Jon Seals
Disruptive Trends in Public Safety
Ah, if we could only look into the crystal ball and really see the future. While I know a few things about the future, most of what I garner comes from reading and personal observation. Check out the notes I took sometime ago that I came across this afternoon while looking at my files. The future is near...
Top 5 “Do NOTs” of Business Continuity
People talk a lot about what you should do with your Business Continuity Plan, but we are going to discuss what you should not do.
5. Do NOT keep your DR/BC plan in a single binder stored somewhere in your office.
What good is the plan to you if no one can get into your office? Your plan should be available in multiple formats and from any location. Considering that your plan should be updated frequently, storing the plan digitally makes for easy updating. There is of course always a place and time for hard copies, but you have to be diligent about updating it and it should NOT be the only copy you have.
http://ongoingoperations.com/blog/2013/04/top-5-do-not-business-continuity/
5 Ways Disaster Recovery Can Fail
Disaster recovery (DR) in the cloud is one of those things – while it’s so obvious, it can really get messed up if not approached in the right way. We see a lot of businesses work through DR scenarios, so we thought it would be great to provide a short list of how NOT to go about DR in the cloud.
Lumping in DR with HA: High availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) are all too often mistakenly understood as overlapping concepts where cloud computing is concerned. The truth is they are very different. While they are complementary in their positive impact on a business’ infrastructure, they cannot be considered in the exact same way. HA has more to do with operational performance, while DR directly involves failure contingency and disaster preparedness.
Compliance is not Information Security
Small firms can confuse security with data protection
Small and midsized businesses often make a big mistake in assuming that compliance with data protection regulations provides the basis of information security, according to a specialist who serves a number of companies in the sector.
Peter Bassill of Hedgehog Security raised the point in a presentation on information security for SMBs at the Infosecurity show in London, coming soon after the 2013 Information Security Breaches Survey highlighted the high level of attacks suffered by small firms. He said that they tend to confuse their legal obligations to protect data with protecting themselves.
How effective are data breach penalties? Are ever-bigger fines enough?
For the past couple of years, data security company ViaSat UK has spiced up the Infosecurity Europe conference by filing an FoI (freedom of information) request for data breach statistics.
In previous years, things have ended up with ViaSat in a spot of biffo with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
In 2011, ViaSat noted that "monetary penalties have been enforced in less than one per cent of the data losses [the ICO] has dealt with."
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/04/26/how-effective-are-data-protection-regulations/
What Went Wrong in West, Texas?
A week after a blast at a Texas fertilizer plant killed at least 15 people and hurt more than 200, authorities still don't know exactly why the West Chemical and Fertilizer Company plant exploded.
Here's what we do know: The fertilizer plant hadn't been inspected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration since 1985. Its owners do not seem to have told the Department of Homeland Security that they were storing large quantities of potentially explosive fertilizer, as regulations require. And the most recent partial safety inspection of the facility in 2011 led to $5,250 in fines.
http://www.emergencymgmt.com/safety/What-Went-Wrong-in-West-Texas.html
Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation Launches DisasterReady.org
Free online training resource to improve disaster preparedness and response
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation, a non-profit organization formed by global cloud-based talent management leader Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD), announced today the introduction of DisasterReady.org (www.disasterready.org), an online training resource that assists relief workers in disaster readiness and response.
The free, easy-to-use online resource is designed to improve the preparedness and effectiveness of relief workers around the world by providing access to affordable, high-quality training tools and support. DisasterReady.org enables every user to choose from a growing library of interactive e-learning courses created by experts in staff development and humanitarian assistance. In addition to e-learning courses, users can access relevant links, webinars and other resources to help prepare them for the rigors of aid work.
DisasterReady.org is a collaborative, non-profit effort supported by the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation and prominent aid agencies, including some of the world’s foremost organizations, such as Save the Children, Mercy Corps, the International Rescue Committee, UNHCR, InsideNGO, Oxfam America, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Project HOPE, among others.
“We created DisasterReady.org to help organizations worldwide better train and prepare their staff for the many challenges they will face in the field as they respond to disasters. Unfortunately, disasters have become both more frequent and more severe. In 2012 alone, there were 310 disasters that killed more than 9,300 people and affected 106 million others, at a total financial cost of $138 billion. Our DisasterReady.org initiative provides aid organizations with a means to better engage, prepare and educate their teams while improving the effectiveness of their efforts,” explained Julie Brandt, executive director of the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation.
