Agile Business Continuity

November 2009 Roundup Here is a round up of posts for November 2009....
Must Follow Resilience Blogs For 2010 The Agile Continuity Blog will be one year old in...
Today’s Digest December 13, 2009 This is a daily list of the most recent posts...

A Christmas Message From Agile Continuity

Paul — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:12:36 +0000

With the end of 2009 almost upon us it is often time for reflection on the year gone by and preparation for the year to come. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my readers for taking the time to visit the blog. A special thanks to those who took the time to comment, as feedback is always appreciated. This blog will be one year old in January and the growth in readers has been extraordinary, especially over the last four months. So again, thank you for taking the time to read my various rants and riffs.

I won’t be actively posting for the next couple of weeks, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be busy. I will be taking the time to refresh the blog and add some new features. There is also some new content which I have been busy preparing ready for 2010.

In the meantime, a very merry Christmas to you all and a happy and prosperous New Year. I look forward to continuing the discussion in 2010.

A Christmas Message From Agile Continuity is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Must Follow Resilience Blogs For 2010 The Agile Continuity Blog will be one year old in...
How To Join The Resilience Conversation This post is way off topic today, but I wanted...
Where Did All The Bloggers Go There doesn’t seem to be as many people blogging business...

Must Follow Resilience Blogs For 2010

Paul — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:06:21 +0000

The Agile Continuity Blog will be one year old in January and during this time I have gathered a huge list of related blogs and online resources. One of the features I introduced a couple of weeks ago was the BlogoSphere Focus which allowed me to explore a number of useful blogs in the resilience domain. I will be continuing this series into next year, but in the meantime here are a number of blogs which you should be reading in 2010.

Must Follow Resilience Blogs For 2010 is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

A Christmas Message From Agile Continuity With the end of 2009 almost upon us it is...
How To Join The Resilience Conversation This post is way off topic today, but I wanted...
December 2009 Roundup Here is a round up of posts for December 2009....

Today’s Digest December 21, 2009

Paul — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:00:46 +0000

Re: Would you like to have some input into training topics?
Howard, I’m surprised that your banking colleague was so shocked. She must work in DR. IBCT actually offers a comprehensive BCP course for the banking …
Re: Would you like to have some input into training topics?
Hands-down, my opinion is that the most critical topic is assuring supply chain continuity and resilience. Even a retail bank must provision its ATMs and …
Survey: What makes a good business continuity manager?
The BCI London Forum, the largest chapter within the Business Continuity Institute, has announced the results of its ‘What Makes a Good Business Continuity Manager’ survey. …
New Education Program: Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG)
The Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) audio training program by Redmond Worldwide is now available in a 5-disk audio CD set. …
Courting Disaster?
From ostrich-like senior management to a failure to undertake regular testing, half-hearted investment in disaster recovery is a waste of money. So just what are the signs of a flawed DR strategy? …

Today’s Digest December 21, 2009 is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Today’s Digest December 18, 2009 Value Or Not To Value That Is The Question...
Today’s Digest December 10, 2009 What works in Communicating Bad News to Management and...
Today’s Digest December 19, 2009 Why do reputation problems occur? Organisations come up short...

Today’s Digest December 20, 2009

Paul — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:02:01 +0000

Needs – The best kept secret in managing conflict
Needs – The best kept secret in managing conflict
There is much discussion in the media during these chastened financial times about the difference between what we want and what we need. It is appar …
Credit Risk Management
The active management of credit risk has been receiving increasing regulator attention and strategic focus at many financial institutions. Regulators cite poor credit risk management at the portfolio …
How To Manage A Crisis
Let me begin by stating that the best way to handle a crisis, is to prevent one.
So when it comes to things like network and computer failures, it behooves you to: use reliable computer systems; emplo …

Today’s Digest December 20, 2009 is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Today’s Digest December 8, 2009 Lloyd’s Register Copenhagen Podcast Series – Live from COP...
Today’s Digest December 16, 2009 This is a daily list of the most recent posts...
Today’s Digest December 18, 2009 Value Or Not To Value That Is The Question...

