1. Short Description
The ERP module
seeks to successfully navigate end-users through the efficient and successful management
of an emergency incident in a structured and comprehensive way by performing specific
tasks and actions upon the detection of a disruptive event. The most
significant achievement of this module is the provision of a set of specific,
self-standing operational playbook tailored to the local ground segment's
particular exposures and not generic and one-size-fits-all procedures. These steps
also include referenced staff roles during the emergency response to ensure
proper coordination and the engagement of resources in an operational and
tactical rather strategic manner. ERPs are set to associate the specific threat
events detected or correlated with specific reaction protocols. By performing
these connections, on-screen instructions are generated to guide operators
through the most appropriate next steps for any given situation via tailor made
specific response workflows. In a nutshell, the ERP module (as visualised via
the ENGAGE CSIM GUI) clearly defines:
- the current
(operational/tactical) step to be executed
- what are
the next steps to be performed
- what
steps have already been executed
- various
valuable details regarding the actions to be performed by the 7SHIELD Platform
operator/end- user.
- The
communication capabilities with internal and/or external stakeholders
2. Main Purpose and Benefits
The main
purpose of the ERP module is to, from one hand, highlight the existing
emergency response practices, organizational structures, the established
procedural mechanism of roles, responsibilities, and directional control that
exists in a Satellite Ground Station (SGS) and to help the SGS’s stakeholders deal
effectively with an emergency and the long-term emergency management policy
objectives, priorities, and responsibilities a disruptive emergency event may
entail. On the other hand, the ERP module aims to identify organizational
specific best practices, methodologies, and standard operating procedures for
the creation of the ERPs’ Threat/Emergency specific functional playbooks,
indicating specific emergency response actions and the relevant SGS’s
stakeholders responsible for executing them. All the above are amalgamated and
visualised via the ENGAGE CSIM platform in a hierarchical and user-friendly
manner helping navigate the platform operators successfully through the
management of an emergency response. In this way, the 7SHIELD platform
operators and SGS’s stakeholders are benefited because a critical part in the
People-Process-Technology (PPT) interaction framework is further developed and
an existing gap in the functional integration of response plans and procedures
into IC3S platforms is ameliorated, by making available a readily accessible,
structured, and standardized course of response actions, thus, minimizing
reaction time during an emergency, and response lag due to lack of effective
communication, coordination, and uniformity of responses. In short, the
following table summarises the components of the 7SHILED ERPs.
3. Main Functions
The main
purpose of the ERP module is to visualize the process that defines roles and
responsibilities for all members of the emergency management team within SGS,
assign responsibility to specific functions of the organization or individuals
for carrying out specific actions during an emergency, to set lines of
authority to oversee and coordinate actions, to describe the mitigation
measures that are going to be employed to protect people, assets and services
and to identify the available resources to accomplice all the above. To do so, the
ERP module has incorporated some main functions to increase the performance of
the platform operator and provide a user friendly, unconstrained and fast way
of guiding end users through the management of an emergency situation. In so
doing the main ERP module functions are the following:
3.1 Function 01
The ERP visualization module was facilitated via a different view screen
in the ENGAGECSIM platform. The main ERP screen was presenting the ERP steps in
a structured hierarchical way, leading the operator from the successful
completion of one procedural step to the other. The procedures are grouped into
STEPS and individual SUB-STEPS contained into the overarching STEPS, thus
creating clusters of procedures that can be performed individually or as a
group.
3.2 Function 02
The ERP
visualization module also incorporates functional buttons and checkboxes to
mark the completed steps and help the operator navigate or execute
communication tasks at specific points (STEPS or SUB-STEPS). The operator is
also given the capability to skip some steps if deemed necessary.
3.3 Function 03
Different
colouring of the groups of STEPS is used to denote the different members of the
emergency team or specific individuals for carrying out specific actions during
an emergency to increase user friendliness and help the operator to be
navigated through the handling of the emergency more efficiently.
3.4 Function 04
An on-demand
view screen is also made available to the operator presenting the ERP STEPS or
SUB-STEPS of procedures pictured as flowcharts, to offer an easy way for the
operator to visualize the whole emergency response process in a user-friendly
manner.
3.5 Function 05
A
communication capability functionality was added, to enable the operators to
contact in a time efficient and automated manner the internal and / or external
involved stakeholders.
