August 30, 2002—Despite the major impact that the attacks of September 11, 2001 had on many businesses, a new survey, commissioned by AT&T and conducted by Digital Research Inc., has found that one in four medium to large businesses nationwide still do not have business continuity plans to respond to disasters or emergencies. And, for the companies that do have plans, 19 percent have not tested those plans in the last five years.
The survey participants included more than 1,000 businesses nationwide with 100 employees or more. The survey questioned business executives in major metropolitan markets, including Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
According to the survey, last year’s terrorist attacks led more businesses to make business continuity and disaster recovery planning a top priority, and caused nearly three-quarters of businesses with plans in place prior to Sept. 11 to recognize the need to update or improve their planning.
The survey found that almost 40 percent of companies with plans have organized a team or process to focus on business continuity and disaster recovery planning. And almost 20 percent have either created or plan to create a new position to address business continuity.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, 73 percent of companies with business continuity plans have reviewed and evaluated them. Of these companies, many recognized the need to plan for interruption of operations for a longer period of time than may have been anticipated (65 percent) and the need to identify employees by locations and how to reach them in an emergency (63 percent).
Other areas identified for updating include:
- Communicate with employees during or immediately after a disaster—58 percent;
- Develop evacuation plans for threatened or attacked facilities—54 percent;
- Implement an employee communications or training program—45 percent; and
- Plan for the unanticipated loss of human life—30 percent.
Other survey findings include:
- More than half of the companies surveyed said that network and information technology (IT) security has become a more critical, strategic issue since Sept. 11;
- Companies in the Northeast were more likely to say their current plans are comprehensive enough, while Midwest companies were least likely;
- 67 percent said they are more concerned about who has access to their buildings, offices and other locations since Sept. 11;
- Of the 77 percent of companies that had business continuity plans in place prior to Sept. 11, 2001, 56 percent said these plans have always been a priority; and
- 21 percent would not accept a job in a high-rise building.
For more information, as well as an executive summary of the survey, contact AT&T.