Today’s Digest December 19, 2009

Paul — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:18:05 +0000

Why do reputation problems occur?
Organisations come up short with respect to reputation management for a number of principal reasons. Here are some:
1 . Managers have been trained in every conceivable discipline except reputation man …
Why God has not yet destroyed the Earth!
The following story was shared years ago with me (Caveat- I cannot remember who) but it is worthwhile considering the discussions at Copenhagen.
In the year 2009, The Lord came unto Noah, who was now …
New at Superfactory – December 2009
Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, …
What is the Future for it Disaster Recovery?
A recent survey by the UK’s Chartered Management Institute showed that businesses of all sizes considered loss of IT to be the threat most likely to have an impact on costs and revenue, whilst also …
SAAB no more…
What do you when your major customer goes bust? How do you cope with finding a new business partner? How do you react when a major competitor is no more? I don’t know, but I guess many businesses ca …

Today’s Digest December 19, 2009 is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Today’s Digest December 1, 2009 Powerlines Newsletter Nr.89 The new issue of Powerlines, the...
Today’s Digest December 13, 2009 This is a daily list of the most recent posts...
Today’s Digest December 11, 2009 MRVAribility Dr Anne-Marie Warris’s Blog from day three of...

Blogosphere Focus: Alex Fullick’s Stoneroad Blog

Paul — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:00:18 +0000

Alex Fullick is the founder of Business Continuity Consultancy firm Stone Road Inc working out of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The Stoneroad’s blog has been around since February 2009 and Alex is a regular poster with much to say about the practice of delivering business continuity. For more information about Alex and his company you may want to visit his comprehensive linkedin profile.

Here is my interview with Alex.

How did you get started in the industry?

I feel into it by accident to tell the truth. I was leaving one industry and seeking new opportunities when a good friend asked me if I’d be interested in taking a 2 month contract to build call trees for a large mortgage company. I accepted. It turned out the position was ‘called’ Business Recovery Planner’ and when I started, everything BCM/DR/BCP/BRP related ended up on my desk. I had no idea what it was but took to it like a duck to water. That 2 month contract was almost 5 years long and I haven’t looked back since.

What is your most important aspect of the work you do?

Without a doubt, teaching. We can have all kinds of plans and binders – full of colourful charts, processes and procedures – but if no one knows how to use all the components together when responding to crises or disasters, then what good will they be. Nothing feels better than when you see the light come on in people’s minds and when they suddenly ‘get it’ – they understand how all the pieces of the puzzle are put together and why the program exists.

How do you think Business Continuity will develop over the next 5 years?

I’m hoping for two things: 1 that software doesn’t become the sole focus or reason for developing a BCM program and 2, that corporations realize having a BCM program in place is a social responsibility; that it’s about people – NOT the bottom line. I’ve been in too many situation where applications are used to build plans and then find that management put all their faith into what the software ‘spits’ out as a plan, while never including or involving people in the process. As with the social responsibility aspect – if you don’t have people involved with building your plan or realize that what you’re doing is protecting people (vendors, clients, customers, employees, partners, the public) you’re way off base in understanding why you need a BCM program in the first place.

What was the biggest lesson you’ve learned during your years in the industry?

When I started all those years ago, I was taught that the biggest and most important component was Technology. I’ve found that though it may be an important part it’s not the only part of a BCM program. Learning all the other aspects of BCM was enlightening and tough to understand at first. I struggled with understanding how all the pieces fit together but once I did, I know want others to understand so that a program can be comprehensive and useful. What’s the point of having a great Technology Recovery Plan (TRP) if you have no idea how to evacuate the burning building or communicate or care of the injured? It was the biggest lesson to learn and I’ve become better at what I do as a result of it.

There is one other thing: people. After working with so many diverse and knowledgeable people over the years, I’ve learned that the secret to any good BCM program is people. It’s people that provide the skills and knowledge to populate BIAs, or develop BCPs and contingency strategies; help build the technology components to allow ‘fail-over’ capabilities; its people that review and build the plans and its people that the plans are built for. Without people, you don’t really have a good BCM Program – you have binders of text.

What do you consider your greatest contribution to the Business Continuity field? (Question put by Jan Husdal)

This isn’t the easiest question to answer. However, if I was to say something it would be that my biggest contribution is utilizing my experience – both good and the bad experiences. I would rather see people build upon my successes and learn from my failures than have to travel down some of the same dark roads that I did, tripping and falling along the way. Contributing to others’ success would be my greatest contribution.

I would like to thank Alex for taking the time to be interviewed and hope that you take the time to visit Stoneroad’s Blog. If you think your own blog should be profiled here, then please feel free to email me at paul@agilecontinuity.org

Blogosphere Focus: Alex Fullick’s Stoneroad Blog is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Blogosphere Focus: Ken Simpson’s Contemplating Ken Simpson is a Business Continuity professional working out...
Blogosphere Focus: Jan Husdal’s husdal.com Jan Husdal is a Researcher with the Transport Economics Research...
Focus On The Process Not The Plan Yesterday I had a very interesting conversation with a Director...

