At KingsBridge we make your business continuity planning easy by following our version of the K.I.S.S. principle – Keep It Simple and Straightforward. We simplify your plan writing and maintenance process through a feature called the Plan Markup table. Many Shield users leverage Plan Markup when they first set up Shield ‘out of the box’ but quickly either forget about it or fail to fully leverage its potential. So to make your planning simple, let’s start with figuring out what plan markup is.
Plan Markup is a tool that allows you to make global changes to your plan in one location. You can find Plan Markup in the Data section of your plan. Here you give a generic name to frequently used terms and phrases in your plan. If one of those generic terms change (your company name or address, for example) changing the item in the plan markup table will change it throughout your plan. Think of it like ‘Find and Replace’ on steroids. So how does it work?
First, here is what the Plan Markup table looks like with a few entries in it:
When an entry under the Markup Name is used in the plan with [(- -)] around it, that word is replaced with the corresponding entry under Replacement Text.
For example, anywhere the plan includes [(-ORGANIZATION-)], it is replaced by ACME Inc. If the organization name changes, it is a daunting task to comb through the plan and change each individual line of text to the new name. Instead, you can simply go to the Data component, click on Plan Markup, and change the ACME Inc. name in the table. The new name is automatically updated throughout your plan.
You only see this bracket sequence [(- -)], when are in the edit window for a section. Save the section and the Replacement Text appears.
Here is an example of what a section looks like using Plan Markup with the edit window open:
The same section, once saved, looks like this with the Replacement Text populated:
Shield provides you with a number of built in Plan Markup entries such as organization name and organization location. When you start building your plan, ensure you update the Plan Markup table. You’ll want to enter content for each of the Markup Names or delete those that you won’t be using.
You can also add your own custom entries. Perhaps your organization relies heavily on a key supplier you frequently reference throughout your plan. Add a row to the Plan Markup table and enter the Markup Name, Replacement Text and Description for the supplier. Now revise the content in Shield that you want to customize as a Plan Markup with the bracket sequence [(- -)]. To change this supplier (even just their name), you just need to update the Plan Markup table. Editing your plan can be a simple and straightforward process, leveraging the power of Plan Markup. That’s right, the K.I.S.S. principle at work.
About KingsBridge
KingsBridgeBCP offers businesses of all sizes BCP Software Solutions and industry know how based on best practices. We help build, exercise, and maintain Business Continuity Plans. Our services and software packages are customized to meet the wide range of our customers’ needs, ensuring we deliver the best value in every project. To learn more click here or check out our Services.
