the business can start working again quickly. It also highlights the need to follow all rules and regulations. By having this plan, businesses can be ready for surprises and keep running smoothly.
Q3: Why is operational continuity important?
Ensuring operational continuity is crucial for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it helps to maintain essential services that people rely on every day.
When operations run well, they help meet customer needs and build trust in a business. Also, if companies keep things going during unexpected problems, they can prevent money loss from being inactive.
In short, keeping operations steady is important for a company’s long-term success and stability.
Q4: What role does disaster recovery play in business resilience?
Disaster recovery is important for a business to keep running well during unexpected problems. It focuses on restoring IT systems and essential services after they are affected by a disruptive event. These events can include:
– Natural disasters like floods and earthquakes
– Technical failures, which can lead to serious problems
– Cyberattacks, which can pose a significant threat to systems and dataThe goal is to reduce downtime and help the business return to normal operations quickly and effectively.
Q5: What is work area recovery?
Work area recovery is an important process. It involves creating a temporary workspace for employees after a disaster at their main location. This can happen due to emergencies like natural disasters or fires that interrupt normal work. The goal is to provide a safe place for employees to do their tasks. This helps reduce the impact of the disruption on the business.
Q6: How can businesses enhance their continuity strategy?
Businesses have the opportunity to significantly improve their continuity strategy by taking several important steps:
– Regularly review and test continuity plans to keep them relevant and effective.
– Invest in comprehensive training programs for employees to understand their roles during disruptions.
– Establish partnerships with professional recovery services for additional support and resources.