Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery
These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different things. Disaster recovery is about restoring IT systems; business continuity is about keeping the whole business running while you do.
Understanding the difference helps you plan not just for the technology, but for the people and processes around it.
Two Linked but Distinct Ideas
DR is a part of continuity, not a replacement for it.
- Disaster recovery: getting servers, data and applications back online.
- Business continuity: how staff keep serving customers in the meantime.
Why You Need Both
If your systems are down for a day, customers still phone, orders still arrive and staff still need to work. Continuity planning covers those gaps while DR fixes the technology. Without it, you might restore your servers perfectly but still have failed your customers during the hours it took.
How They Work Together
In a real incident the two run in parallel: your technical team works the disaster recovery plan to bring systems back, while the rest of the business follows the continuity plan to keep serving customers by other means. We help you prepare both so neither is improvised on the day.
| Aspect | Disaster recovery | Business continuity |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Technology and data | People and processes |
| Goal | Restore systems | Keep operating |
| Example | Rebuild the server | Take orders by phone |
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.