CRISP Services cover all aspects of Business & Technology management

"Your business processes and strategic plans depend on appropriate use and control of information technology. Capitalizing on opportunities and benefits while controlling risks gives you an operational and a competitive edge. CRISP has developed an integrated approach to the planning, implementation and risk management of information technology. Around this process, we package front-end needs analysis and strategic planning with integrated implementation of systems solutions, training and user support programs".

 

BUSINESS  CONTINUITY  &  RESUMPTION  PLANNING  (BCRP)®

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The CRISP Business Continuity and Resumption Planning (BCRP®) methodology involves the use of an Interactive Workflow that automates the entire analysis, assessment, development, implementation and maintenance of effective business continuity plans. This process is initiated by Strategic Risk Assessment and Business Impact Analysis based on defined key organizational functions. Starting from a solid foundation of the business structure and processes, critical resources are highlighted and the associated risks studied. Establishing the relationships between critical resources and the functions that use them is essential for strategy and team development. This leads to identifying optimal high availability strategies and selecting cost effective solutions. This is followed by developing a team structure to implement the chosen strategies.

The CRISP Proprietary BCRP® Methodology and Interactive Workflow are used during CRISP consulting projects and can be licensed separately to assist organizations to quickly establish an effective business continuity process. The CRISP BCRP® Interactive workflow includes a step by step approach to plan development with easy to follow activities together with full help facility, search engine, and direct links to the various phases, activities and supporting documents. Some of the key documents in the CRISP BCRP® Workflow include: Executive Presentation, BCRP® Overview, Base Methodology, Master Plan, BCRP® Project Task List, Guidebook Templates, Sample Guidebooks for various teams, Business Impact Assessment guidelines and questionnaires, Risk Evaluation questionnaires, Testing guidelines, Training guidelines, Emergency Response & Escalation procedures, Third Party Contingency questionnaires, Sample Request for Proposals for technical solutions, Maintenance process, etc.

For more information on licensing the CRISP BCRP® Methodology and Interactive Workflow and for CRISP consulting rates, please contact CRISP Technologies.

The CRISP approach ensures your continuity plans are tied to all of the resources critical to your business objectives and activities, rather than defaulting to consideration of computer resources alone. A clear understanding of your business needs is also useful in determining technical resource sizing, response timing and availability issues, which can have significant impacts on the costs of strategies. The most effective approach for identifying the optimal strategies is to determine the appropriate Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) for the defined critical resources. This top down approach also sets the pattern for consistent definition and analysis of risks, impacts and strategies across your organization.

It is our experience that two factors are critical in the approach to business continuity projects:

1. Contingency planning must be given high level management commitment, and viewed in the light of corporate risk management. This ensures that the recovery strategies are balanced against true business needs. It allows your overall contingency planning effort to move towards a corporate plan which includes central and localized information technology as well as other critical resources.

2. The planning process must be solution driven, and based on recovering the mission critical functions in the least elapsed time possible. The CRISP approach involves the use of specific and focused questionnaires and check lists to quickly establish an overall documentation of your organizational structure with an identification of the most critical functions and resources that need to be maintained. This approach provides several benefits:

  • Acceleration of the analysis, strategy selection, and planning;

  • Ease in transfer of skills to your staff to enable them to update the analysis to continually ensure that strategies selected today are revised to reflect your changing business environments.

  • The business model built during the analysis phase provides a base upon which to build the plans and implement the strategies. The close interaction of the analysis and planning portions of the process make it economical and sensible to ensure that the methodology used for the first portion provides a basis and a driving mechanism for the rest of your plan.

  • The assessment of impacts by your operational management and staff allows the analysis to more accurately reflect the tangible and intangible impacts of a disaster.

  • The creation of a business model based on senior user input expedites the selection of cost effective recovery strategies that respond to your true business needs.

  • The analysis and presentation format used in the CRISP Methodology allows your key personnel to better understand the impacts in a major disruption and alternative strategies involved in the recovery process.

  • The personal involvement of senior CRISP consultants in the project will ensure proper training, direction, process, and content.

For a risk management program to be successful, it is essential that a project is initiated at a corporate level covering all business areas and addressing all critical resources in a consistent manner. These resources should include:

  • automated applications on all computing platforms;

  • manual procedures and related documentation;

  • consumable resources that are continually required at certain inventory levels;

  • equipment needed in the performance or support of critical functions;

  • network and communication lines and equipment;

  • human resources covering critical skills and experience; and

  • fixed physical assets covering office buildings and operating centres.

We believe that the most effective approach is one that involves your key personnel throughout the project. This provides you with firsthand knowledge of the plan to ensure effective maintenance, and smooth execution should a disaster strike. It also translates into the most efficient use of CRISP consultant time in providing expertise, methodology, and guidance in expediting the project. We believe in transferring skills to your personnel.

We further believe that best results will be achieved if management is kept informed of the progress. We recommend that a formal review be held at the end of each phase to discuss key findings and confirm direction. The review group should include but not be limited to: Business Systems management, Internal Audit, Corporate Risk Management, and a senior representative from one or more key business areas. Management concurrence with the findings of the business impact analysis and commitment to the selected recovery strategies is fundamental to the success of your project.
 

 

 

STRATEGIC  SYSTEMS  PLANNING  &  IMPLEMENTATION

Specializing in Information Technology with cost effective design, audit, implementation and support of Technology Infrastructure and Business Applications. Our business and technical specialists use a combination of analysis, assessment and development tools to provide our clients with efficient and timely answers to their business needs.