Whenever we deploy a solution, my team and I discuss backup strategies and related disaster recovery options. This planning ensures the client can quickly recover the solution and data. But what if the client lost use of the the system for an extended period of time?
Many overlook the crucial topic of “business continuity.” It does feel strange to consider how to run a business without its critical systems when we’re engaged to deliver a solution that will increase efficiency. However, successful software developers take this concern seriously in an effort to provide better work for clients.
Being ready to carry on your business without the assistance of the automated systems may seem daunting, but it does not have to be. There are ways to embed a bit of business continuity preparation in each solution and deployment. Take a FileMaker-based solution deployed on FileMaker Server for instance. You likely have some sort of audit logging built into the solution that tracks created and modified data.
A server-side schedule running on FileMaker Server can easily summarize that data and create a user log for each user. This tracks how users spend their time and potential issues they face.
Or, if the solution uses work queues, the server can produce to-do reports in Excel and move them somewhere off the server. Companies then have access to this data in case something bad happens.
Food for thought…
