[OR] [CIMB] [E3] [C1] Starting Your OR Implementation for CIMB Bank

eBook 3: Chapter 1

Beginning the Journey of Operational Resilience Implementation

Introduction

Operational Resilience (OR) moves beyond traditional business continuity by focusing on an organisation’s ability to continue delivering its most important services during disruption, regardless of cause. 

For a diversified regional banking group such as CIMB Bank, operational resilience is not merely a regulatory expectation—it is a strategic capability that protects customers, markets, and the bank’s reputation across multiple jurisdictions and operating environments.

This eBook 3, “Starting Your OR Implementation,” marks the practical transition from understanding and design to execution. 

While the earlier eBooks establish the conceptual and governance foundations of operational resilience, this volume focuses on the hands-on implementation activities that translate intent into operational reality.

It is written as a compilation of actual organisational submissions produced during an operational resilience exercise, reflecting how OR concepts are applied, documented, 

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 the core business units. These units have translated the methodology into practice, providing real-world insights into the challenges and solutions of each phase.

Critical Business Services as the Anchor of Implementation

A defining feature of operational resilience is its service-centric perspective. This eBook begins the detailed implementation journey by anchoring all Phase 2 activities to CIMB Bank’s Critical Business Services (CBS).

The identified CBS for CIMB Bank are:

1. Retail & Digital Banking Access
2. Payment & Fund Transfer Services
3. Cash Access & Branch Services
4. Loan Origination & Disbursement
5. Treasury & Liquidity Management
6. Card & Merchant Acquiring Services
7. Risk Management & Regulatory Reporting
8. Customer Support & Contact Centre Services
9. Corporate & Institutional Banking Transaction Services

This list marks the formal commencement of the “Identification of CBS” stage within the Implement phase and serves as the reference point for all subsequent process mapping, dependency analysis, tolerance setting, and scenario testing documented in this eBook.

Each CBS is treated as:

• A customer-facing outcome
• A regulator-relevant service
• A unit of resilience measurement and assurance

Nature of the Content: Evidence-Based and Practitioner-Led

Unlike purely theoretical guidance, this eBook is a compilation of organisational submissions developed during an operational resilience exercise. As such, the content reflects:

• Real-world constraints and trade-offs
• Common areas of ambiguity and debate
• Practical documentation approaches
• Incremental maturity rather than “perfect-state” models

This makes the eBook particularly valuable for practitioners who must balance regulatory expectations, operational realities, and organisational readiness.

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 the operational ecosystem.

These insights showcase the collaboration among Group Risk, business units, and the OR program office 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.

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