Plan before the interruption
Continuity planning should happen before an outage, not during one. Define which records each department needs and who can physically access and connect the backup media.
Steps to access records when the primary DMS is unavailable
Department priorities
Accounting may need journals and statements. Service may need open and recent repair orders. Sales and F&I may need deal documentation. Priorities vary by rooftop.
Test access regularly
Schedule periodic access tests to confirm staff with access to the backup drive can find and open required records without relying on the live DMS.