[OR] [AMB] [E3] [C1] Starting Your OR Implementation for AmBank

eBook 3: Chapter 1

Beginning the Journey of Operational Resilience Implementation

Introduction

Operational resilience has become a core supervisory and strategic expectation for financial institutions operating in increasingly complex, digital, and interconnected environments.

For AmBank Malaysia, the ability to continue delivering critical business services during severe yet plausible disruptions is no longer solely a risk-management objective—it is a fundamental business imperative that underpins customer trust, financial stability, and regulatory confidence.

This eBook, “Starting Your OR Implementation,” is the third instalment in the Operational Resilience Framework: A Case Study of AmBank Malaysia series.

It builds directly upon the foundational understanding established in eBook 1, “Understanding Your Organisation,” and the governance, design, and strategic considerations presented in eBook 2, “Implementing Operational Resilience for AmBank.”

Together, these earlier publications equip readers with the organisational context, regulatory drivers, and structural framework necessary to proceed confidently with implementation.

While the first two eBooks focus on what operational resilience is and how it should be designed, this third eBook concentrates on how it is executed in practice. It marks the transition from conceptual readiness to operational action.

From Planning to Execution

The five core stages of the “Plan” phase in the Operational Resilience Planning Methodology are central to this ebook. These stages form the backbone of OR implementation:

• Identify Critical Business Services [DP]
  Determining the business services that, if disrupted, could pose a significant risk to Metrobank’s customers, market integrity, or financial stability.
  
  
• Map Dependency and Connectivity [MD]
  Uncovering and documenting the relationships and interdependencies—both internal and external—that support the delivery of critical business services.
  
  
• Map Processes and Resources [MPR]
  Cataloguing the key operational elements—people, systems, data, and facilities—that underpin each critical business service's performance and continuity.
  
  
• Establish Impact Tolerances [ITo]
  Setting defined thresholds for disruption to determine how much stress a service can endure before unacceptable harm occurs.
  
  
• Identify Severe but Plausible Scenarios [SuPS]
  Identifying Severe but Plausible Scenarios that could critically impact each detailed process within the Critical Business Service
  
  
• Perform Scenario Testing [ST]
  Validating assumptions and capabilities by simulating disruptive scenarios to evaluate how well the bank can maintain or recover its critical business services.

Each stage is covered through submissions from Metrobank’s core business units. These units have translated the methodology into practice, providing real-world insights into the challenges and solutions of each phase.

The submissions focus on the following Critical Business Services (CBS), as defined by Metrobank:

• CBS-1 Retail & Digital Banking
• CBS-2 Payment Processing & Settlement
• CBS-3 Corporate & SME Banking
• CBS-4 Treasury & Capital Markets
• CBS-5 Investment & Wealth Management
• CBS-6 Loan & Credit Services
• CBS-7 Regulatory Compliance & Reporting

Practical Value for Organisations and Practitioners

This eBook is more than an internal knowledge asset—it is part of the value-added resources offered to organisations implementing or enhancing their OR capabilities through BCM Institute’s training-led implementation approach.

As part of the Institute’s competency-based certification courses, this publication supports practical understanding and skill development, enabling professionals to interpret the methodology and apply it effectively.

Whether embarking on your first OR initiative or refining an existing framework, this guide provides the clarity, structure, and examples necessary to advance your resilience efforts.

It translates the abstract concept of operational resilience into concrete actions, enabling organisations to proactively safeguard their critical functions against expected and unforeseen disruptions.

What to Expect

In the following chapters, readers will find detailed documentation, observations, and best practices from across AmBank’s operational ecosystem.

These insights showcase the collaboration among Group Risk, business units, and the OR program office, all working together to operationalise resilience.

As you begin your OR implementation journey with this guide, remember: resilience is not a one-time project but a dynamic capability. It is strengthened by continuous learning, iterative improvement, and shared commitment across all levels of the organisation.

Let this volume be your companion as you turn strategy into practice—and plans into resilience.