Written by Admin | Dec 1, 2021 5:59:00 PM
THE CHALLENGE
A top multinational hospitality and lodging company needed identification of applications for time-sensitive processes that deliver their primary products, and that require disaster recovery (DR) due to negative impacts at their main data center. Implementation of a Tabletop Exercise Approach to mature their Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) was essential.
With a restart on their DRP post-COVID, Cayuse was called upon to assist their limited resources, knowledge, and an immature DRP. The challenges were:
- Correctly engaging the broad cross-section of business and IT resources that use and administer the applications
- Realigning the underlying infrastructure
- Providing guidance, leading development, and assisting with implementation alongside a staff that lacked knowledge and planning regarding DR implementations and efforts
THE SOLUTION
With a partnership in place, the client and Cayuse set out to assess the current state, define the primary products for focus, plan and develop three tabletop events, and provide both an executive summation and detailed findings on ways to improve recoverability and the DRP. Through our collaborative efforts, the company gained insight and knowledge on:
- Ways to conduct strategy sessions
- How to work with both business and IT groups to reach a common goal
- Methods of adjusting from the known or traditional to an effective approach
- Delivering in a way that meets the business requirements defined in the scope of the effort
The tabletop project focused on mainframe recovery and the client’s primary software products involving reservations, managing the guest stay, and financial reporting. Having over 60 applications to walk-through and strategies of recovery for each of these areas to balance, it was determined that a more traditional tabletop was appropriate for the mainframe. A modified tabletop, however, would be required for the primary products. An untraditional failover test was performed. It involved a combination of tabletop and failover exercises that consisted of mainframe initiation.
THE OUTCOME
All directives were developed and executed within the timeline and budget allotted. Lessons were learned and DRP adjustments were effectively communicated and presented to the team and to senior management.
The company director leading the project stated that Cayuse “saved the project” and “enabled the team” to successfully develop and execute. Through the partnership, both parties were able to bring the DRP together after nearly 2 ½ years of little activity.
Together, Cayuse and the client established:
- A restart of the DRP
- A tabletop process to build from
- DRP requirements that stretch the current capabilities, while bringing into focus the future needs of the large effort to grow the program
- Trust and comradery in a siloed workforce
The client and Cayuse continue with a partnership based on credence, understanding, and the desire to keep the DRP moving forward. Cayuse listened to the needs of the company, delivered beyond expectations, and led the way in training the workforce to better manage and deliver their responsibilities successfully.