[OR] eBook Chapter 6: The Implement Phase of OR Planning Methodology

Putting the Plan into Action: The Implement Phase of Operational Resilience

The Plan Phase laid the groundwork for your Operational Resilience (OR) program. Now, it's time to implement those plans.

The Implement Phase focuses on building the capabilities and conducting activities that ensure your organisation can effectively respond to disruptions. This phase consists of five crucial stages that guide you in operationalising your OR program.

Stage 1: Identify Critical Business Services (CBS)

The foundation of any OR program is a clear understanding of your Critical Business Services (CBS). These are the essential services or functions necessary for your organisation to achieve its core objectives and maintain acceptable levels of service delivery during disruptions.  

While terms like "Important Business Services" and "Critical Operations" may be used interchangeably, here we'll focus on "Critical Business Services" for consistency.

Identifying CBS involves analysing your business processes and pinpointing the services that directly contribute to your core goals. Consider factors like:

• Impact on Stakeholders: Disruptions to a CBS will significantly negatively impact customers, partners, or investors.
• Financial Implications: Loss of revenue or incurring significant costs due to disruptions to a service.
• Regulatory Requirements: Certain services may be deemed critical by regulations, requiring specific resilience measures.

Clearly defining your CBS allows you to prioritise resources and ensure their resilience in the face of disruptions.

Stage 2: Map Processes and Resources

Once you have identified your CBS, you must understand the resources required to deliver it effectively. This stage involves mapping the processes and resources that support each CBS.  These resources can include:

• People: A skilled workforce is necessary to provide the service.
• Processes: The established procedures and workflows for delivering the service.
• Technology: The hardware, software, and systems critical for service delivery.
• Facilities: The physical locations necessary for operating the service.
• Information: The data and knowledge required to deliver the service effectively.

Mapping these resources provides a comprehensive picture of what's needed to maintain your CBS during disruptions. This allows you to identify potential vulnerabilities and allocate resources for mitigation strategies.

Stage 3: Set Impact Tolerance

Disruptions are inevitable, but their severity can vary. This stage involves setting impact tolerances for your CBS.  Impact tolerances define the acceptable level of disruption a CBS can withstand before it significantly hinders your organisation's operations.

Here, you'll consider factors like:

• Severity of Impact: The potential financial, reputational, or legal consequences of disruptions to the service.
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO): The maximum downtime acceptable before service is restored.
• Recovery Point Objective (RPO): The acceptable amount of data loss before it significantly impacts service delivery.

Setting clear impact tolerances allows you to prioritise resources and develop targeted recovery strategies to ensure your CBS can operate within acceptable parameters during disruptions.

Stage 4: Conduct Scenario Testing

No plan survives first contact with reality.  This stage focuses on testing your OR program through scenario testing.  Here, you develop realistic scenarios that simulate potential disruptions impacting your CBS. This allows you to assess your organisation's ability to:

• Respond effectively: Test your incident response protocols and communication plans.
• Maintain service delivery: Evaluate the effectiveness of your mitigation strategies and recovery plans.
• Adapt to changing circumstances: Test your organisation's agility and decision-making capabilities during disruptions.

Scenario testing exposes vulnerabilities and identifies areas for improvement in your OR program.  It also provides valuable training for your teams and fosters a culture of preparedness within the organisation.

Stage 5: Improve, Learn, and Adapt

The final stage of the Implement Phase emphasises continuous improvement.  After conducting scenario testing, it's crucial to analyse the results, identify lessons learned, and implement improvements. This may involve:

• Remediating vulnerabilities: Addressing any weaknesses exposed during testing.
• Updating plans and procedures: Refining your OR program based on observed challenges and successes.
• Sharing learnings: Communicating lessons learned across the organisation to promote a culture of continuous improvement.

By embracing a continuous improvement mindset, you ensure your OR program remains dynamic and effective despite evolving threats and disruptions.

Summing Up ...

The Implement Phase takes your OR program from theory to practice.  

By following these five stages, you build the capabilities and conduct the activities needed to ensure your organisation can effectively respond to disruptions and maintain operational resilience.

More Information About Operational Resilience Course OR-5000 [OR-5] or OR-300 [OR-3]

To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the OR-300 Operational Resilience Implementer [OR-3] course and the  OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer [OR-5] course.