ARC’s Continuity of Operations (COOP)
Fortunately, the operations supported by ARC run smoothly day after day, week after week, and so on. But what if something significant happens unexpectedly that is outside of ARC’s controls? Will your data continue to be processed? Will your bills get paid? Will your travel reimbursement process? The answer is yes, thanks to ARC’s dedication to continuity of operations (COOP).
ARC’s COOP coordinators are responsible for maintaining ARC’s Business Continuity Plan and ensuring adequate resources are available/trained to implement the plan. This collective team takes actions to improve the resiliency and reliability of the systems used by ARC and its customers and ensures that vital missions are executed successfully during unplanned disasters or operational failures. Regular testing confirms that our recovery goals are achievable, meet regulatory requirements, and improve employee preparedness.
Other than the obvious importance of business continuity, why is ARC performing this function an advantage to you? Simply put, this is one more way ARC takes the burden off you; allowing you to focus on your mission. For example, ARC has employees that genuinely enjoy understanding system security standards so that information and operations are protected. Yes, those individuals exist and ARC employees them!
ARC’s most recent continuity activity was the annual disaster recovery exercise with our hosting provider for the Oracle, Prism, and OBI applications. The exercise, involving nearly 30 ARC personnel, took place over the weekend of June 7-9. While only a two-day test, planning was conducted several months in advance. Preparation involved reviewing procedures, identifying resources, updating test plans, and notifying agencies about the upcoming event. During the exercise, ARC simulated our response to a data center outage caused by a natural disaster. The event was a success with all testing completed successfully and without any reported issues.
As you can see, ARC takes COOP seriously so our customers can focus on mission-centric activities. Since ARC is in the financial management business, one might say that business continuity is an asset that ARC customers can depend on.