Building Organizational Resilience: The Importance of Digital Resilience
As you have learned, building resiliency in your organization is one of the main reasons you need a contingency plan. Resilience means the ability to “bounce back” or recover from a crisis event, disaster, or even small emergency.
In today's technology-driven world, businesses rely heavily on technology, and many functions are digitized. A major goal of your disaster recovery plan is to include digital technologies to ensure business functions can continue regardless of the crisis or emergency.
Assignment:
After reading the attached article, write a 400-word post answering the following, building off the article and using all you have learned in the module about organizational resilience.
· Discuss the basics of organizational resilience. Why is it important in your organization or one you know of?
· Cite 2-3 examples of ways digital resilience can be built into a contingency plan.
· In the article, the authors discussed the use of digital resilience as a way to absorb major shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Share an example (other than COVID) where a business could absorb a shock. How did this contribute to the development of resiliency within that organization?
Building Organizational Resilience: The Importance of Digital Resilience
In today's rapidly changing and unpredictable business environment, building organizational resilience has become crucial for the survival and success of companies. Organizational resilience refers to an organization's ability to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of various disruptions, crises, or emergencies. This resilience is vital for ensuring business continuity, maintaining customer satisfaction, and safeguarding the organization's reputation.
One of the key aspects of building organizational resilience is the incorporation of digital resilience into a contingency plan. Digital resilience involves leveraging technology and digitized processes to ensure business functions can continue uninterrupted, regardless of the crisis or emergency at hand. By integrating digital resilience into their contingency plans, organizations can better prepare for and respond to disruptions, thereby improving their overall resilience.
Here are two to three examples of how digital resilience can be built into a contingency plan:
Cloud Computing: Adopting cloud computing technologies allows organizations to store their data and applications in remote servers accessible via the internet. This approach ensures that critical business data is securely backed up and can be easily accessed from any location. In the event of a physical disaster or system failure, employees can continue working remotely while accessing necessary files and applications through cloud-based platforms.
Redundant IT Infrastructure: Building redundancy into an organization's IT infrastructure is another crucial aspect of digital resilience. This involves having duplicate systems, networks, and data centers that can seamlessly take over in case of a failure or disruption. By implementing redundant systems, organizations can mitigate the impact of hardware failures, cybersecurity breaches, or natural disasters on their operations.
Remote Work Capabilities: The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of remote work capabilities for maintaining business continuity. By equipping employees with the necessary tools and technologies, organizations can enable them to work remotely during disruptions. This flexibility not only ensures the safety and well-being of employees but also allows businesses to continue their operations despite physical constraints.
In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are numerous other examples where businesses have absorbed shocks and developed resilience:
Example: Natural Disaster
Imagine a retail company with multiple brick-and-mortar stores located in a region prone to hurricanes. By investing in digital technologies such as online shopping platforms, inventory management systems, and supply chain optimization tools, the company can absorb the shock of a hurricane temporarily closing its physical stores. During such an event, customers can still purchase products online, and the company can redirect its supply chain to deliver goods to unaffected areas or leverage nearby warehouses. By adapting to the crisis and utilizing digital resilience strategies, the company minimizes revenue loss and maintains its customer base.
In conclusion, building organizational resilience is vital for businesses operating in today's unpredictable and technology-driven world. By incorporating digital resilience into contingency plans through initiatives such as cloud computing, redundant IT infrastructure, and remote work capabilities, organizations can better prepare for and overcome various disruptions. These strategies enable businesses to absorb shocks and adapt to crises, ultimately contributing to their long-term success and sustainability.