The increase in technological based processes over the past ten years, and particularly within the last five, have significantly increased the level of dependency upon the availability of systems and information for the business to function effectively. These changes are likely to continue, and it is likely that the only certainty is that the pace of change will continue to increase.

It is necessary for the disaster recovery plan to keep pace with these changes in order for it to be of use in the event of a disruptive emergency.

To ensure this, the disaster recovery plan update process must be properly structured and controlled. Further, whenever changes are made to the plan they are to be fully tested and appropriate amendments should be made to the training materials. This will involve the use of formalised change control procedures under the control of the plan's owner.

In short, update of the plan should not only be a formal process in its own right, but must be part of business as usual