During a crisis, communication is one of the most important things for survival. This is true on a personal level and on a business one. For companies, the difference is maintaining lines of communication between employees, vendors and authorities. Balancing this, as well as the many other aspects of business continuity planning can be a challenge, but with the right technology, more companies are able to secure their future despite any disaster.

Below are two tips for better utilizing communications tools to protect your company during an emergency:

Ensure network resiliency – Most businesses have deployed unified communications and other high-tech solutions for their business needs. As such, it is important to make sure that the network and platforms used for these tools remain online during a crisis. This ensures stability, and eliminates the risk of communication going completely under. Of course, you should always have a backup plan in place as well.

Invest in the right channels – Enterprise communications have exploded in the last decade with VoIP, video, real-time chat and mobile all changing how companies approach communication and collaboration. For a crisis scenario, firms want to ensure they are providing the right channels for reaching all of their workers, as well as vendors and authorities in charge of local recovery operations. Often, this means voice and email, so make sure that these two channels in particular are able to be up and running quickly after, or even during, a disaster.

As companies focus on their continuity of operations planning, make sure to factor communications into the equation. For more assistance in this area, or with creating a solid strategy for recovery in general, consider hiring business continuity consultants.