Today’s Digest December 18, 2009

Paul — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:00:03 +0000

Value Or Not To Value That Is The Question
by BILL WADDELL
Since I wrote The Lean Ratio the other day the comments and opinions have come in fast and furiously. The concept of what is value adding is an important one – at the heart of lean …
Lloyd’s Register Copenhagen Blog, December 18, 2009 – NGO’s, Shipping and a company turns 250 years old
Dr Anne-Marie Warris’ blog today is also an audio blog as she called us from outside of the Bella Centre last night to update us on the latest COP 15 happenings. The audio file is just above, and bel …
What Can A Disaster Teach A Business Manger?
Every time a crisis hits we learn more about crisis management. When the hurricane ravaged New Orleans the country was ripped apart. People died because no one was prepared for a disaster of that scal …
The new risk management professional is creative
Have a read at Rick Nason’s ideas about the new risk management professional. He explains how “the career in risk pendulum may have shifted and that mathematical skill may not be the competitive a …
Re: 2010 world cup related BC planning
One other thing to look out for is communication, networks tend slow down, mobile communication just gets messed up. Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from …

Today’s Digest December 18, 2009 is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Today’s Digest December 21, 2009 Re: Would you like to have some input into...
Today’s Digest December 14, 2009 This is a daily list of the most recent posts...
Today’s Digest December 7, 2009 Lloyd’s Register Copenhagen Blog, December 7, 2009 As the...

Today’s Digest December 17, 2009

Paul — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:03:37 +0000

Data Security Penalties set to rise
Those companies which fail to adequately protect their data could risk incurring serious financial penalties if new legislation is brought to bear.
The maximum fine for failing to adhere to rules laid …
Cloud computing tracks climate change
Cloud computing is being used by search giant Google in order to track the impact of deforestation and map the devastation that is occurring in forests around the world.
Google used the Copenhagen cli …
Data loss prevention enhanced through content tools
In an effort to ensure compliance with data loss prevention guidelines, firms are turning to content inspection and discovery tools for assistance.
IT security company Safend has extended its range of …
Congratulations, Boeing
By Kevin Meyer
Over the past several years we’ve taken Boeing to task for various issues primarily associated with their new 787 Dreamliner. But today we’re putting that aside for a day to simply …
Re: Starting out
Also, subscribe to the magazines – DRJ, Continuity Insights, etc. They have great articles, as well as job postings. Good luck! Chris Rohrs CBCP In a message …

Today’s Digest December 17, 2009 is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Today’s Digest December 9, 2009 Council paves way for home working with strong encryption...
Today’s Digest December 1, 2009 Powerlines Newsletter Nr.89 The new issue of Powerlines, the...
Today’s Digest December 16, 2009 This is a daily list of the most recent posts...

Today’s Digest December 16, 2009

Paul — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:02:52 +0000

This is a daily list of the most recent posts from the business continuity blogosphere.

Create Dynamic Dialogue, Decrease Conflict in the Workplace
Conflict. Confrontation. Most of us hate it. We avoid it. We simply hope it goes away.
RISK MANAGEMENT IN HUMAN RESOURCES
The goal of Risk Management is to identify, assess, and resolve risk items before they become threats to a specific project or to the organization as a whole. Risk Management plans sho …
Expert outlines cloud storage requirements
Cloud computing expert Geoff Barral has outlined a number of factors that he believes businesses should take into account before switching their storage systems over to a cloud platform.
Writing on te …
Coping with risk and resilience in maritime logistics
This week’s focus are risks in the maritime supply chain. I have previously reviewed some of the works on the vulnerability of production systems by the two Norwegian researchers Bjørn Egil Asbjør …
Re: Starting out
I agree with Chris Rohrs. Go to a few meetings of a local professional organization. The first couple just sit and observe. Then talk to people about what they …

Today’s Digest December 16, 2009 is a post from: Agile Business Continuity

Today’s Digest December 9, 2009 Council paves way for home working with strong encryption...
Today’s Digest December 8, 2009 Lloyd’s Register Copenhagen Podcast Series – Live from COP...
Today’s Digest December 20, 2009 Needs – The best kept secret in managing conflict...