Why back up company data?
Does backing up your company's data sound like a costly and time-consuming operation? But did you know that the risks of sinking your company by losing all your computer data are real? Backing up your data preserves your company's memory. Take a moment to find out why it's so important to back up your company's computer data! Read our articles to find out all you need to know about backups.
What can cause data loss?
Faced with the disappearance of all your company information can be dramatic. That's why you need to be aware of the problems that can arise and lead to the loss of your computer data.
Human causes
If you've never made a mistake on your computer that resulted in the disappearance of a file, raise your finger! That's right! We're human, and mistakes can happen. All it takes is a touch of the wrong key at the wrong time to result in data loss. A file moved to the recycle garbage can by mistake, or the overwriting of a bad version in favor of an obsolete one - all these things are possible, especially in a company where you often have to carry out several actions at the same time.
And what if your company is broken into and your server or computers are stolen? Backup? If you have made a backup, don't panic. On the other hand, if you've neglected to do so, you could be in for a long, hard day.
Natural causes
Floods and fires are regular causes of computer data loss. Of course, we always feel safe from such problems. Even so, prevention is better than cure.
Hardware causes
Machines aren't infallible either! Your server or computer can fail at any time and without warning! Whether it's improper handling of your hardware, water spilled on the server or natural wear and tear, you are not protected from hardware failure.
The consequences of a loss for your business
Financial consequences
Let's face it, it can be disastrous. It's hard to believe that this will have no impact on your sales or your business. If you don't make any outsourced or online back-ups, you could find yourself in real trouble if you fall victim to theft, natural disaster or mishandling.
Imagine the loss of a day without your computer data... If you lose all your information, the inconvenience will be much greater.If you haven't made any back-ups of your computer system, the inconvenience could extend over weeks or months.
Financial loss, but also loss of time. Redoing a customer file or recreating your entire accounting system could be a major handicap. It's important to understand that your company's computer back-up represents its history and memory. If you lose it, it's like starting from scratch.
Consequences for your company's image
A company in difficulty never projects a positive image. Imagine asking your customers to send you copies of the invoices you've sent them, or the messages they've sent you? Your company will be seen as sloppy and disorganized. By preventing any problems with a cloud backup or dedicated backup software, you're already prepared to bounce back. You're always more reactive when you know what the risks are and have already put potential solutions in place.
Disorganization within your teams
If your company finds itself in difficulty as a result of the disappearance of its IT data, your teams or employees will find themselves unable to deliver the work expected of them. This can lead to a real drop in productivity, and can also have a major impact on your customers. Delayed orders, inability to honor your promises or even refusal of work proposals because you can't draw up an estimate in accordance with the rules of the trade... All this should make you decide to make regular back-ups of your computer data.
Backup solutions
There are a number of IT solutions for backing up your information:
- Internal backup: Data remains within your company. It is simply copied to another computer, an external hard drive or a second server. Be careful, however, as this solution is not very suitable in the event of a natural disaster that could damage both servers or hard disks. In this case, try to place the hardware in different locations.
- Outsourced backup (or cloud): Your data is protected on an online server. This means they can be accessed from anywhere, and recovered quickly. There's an online backup software called Adbackup that's perfectly suited to VSEs and SMEs.
Be aware that the consequences of computer data loss can cause a real earthquake within your company. In today's digital age, data backup has become essential. To do without is a costly mistake, and it's now easy to set up via the cloud. Why go without?
Article translated from French