Testing
The Lead
How To Conduct More Effective BC Exercises (Part 2)
February 14, 2013 2:22 pm | by Luke Simpson, Editor | Videos | Comments
At the 2012 Continuity Insights Management Conference, business continuity experts discuss the importance of setting exercise objectives and the need to view exercises as a training and awareness tool -- not a test that is passed or failed.
Honeywell Revises Emergency Response Plans, Eyes Restart
April 26, 2013 12:22 pm | News | CommentsThe plant has been closed since May of last year after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered Honeywell to make the site able to withstand an earthquake or tornado. The regulators also wanted the company to revise its emergency response plans to natural disasters.
C: Training & Professional Development Track — 2013 Continuity Insights Management Conference
April 11, 2013 12:16 pm | by Jonna Mayberry, Editor | Events | CommentsA listing of the Training & Professional Development educational sessions at the 2013 Continuity Insights Management Conference and links to download presentation slides.
Organized Chaos Across The Pond
April 9, 2013 10:10 am | by Jonna Mayberry, Editor | Blogs | CommentsI definitely benefitted from “organized chaos” while I was abroad, and it seems that this same approach is equally beneficial for business continuity. Continuity professionals continually strive to innovate and add nuances to exercises to ensure full engagement by the participants.
Speakers’ Soapbox: Scott Shaw Gets Law Enforcement In On Exercises
February 14, 2013 3:19 pm | by Luke Simpson, Editor | Articles | CommentsIn the leadup to the 11th Annual Continuity Insights Management Conference, Scott Shaw, Senior Manager, Corporate Security, Transportation, and Disaster Preparedness at Aflac, discusses partnering with public officials for emergency response exercises and why former president Bill Clinton would have made a good business continuity professional.
Speakers’ Soapbox: Bill Wostenberg On BC Exercise Mistakes & President Hoover
February 8, 2013 11:56 am | by Luke Simpson, Editor | Articles | CommentsIn the leadup to the 11th Annual Continuity Insights Management Conference, Bill Wostenberg, IT Service Continuity Consultant at Pacific Life Insurance, discusses the mistake to avoid when planning BC exercises and President Herbert Hoover’s disaster relief efforts.
BCM Exercises Don't Have To Be Boring: 3 Party Games For Effective & Memorable Exercises
November 26, 2012 1:36 pm | by Alison Kashin, Chief Creative & Technology Officer, Lootok | Articles | CommentsGaming is an excellent way to increase learning retention and enhance teaming. Exercises are serious business, but with some inspiration from three popular party games you can let participants have a little fun while raising awareness about your business continuity management (BCM) program.
E. Program Development, Methodology & Measurement Track — 2012 Continuity Insights Management Conference
April 4, 2012 12:09 pm | by Luke Simpson, Editor | Events | CommentsA listing of Program Development, Methodology & Measurement educational sessions at the 2012 Continuity Insights Management Conference and links to download presentation slides.
Simulation Exercises: Tabletops on Steroids!
October 31, 2010 8:00 pm | by John A. Jackson | Articles | CommentsBusiness continuity and disaster recovery planning is the process of preparing for something we all hope, and expect, won’t happen. So, how do we know if our plans will work when we need them? We don’t … really. But the best way to ensure that they are as useful as possible is to conduct tests, drills, or exercises (or whatever your organization chooses to call them).
Webinar Watch
June 30, 2010 8:00 pm | Articles | CommentsThe latest webinars for your CI toolkit. Notification Q&A with the experts in July, and The Next REAL Pandemic in August. Plus, we’ve archived a great webinar on how to get the most out of your exercise.
People, Processes, and Systems:
April 12, 2010 8:00 pm | by Alan Salkowitz | Articles | CommentsIn order to recover from an unforeseen event, people, processes, and systems must work together to restore business operations. This session will discuss how to integrate your business resumption and disaster recovery plan to produce a true end ...
Test the Plan Versus Plan the Test
October 31, 2009 8:00 pm | by John A. Jackson | Articles | CommentsWhile you evaluate the performance of your people, processes, and technology during your test, consider the usefulness of the actual plan itself. The more you can involve your actual recovery plan in the testing process, the more you will know how effective it will be in a real situation.