Adam Miller, founder and CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand, added, “We established the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation to help build the capacity of the nonprofit sector with a particular focus on education, workforce development and disaster relief. As a leader in cloud–based human capital management solutions that enhance, empower and motivate workforces, we have leveraged our software, as well as our learning and development expertise, on behalf of the Foundation, helping to empower communities across the globe. DisasterReady.org allows the Foundation to extend its work in the disaster relief space and help ensure workers are properly educated, trained and prepared."
“DisasterReady.org is a powerful professional development tool that enables aid workers to access online training in critical areas such as personal security, staff care, wellness and resiliency, and humanitarian principles. It is a much-needed resource that will truly benefit a variety of organizations, particularly those focused on disaster relief. The Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation has gathered numerous aid agencies to provide technical expertise, and, as a result, international development and relief workers around the globe will benefit,” said Marie McNamee, director of programs, HR, IT and Legal, InsideNGO.
To read additional commentary regarding DisasterReady.org, including the inspiration behind this initiative and how other organizations can get involved, read Julie Brandt’s blog post at http://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/blog/learn-prepare-collaborate-disasterreadyorg
For more information about the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation or the DisasterReady.org initiative, visit www.cornerstoneondemand.org. To follow the Foundation on Twitter, go to twitter.com/csodfoundation.
About the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation
The Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation transforms the way people help people. By providing its talent management technology and capacity-building programs to the non-profit sector, the Foundation helps organizations around the world better develop, engage and empower their employees and the people they serve. The Foundation focuses its efforts in the areas of education, workforce development and disaster relief, and since its founding has forged strategic partnerships with many leading non-profits, such as Teach for America, Women for Women International, KIPP, Oxfam America, Save the Children and Goodwill Bay Area.
About Cornerstone OnDemand
Cornerstone OnDemand is a leading global provider of comprehensive talent management solutions delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Our solutions are designed to enable organizations to meet the challenges they face in empowering and maximizing the productivity of their human capital. Our core solution is an integrated, cloud-based suite that consists of the Cornerstone Recruiting Cloud, the Cornerstone Performance Cloud, the Cornerstone Learning Cloud and the Cornerstone Extended Enterprise Cloud. Our clients use our core solution to source and recruit top talent, develop employees throughout their careers, engage employees effectively, improve business execution, cultivate future leaders, and integrate with their external networks of customers, vendors and distributors. We currently empower over 10.5 million users across 189 countries and in 38 languages. www.csod.com
Long Island Firm Quadruples Production in a Matter of Months Using SafeSoft Solutions
Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island enjoys rapid growth and business expansion in the months after switching to SafeSoft Solution's sales and marketing productivity technology.
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. -- On Long Island, New York, homeowners tend to rely on Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning to deal with the problem of clogged gutters and roof debris which, if left unaddressed, can cause shingle, wood, foundational, and other water damage to homes. This month, the company celebrates twelve months of rapid business expansion attributable to cloud-based sales and marketing productivity software from SafeSoft Solutions.
Using SafeSoft, the home servicing business automated much of its sales, marketing and collections process. As a result, the business has grown rapidly, and the company has been able to expand their service offerings.
Seth Goldberg, a partner, said that, by manually dialing the telephone, they were able to make perhaps 300 to 400 sales calls per day. Now with SafeSoft, they routinely make 1,500 calls per day, and sometimes more than 2,000. "Our employee resource pool is finite," he said. "We have a limited salary budget and can't just bring in a bunch of new sales agents to ramp up volume. SafeSoft allows us to maximize our fixed budget."
"SafeSoft was an integral part of our growth - we didn't have the resources using manual dialing in a compressed amount of time during the busy season - predictive dialing lets us reach many more people," Seth continued. "And as we've added new products we've been able to more fully use Market Dialer throughout the year."
Nima Hakimi, CEO of SafeSoft Solutions, points to Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island as a picture-perfect model of a company using SafeSoft technology to improve sales and marketing productivity and accelerate revenue growth. "They're doing everything right," he said.
