The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB (News - Alert)) season is still in its infancy, having only begun two weeks ago, but this year’s biggest players aren’t the only ones who should be preparing to step up to the plate. Your company needs to be fully geared up to greet challenges of any caliber with a reliable strategy. Whether that means preparing for this year’s hurricane season, which is only a few months away, or ensuring that your team is empowered with the knowledge and skill-set needed to prevent system downtime, you need to make sure that you knock operations out of the park this year.

You nervously walk up to the plate—or perhaps you’ve been standing there with shaky knees for what feels like an eternity—ready to swing. Will it be a curve-ball? Should you bunt and make a run for it? Here’s how you can get a home run when it comes to ensuring up-time and truly seamless operations:

Conduct Spring Training: While a pretty self-explanatory concept, spring training is what allows new players to try out for the roster; gives existing team players the practice time they need prior to competing; and feeds fans’ desire to see their favorite teams play before the season kicks off. This year, conduct spring training for your company’s disaster recovery (DR) strategy: give your newest employees a chance to measure up to the big guys; test your systems regularly; and bring your entire employee base up to speed with protocols and guidelines to avoid human error-related downtime.