Power outages
How can it Affect your Business

Power outages continue to pose a significant hurdle for businesses across various industries in the UK. This article delves into the tangible consequences of power disruptions. Emphasizing the crucial function of critical power protection in bolstering business resilience, we aim to elucidate the practical importance of a UPS backup power protection solution. Through this exploration, we will review the ramification of a power outage, the impact it has on businesses, mitigating measures for power outages, as well as putting into perspective the cost of a UPS solution vs the risk of continued financial losses and damage to the business. 

The Ramification of a Power Outage

Unplanned Downtime and Loss of Productivity: Power interruptions lead to downtime, reduced productivity, and operational inefficiencies, disrupting daily business activities and even paralysing an organisation. Recent data indicates that the UK witnesses an average downtime of more than 10 minutes per customer annually, spanning from brief interruptions to prolonged outages.

Unexpected Financial Losses: Apart from immediate losses, power disruptions incur expenses for repairs, revenue decline, and potential equipment damage, particularly impacting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The economic ramifications of power outages are significant and could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds and even lead to millions in losses.

Loss of Data: Power failures can substantially disrupt business operations, abruptly shutting down software systems. This not only risks the loss of unsaved data but also poses the threat of file corruption due to improper shutdown procedures. In some cases, entire programs may become inoperable due to untimely power outages. Furthermore, if a computer shuts down while writing to the hard drive, it may fail to restart.

Even if data remains intact during a power outage, the recurrent improper shutdowns can adversely affect the lifespan of computer hard drives. Frequent power outages or surges significantly decrease the durability of hard drives, increasing the likelihood of crashes.

Power Outage Survey

A recent survey conducted in August 2023 by UK Power detailed that no matter where you are in the UK, there is a significant chance of experiencing a power cut at some point or another. Although the length and frequency of the power outages varied from city to city, the survey revealed that these outages lasted up to two and half hours on average, which is still very alarming. 

Mitigating Measures for Power Outages

Implementing regular automated backups and graceful shutdown of IT equipment is essential for safeguarding against data loss and equipment failure during power interruptions. Backups often serve as the sole means of recovering lost data post-outage, whilst the correct process to shutdown specific IT equipment means you have a safer bet that the equipment will power back up safely once power has been restored. Sufficient runtime autonomy is required to run backup of data or at least graceful shutdown of application and services. Additionally, deploying surge protectors (typically built in to UPS's) can help mitigate potential damage from power surges and spikes. By investing in a UPS backup power protection solution, it can provide the capability to provide the necessary protection during power outages, as well as ensuring continuity of operations.

I'm Sure We Will Be Fine... Right?

To assume it was the last power outage and hoping for the best is a gamble and an extremely risky roll of the dice. Since power disruptions and outages can occur infrequently and at anytime, further power outages can disrupt services, decreasing customer satisfaction, missing deadlines and commitment to projects, as well as tarnishing a businesses reputation. A power outage may cause telephone lines to go offline, websites and intranets to collapse, inaccessible databases leading to loss of data, thus resulting in loss of revenue and loss of data. Ultimately it could risk alienating customers from the negative experience leading to loss of customers and business. To regain customer trust and mitigate reputational damage, extensive marketing efforts may be necessary, incurring additional costs for the business which would typically cost more than a UPS solution.

Cost of Downtime vs Cost of UPS Solution

Lets calculate your downtime cost

All businesses are reliant on their IT infrastructure from servers and storage to networks and IP phone systems. Reliable power is a must to be able to provide and deliver revenue generating services or even life dependent services without fail. 

Unfortunately there is a level of uncertainty when it comes to power from the grid. The quality of power delivered to certain areas may be compromised caused by local building works, vandalism, or triggered by poor weather conditions and unmaintained power stations. This can cause intermittent power issues such as sags and spikes, to a complete power failure lasting anything from two mins to several hours.  

As consumers we panic when our laptops and mobile devices run flat and are unable to access or use paid content services such as Netflix, Prime and soon X (formerly Twitter). In the digital age we are dependent on communication, information and on demand services. When an organisation can not operate and deliver its critical services during a power outage it can be crippling for a business, and left paralysed and out of control at the mercy of when power is actually restored. 

It is worth noting that whilst a complete power outage can be disrupting for a business, the intermittent power issues such as power sags and surges which are unnoticeable to the naked eye are in some ways worst, invisibly causing damage to your IT or critical medical equipment over a period of time. 

Without a contingency plan the business will continue to face the consequences of unplanned downtime, loss of business, and potentially unplanned costs to replace any damaged or failed equipment. But how does the cost of a UPS solution compare to the overall financial loss to the business, and the continued losses each time there is an power outage?  

Well, first of all you already know immediately what the cost of a UPS solution is, so there are no hidden surprises. Whereas there are so many variables to consider and indirect costs (See above factors when calculating unplanned downtime) each time there is a power outage with no level of protection. In most instances the cost of a UPS solution will not only come in at a fraction of the cost, it would safeguard your IT infrastructure, its services and its business reputation, whilst providing the peace of mind and confidence during an outage ensuring business continuity. Typically a UPS solution not only provides backup runtime autonomy during a power outage, it also has the technology to provide round the clock power protection ranging from power sags and surges, and high and low intermittent voltages to name some of the most common power disruptions. So think of the investment as a 24/7 operation keeping your business ticking during a power outage. 

Next Steps

Collaborate IT Limited are a specialist in critical power protection and have partnered with leading vendors in the critical power space. Our clients vary from various vertical markets. So whether you are a small business, a retail outlet, a commercial office, an education establishment, or even a factory; the power issues and the impact of it on the organisation are exactly the same. Collaborate IT Limited will be able to offer a range of solutions that will be best fit for your environment to address the issue. 

So whether you require a new UPS solution, need to replace an existing legacy or failed UPS system, or wish to discuss a future project then do reach out to us and we will be more than happy to assist you. Our services include site survey, supply and delivery of your UPS solution, installation, start-up and commissioning services, as well as health checks and technology refreshers for an end to end service. 

SERVICE IT

At Collaborate IT we offer a full range of services. Whether it is a site survey, installation, health check or a combination of services, we have you covered. 

PROTECT IT

Get back up power and protection to ensure uptime for your office equipment, CCTV, servers and switches with a reliable uninterruptable power supply (UPS) to sustain your business operations.