3.6 Function 06
Reporting functionalities are also embedded into the ENGAGE CSIM
platform, so that a complete report with the emergency response STEPS and
SUB-STEPS taken is available and documented for purposes of revision and
auditing.
4. Integrations with other Tools
Since the ERP module does not have a user interface of its own, it is
integrated into the ENGAGE CSIM platform in the form of lists with consecutive
procedural steps which the 7SHIELD platform operators were expected to follow
during an emergency. The visualization of the ERP Threat/Emergency specific
functional playbooks was performed via the ENGAGE CSIM graphical user interface
and was also accompanied by several functionalities to enhance end-user
friendliness (as described above).
Neither data
is sent or received with other 7SHIELD tools, nor any connections with other tools are required,
optionally or mandatorily.
Figure
4‑1
– ERPs visualization through ENGAGE CSIM platform
5. Infrastructure Requirements
Since the ERP
module does not have a user interface of its own, it is integrated into the
ENGAGE CSIM platform, the infrastructure requirements as described in the
document “7SHIELD_DE7.3_KR20_ ENGAGE_Tool User Manual
Template__v02_public” are valid for the ERP module.
6. Operation Manual
Since the ERP module does not have a user interface of its own, it is
integrated into the ENGAGE CSIM platform, the operation manual details (set-up,
getting started, nominal operations) as described in the document “7SHIELD_DE7.3_KR20_ ENGAGE_Tool User Manual Template__v02_public”
are valid for the ERP module.
7. User Interface
Once an Alarm is activated in the
Alarms Tab of the ENGAGE CSIM, the operator may open the Response Tab at the
right hand side of the ENGAGE User Interface and may start performing the ERP
steps provided there in a structured and hierarchical order from top to bottom.
The STEP and SUB-STEP are described
in a chronologically linear mode and are coloured differently according to the
specific individual of SGS function that is responsible to perform the
procedure described in each step. Also, at the headline of each STEP the title
or role function of the responsible individual is written in bold. All
the SUB-STEPS contained in a specific STEP are grouped per responsible function/individual
to avoid unnecessary back and forth in emergency actions and enhance efficiency
and timely performance.
When the ENGAGE operator has
performed the instructions contained in a STEP or SUB-STEP makes sure he/she checks
the relevant check box next to the text, to denote that the specific action has
been performed.
Special functional buttons are located
next to STEPS or SUB-STEPS that require a special communication action to be
performed by the operator. According to the action described in the text, the
operator by clicking on that functional button may send an email to a specific
recipient or group of recipients notifying them accordingly.
By pressing on the flowchart
visualisation button, the operator is able to activate a new view screen presenting the ERP STEPS or
SUB-STEPS of procedures pictured as flowcharts, offering an easy way for the
operator to see the whole emergency response process in a user-friendly manner.
Finally, after
the performance of the emergency response actions has been concluded, by
pressing the relevant reporting button, a report containing the performed STEPS
and SUB-STEPS is generated for reporting and auditing purposes.
8. Future Updates
To maximize the uptake and adoption of the solution
and ensure its alignment with the requirements of the targeted users, several
potential early adopters have been on boarded in the consortium and take an
active part in the definition and implementation of the ERPs. The tool was deployed and tested across the SGS CIs of the
project in Finland, Greece, Spain, Italy, and Belgium. This prolonged piloting
and demonstration process will serve as means to test and refine the deployed
approach and finally, to standardise the processes. In this sense, 7SHIELD
pilot use cases will contribute to the early adoption of the ERPs by providing
meaningful feedbacks on the proposed solutions. Based on the early outcomes of
the validation phase of the project and the expected results, using such a tool
will enhance the resilience of SGS CIs by offering significant social, economic,
environmental impact including preventing fatalities and injuries; minimizing
the impact on critical operations; protecting the organizations’ finances,
operations, and employees from harm; reducing damage to buildings, stock, and
equipment; protecting the environment and the community; accelerating the
resumption of normal operations; KEMEA, acting as the NCP for EPCIP, will disseminate
the project’s results through the training activities to Critical
Infrastructure Operators. The project’s developments and more specifically the
ERP model and the ERPs, can contribute to model Security Plans (SP) for
operators, which is directly related to the mission and the regulatory
objectives of KEMEA.