Achoo! Here Comes The Flu! Goodyear's H1N1 Global Pandemic Tabletop
August 31, 2009 8:00 pm | by CI Staff | Articles | CommentsFour days, 941 facilities around the world, more than 31,000 participants - Goodyear just wrapped up the biggest pandemic tabletop ever. Here's what they learned.
Disaster Simulation Exercises: One Company's Approach
April 26, 2009 8:00 pm | by Chris Wright | Articles | CommentsThis session will explore Amgen's approach to conducting the six to seven full-scale disaster simulation exercises that they complete each year. Elements including the initial make up of the exercise design team, the scenario development, commun...
Headquarters Closed! Now What? Lessons Learned from Expedia’s Exercise
May 5, 2008 8:00 pm | by Howard Mannella | Articles | CommentsWant to hear what happens when over 180 people are locked out of a facility and forced to work elsewhere? Expedia conducted a week-long business continuity exercise in which the IT Division was to consider the Bellevue Headquarters campus “inacc...
Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans: Can You Actually Use Them?
April 30, 2008 8:00 pm | by John A. Jackson | Articles | CommentsMy perspective comes from years and years of supporting customer tests in hot sites and participating in actual recovery efforts following disasters. During all of those events, I noticed a fairly common thing happening - clients often didn't use their plans to conduct their tests or to direct their actions during a recovery.
The Problem with How Most People Test Their Recovery Capability
April 30, 2007 8:00 pm | by John Jackson | Articles | CommentsThis article isn't so much about a trend or direction in our industry as it is about one of the most serious problems I have seen over the years-the lack of realism in testing recovery programs. Reflecting on my 20-plus years with Comdisco, SunGard, and IBM, I have participated directly in, overseen, or audited hundreds if not thousands of tests for customers, including those many of you reading this article have conducted. Combine that with the tens of thousands of tests vendors have supported, and there is a tremendous base of information on the approach to testing and the success people have.
Conducting the Perfect Tabletop Exercise
April 24, 2007 8:00 pm | by Rich Schiesser | Articles | CommentsHow many times has this happened to you? You prepare for weeks to conduct or participate in what you hope to be a successful tabletop exercise, and on the day of the exercise everything goes wrong. Attendees show up late or not at all. Your scen...
Raising the Bar on Testing
April 23, 2007 8:00 pm | by John M. Hayes | Articles | CommentsHow closely do your tests (or exercises) resemble an actual response and recovery event? Is IT still tested separately from crisis management and work area recovery? Opportunities abound for increasing the effectiveness of testing over time. T...
The BCP Anthema:Maintenance and Testing
April 30, 2006 8:00 pm | by George Kibildis | Articles | CommentsLet's face it: most business managers do not regard maintaining and testing their BCP program as a joyous event. It is more like an anathema, or an abominable curse, for most of them. Despite the reluctance of business managers to devote precious time and energy to their BCP program, business continuity managers must sell to business managers the importance of maintaining and testing their recovery programs.
Putting Plans to the Test
August 31, 2005 8:00 pm | by Kate Debevois | Articles | CommentsIn the quest for quicker recovery times, continuous availability, and resilient infrastructures, companies are working to conduct more realistic business continuity and disaster recovery audits, tabletop tests, and full-scale drills. Here's what's happening at Vanguard.
Test First, Plan Later:
May 15, 2005 8:00 pm | by Abby De Lotto MBCP | Articles | CommentsTraditionally, business continuity planners build a plan, and then test it. But by turning the tables and testing first, then building or updating the plan later, planners can gain valuable insights into the validity of plan information and the ...
Integrated Response and Recovery Drills:
May 15, 2005 8:00 pm | Articles | CommentsWould your employees know what to do in an emergency? Where to report? Does leadership understand their role in executing their business continuity plan? Do your support functions communicate well during an emergency? Constellation Energy’s ...
Best Practice: Senior Management Mock Disaster Exercise at Gillette
April 26, 2004 8:00 pm | by Michelle Viotty Vice President, Internal Audit | Articles | CommentsKey to this presentation is the commitment and direct involvement of the Gillette senior management. Audience will be taken through the actual situation presented to the Gillette senior management and how they responded to resolve the issues. ...
Best Practice:
April 26, 2004 8:00 pm | Articles | CommentsKey to this presentation is the commitment and direct involvement of the Gillette senior management. Audience will be taken through the actual situation presented to the Gillette senior management and how they responded to resolve the issues. ...
