Tampa, FL. (PRWEB) October 15, 2015
You cannot watch or read the news without seeing unfortunate tragedies every week. With flooding in the Carolinas, today’s headlines are riddled with catastrophes, both natural and man made.
What connects these events? Disasters that unfortunately result in interruption of business which can cause hardships. These recent victims of manmade or natural disasters have experienced devastation, not only in the specific cities but also the surrounding areas. There are consequences for every moment that an organization is shut down or unable to function. For hospitals, people are unable to receive treatment and patient care will suffer. For schools and universities, students need a safe place to learn. But one of the biggest risks is to businesses; the loss of day-to-day operations can cripple a company and lead to significant revenue loss from which some may never recover.
NatPay (National Payment Corporation) has first hand experience planning for disaster recovery. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, NatPay has had plenty of opportunity to prepare for natural disasters since 1991. Steven F. Pereira, Vice President and General Manager, can attest to the importance of continuity testing. “NatPay has always had a backup contingency plan from the beginning. When Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida in 1992, we had a backup plan that allowed us to continue operations and service our customers – both in South Florida and nationwide,” stated Pereira. Natpay recently completed their quarterly contingency testing successfully last week.
The best way to ensure that a business is ready to resume operations following a disaster is to implement an emergency continuity plan. The first step is to identify the company’s greatest vulnerabilities, both internally and externally. Each organization will have its own areas of weaknesses, including threats to security and data systems to concerns delivering products or services.
After identifying specific vulnerabilities, the next step is to create a plan that addresses these possible threats. This should include a contingency plan for all essential functions. Each plan should include preparations for any system malfunction, power outage or employee shortage.
“Having completed SSAE16 SOC I audits for the past six years has allowed NatPay to address every aspect of contingency and address any outstanding issues,” remarked Pereira. “Our most recent contingency testing was conducted last week and reinforces the commitment to our clients that we are here for them regardless of a disaster.” NatPay tests it’s contingency plan on a quarterly basis, requiring employees to work offsite at a random location while maintaining a high service level that clients know and expect. This regular practice ensures that all operations are be completed efficiently should an emergency situation occur. Compliancy audits help organizations identify key areas of improvement should a disaster recovery plan be instigated. In addition to the SSAE16 SOC I audit, NatPay is also HIPAA audited and independently audited every year by an outside firm to ensure that there are no operating issues.
“For nearly 25 years, our organization has had to plan for dozens of natural disaster situations given that we are based in Florida – a state that has seen more than its share of hurricanes and tropical storms,” stated Pereira. “Our emergency payroll processing solutions have helped other companies process their payrolls even during emergencies that affect them – we are proud to help other companies with their backup plans as it relates to their payroll processing."
Having a comprehensive emergency plan for your organization is a great start but that does not mean you are out of harm’s way. The impact of a manmade or natural disaster isn’t limited to the specific building, company or school, and it is not limited to the city limits. Knowing a disaster can stretch beyond what’s expected, the entire surrounding community needs to be ready to work together.
About NatPay
NatPay has been servicing clients since 1991 as an ACH services and online document management provider. With over 70,000 clients nationwide, NatPay provides top quality data consolidation services as a SaaS (Software as a Service) to online reporting and online data maintenance services to our clients with custom systems. NatPay specializes in meeting client specific requirements in a highly responsive manner. From inception, NatPay has helped its clients with cost reductions from AP/AR to HR and e-statement delivery and management. NatPay is SSAE 16 SOC I, NACHA and HIPAA audited, as well as independently audited by an outside firm annually.
