Publications

More For Less:  Security Operations Centers - Improving Resiliency While Simultaneously Reducing Cost   [ Purchase Publication ]

Today, businesses can monitor security and operations at all facilities within an integrated infrastructure of Global Security Operations Centers (GSOCs)—thereby responding more quickly, effectively, and cost-efficiently to any actual or potential breach or disruptive event. Now, The Bellwether Group fills the gap on public literature on this subject, showing business and IT decision-makers how to use new GSOC techniques and technologies to increase operational resiliency in the face of security, safety, and other disruptive events, while at the same time reducing staffing and system-wide costs. Bellwether's expert consultants explain how to implement a small number of physical GSOCs in different time zones to create a truly global infrastructure capable of supporting each other in emergencies. They demonstrate how to build efficient "virtual" GSOC infrastructures based on common, web-enabled platforms; accommodate activity peaks and long-term growth; centrally collect incident and event information for real-time analysis; and drive even more value by extending GSOCs into facilities management and supply chain security. GSOCs are becoming an increasingly widespread "best practice" among investment banks, asset management firms, manufacturers, retailers, and in other industries. This document draws on the experiences of these leading-edge implementers to offer insights of significant value to every large and mid-sized company.


Available digitally through Amazon Kindle, iBooks and Safari Books Online. Also available in PDF through FT Press Delivers Shorts.


White Paper:  Corporate Disaster Preparedness    [ Download this White Paper ]

Since 9/11, and following recent terrorist attacks overseas and multiple natural disasters around the world, preparedness strategies, both globally and within the US, remain a high priority at the companies participating in this study.  The Bellwether Group, Inc. received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to undertake a pilot benchmarking project on Disaster and Terrorism Preparedness in the US among a select group of large corporations. The primary objectives were to:

  1. Determine the state of preparedness within select companies
  2. Identify best practices in corporate preparedness and enable participating companies to improve by learning from each other
  3. Ascertain whether a program of this nature could improve corporate resiliency to acts of terrorism and other disasters if conducted on a broader basis.

Eight companies accepted invitations, collectively representing over $300 billion in revenues, employing over 500,000 employees and maintaining over 18,000 facilities worldwide, in the following industries:

  • Asset Management
  • Business Services
  • Communications
  • Consumer Products
  • Financial Services
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Software
  • Utilities

Benchmarking enabled the identification of best practices, developed at or considered by these companies, and helped them analyze their preparedness programs by increasing awareness. Many of these practices are not well documented in the public arena and participants benefited by discussing these with each other. Use of a “Preparedness Index” further facilitated comparison and provided additional insights. The broader application of both these methodologies to other companies would enable them to identify opportunities to improve their preparedness strategies and thereby increase their resiliency to disasters.



White Paper:  Corporate Pandemic Preparedness    [ Download this White Paper ]

The H5N1 virus is amongst the most lethal in history and has infected more than 250 people with a case fatality rate of over 50%; significantly higher than both the 1918 influenza that killed an estimated 50 million people and the more recent SARS epidemic. To date, most human H5N1 cases have required direct contact with infected birds. However, if H5N1 adapts to enable efficient person to person transmission and maintains its high case fatality rate, a devastating human pandemic could result.

The potential impact of a global outbreak of the H5N1 or another dangerous virus makes contingency planning an imperative for large corporations; particularly those with a wide geographic exposure.

21 large corporations participated in a roundtable discussion on corporate preparedness for avian influenza, a benchmarking measuring corporate resiliency, in the following industries:

  • Aerospace
  • Asset Management
  • Airlines
  • Business Services
  • Communications
  • Consumer Products
  • Financial Services
  • Health Benefits
  • National Defense
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Technology
  • Transportation
  • Utilities

The threat of an avian influenza pandemic is real; not so much because it is considered high probability in the short-term, but because of its potential impact on society and economies around the world, and therefore to companies, could be devastating. Unlike most other disasters, pandemics are global, long-lasting and cause significant confusion. Contingency planning for them is particularly difficult because little can be predicted.

Planning is also complex as it deals with all facets of business and a substantial portion of the workforce that could be affected. Supply chains, service providers and public infrastructures could all be affected, and some would likely fail or be compromised. Healthcare systems could also be overwhelmed, and consequently, the planning challenge for corporations is considerable.

Despite this, all corporations represented at the roundtable were better prepared for pandemic influenza at the time of this study than they were 18 months prior. Should a pandemic occur, the impact on many corporations, however, would likely be global, simultaneous, multi-locational and prolonged. Few, if any, consider themselves ready for this and continue to work on improving their preparedness. Pandemics or their like can happen fast, underlining the need for corporations to be proactive in planning for such devastating events.