Seth also uses SafeSoft to accelerate collections on accounts receivables, improving cash flow and driving down the firm's Days Sales Outstanding metric.
A detailed case study explaining how Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island grew so fast is available from SafeSoft Solution's website or by contacting SafeSoft.
Telephone: 888-456-5454
Internet: http://www.SafeSoftSolutions.com
About Ned Stevens of Long Island
Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island provides gutter cleaning, installation, repairs and protection in Nassau and Suffolk counties and Long Beach. Visit them online at http://www.nedstevensli.com/.
About SafeSoft Solutions
SafeSoft provides the most robust predictive dialer and inbound call center software on the market today, wrapped in a rich suite of services to provide a comprehensive solution proven to accelerate sales productivity. Our easy-to-use cloud-based offering is completely customizable to your needs, whatever your industry. Join the growing ranks of sales and marketing professionals in the banking, finance, insurance, debt settlement, travel and other industries who are leveraging SafeSoft for accelerated sales and revenue performance. SafeSoft Solutions is based in Woodland Hills, California.
Resilinc and ICOR Team to Deliver Next-Generation Supply Chain Resiliency Course
Santa Clara, Calif. -- Resilinc Corp.,the leading provider of supply chain resiliency solutions, and the International Consortium for Organizational Resilience (ICOR), an international non-profit professional development and credentialing organization, today announced that they have formed a new education partnership to design and deliver a next-generation supply chain resiliency course. Download Brochure
The updated Supply Chain Resiliency Management course (SCRM 2000) is designed to ensure that all students have a complete understanding of the supply chain risk and resiliency practices and techniques used by leading companies today. Offered as a "live" eLearning course over a two-week timeframe, SCRM 2000 combines the benefits of "learning from home" and interaction with a "live" classroom environment using ICOR's interactive eLearning education system. Register Today for August Class!
Supply chain resiliency is the ability of a company to protect the continuity of supply and achieve sustained operational performance in the event of global multi-tier disruptions of any type at any frequency from ongoing to catastrophic. SCRM 2000 aligns to the guidance and requirements of ISO 28000, PD 25222, & ISO 31000. After completing this course, students will be able to apply supply chain resiliency techniques and best practices to their organization or to their consulting practice. 
The course is intended for individuals who are currently engaged in supply chain or procurement functions, business continuity and risk management, or who are in other functional areas but have an interest in gaining additional insights regarding proactively addressing future supply chain disruptions. The Supply Chain Risk Associate Certificate is issued by ICOR and the certificate is accredited by The American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
"Resilinc is excited to join forces with ICOR to deliver next-generation supply chain resiliency accredited courses to the global practitioner community. ICOR's comprehensive accredited curriculum combined with Resilinc's deep experience in supply chain risk management will be a truly unique educational experience,"said Bindiya Vakil, CEO of Resilinc.
"ICOR's mission is to 'build resilient communities one organization at a time' and training the next-generation of supply chain risk professionals is an essential element of building a resilient organization. We believe the alliance between Resilinc and ICOR will be of tremendous value to practitioners globally," said Lynnda M. Nelson, President at ICOR.
Resources and Links
- Click for more information and to register for the August 5-16 2013 class
- Click for more information on Resilinc
About Resilinc
Resilinc is the leading provider of supply chain resiliency solutions and delivers scalable enterprise solutions that enable supply chain professionals to gain visibility across multiple tiers of their complex, global supply chains. With a comprehensive offering that encompasses multi-tier supply chain mapping, single points of failure analytics, global disruption event monitoring and management, mitigation workflow, and part-level supply chain compliance programs such as conflict minerals.
Resilinc has become the leader in comprehensive supply chain resiliency solutions. Resilinc helps customers achieve supply chain resiliency through innovative and patent-pending technology, an extensive resiliency-driven supply network, and a proven comprehensive enterprise scale solution that delivers strong value to both clients and supplier partners. For more information, visit www.resilinc.com.
About ICOR
ICOR (www.theICOR.org), headquartered in Lombard, IL USA, is an international non-profit professional development and credentialing organization that provides professional development, certification, thought-leadership, and the latest in research and industry trends in the disciplines that support resilience. ICOR addresses the evolving needs of business, government, non-governmental agencies, and society to improve their resilience and viability as individual organizations and within the larger community.
