BPC RiskManager V6.2.5.25 – BETA14 has been released.  This version mandates the V6.2.6 database.  BETA15 is a production ready release.    The V6.2.6 database is transitional, in that the BETA cycle will see us move to at least V6.2.7 before it is finished.  

Clients who have upgraded their databases to the V6.2.6 can install this release directly.

Included in this release:

RiskManager Client

• Flow Chart Designer hooks have been expanded and you can now invoked the designer directly from the risk maintenance screen.  Flow charts are linked to the business processes and business sub-processes, among other things.
• New integrated work flow support for flowcharts and expanded scripting RM/Work flow interface.   This is a substantial internal update.  Workforce diagramming is now directly supported from process and sub process definition screens rather than as a separate engine.  Work flows diagrams can be executed and are scriptable with interfacing calls that can invoke screens in RM.  The internal update lays the framework for a substantial expansion in the role of Work flow and flowcharting.
• Surfacing of most of the remaining risk attributes to the Windows desktop client including financial data, additional audit fields for planning and documents.  These includes estimates for loss (or gain).
• Significant expansion in the ability to selectively hide functionality.
• Addition of various features to the insurance centre as part of the introduction of claims support.

(Note: The new claims screens are now scheduled for BETA 15.)

RiskManager App Server

• Updated Bulk Importer with support for:
  • data value transformation and mapping,
  • push feed to the survey engine allowing auto-submission of scanned survey data
  • improved table selectors

RM SurveyManager

• Ongoing expansion of survey structure capabilities.  A number of additions have been made to the SM engine to support risk register rating via survey.  This is an ongoing upgrade and will continue progressively for a few more releases.  This first group of enhancements adds additional tags to better enable risk register style surveys. 

Please Note: 

BETA releases are intended for deployment by clients the same as full version releases.  Deployment usually involves replacing a few files by copying.  The BETA tag refers to the release packaging that does not usually include an auto-installer, auto-upgrader (other than for the desktop client) and that the take up is of the BETA is optional.  This means that a client can take the latest beta without having taken any previous Beta’s and we will guarantee to provide a customised DB upgrade.  Support is only promised for the latest BETA and the previous full release.  Clients using older BETA’s may be required to upgrade to the current BETA before support is provided.  The BETA release stream is also a way for us to extend the life of client subscriptions on version linked licenses. 

Documentation Updates

Go and look at the riskwiki  for documentation updates.  We have been busy adding new papers under a number of headings including new discussions of the community “network stakeholder model” and survey manager and risk manager user manuals.

 There is a new version of RiskMailManager available in each of your client folders and on the general product download sites.  The BETA12 package has also been updated and  re-issued.  This new version has been issued in its own package and the BETA12 packages have been updated for those yet to update.

To upgrade it simply replace the RiskMailManager.exe in the applicationfiles directory of your BPC RiskManager V625 server installation with the new file in the zip.  Discard the previous version – it is a blight on the world and does not deserve to be remembered. 

The revised RiskMailManager addresses a problem that may stop the template reader from loading your message templates under certain configurations.  All clients using RM Beta 11 or 12 are advised to update the RiskMailManager application, regardless of whether you are experiencing mail problems or not.

BETA 12 Warning:  BETA12 requires are complex database update.  If you wish to upgrade to BETA12 you are advised to request a customised database upgrade script or request us to do it for you.  Alternatively, wait a little longer for BETA13 which will include an installer. 

Read the previous post for the content of BETA12.

The V6.2.6 DB changes have actually been creeping into the DB scripts progressively across the BETA’s but the server and client have not used most of the V6.2.6 changes (or at least not required them) until this release.  We normally feed the major DB changes into the DB structure up to 12 months in advance of  utilising them in a client.  Only when the feature is required in production do we clock over the DB Version number.  (There is actually one DB feature that has been in the system since approximately 1998 that is still waiting to get to the top of the to-do list,  and in that case the code to use the feature is already written, tested and has been utilised in other production applications, but the anticipated requirement has simply not yet surfaced in the market place.) 

In V6.2.5.22  includes:

• Updated - Insurance policy management.  Intended for “Insureds” (holders of insurance policies) rather than insurers (issuers) or insurors (agents).  Insurance policy management holds details such as contacts, coverage, exclusions, history, financial data, and renewal information.  Each Insurance policy can be tied to a type of control which in turn can template, classify and optionally standardise strategies and controls applied to governance matters such as risks, compliance obligations, CR risks, and other governance obligations.  Insurance policies also link to incidents and governance matters (risks, etc.) via claims management.   This release sees the surfacing of additional data fields, new report views and connection of the insurance renewal reminder and review systems to the messaging system.
• Upgraded Email Messaging.  More internally tracked responsibilities have now been added as uniquely managed messages to the mail & message queueing system.  This is available regardless of whether or not you enable email dispatch through the BPC MailManager.  (IE. the messaging system and email tracking works regardless of whether the emails are actually being sent . )  Among the additions are document, section and insurance renewals.
• New - Risk Milestones.  A milestone is restorable a snapshot of a risk.  Milestones existed in BPC RiskManager from version 1, but with the move from Version 5 to 6 the milestones were dropped in favour of a much more expanded continuous audit logging system with dedicated search, a much expanded assessment tracking and management system and the existing restorable archives.   These facilities did most of what milestones did and provided a much wider range of additional capabilities for search, multiple concurrent users assessing risk,  and data extraction.  There were some things that the logging system, et al did not satisfy however, and that includes a simple way to deliver a chart showing risks at an instance in time, or run multiple “what if” analyses (and store the results in a restorable way, and returning to the official values).   So Milestones are back and improved, with milestone types, descriptions, dates, etc, and charts.   There will be lots more happening here over the coming months.
• New Milestone Charts – Track changes in I/C/R ratings over multiple years, etc.
• New Profile Chart – expands the display of assessments against I/R ratings to the current + 2 assessments allowing either 3 time based assessments or current self/reviewer, previous self/reviewer  and previous-previous self/reviewer assessments simultaneously.
• New Email Message Template reports.
• New Auto-Add feature for the Report Builder interfacing engine so that risk-system-administrator-end-users can add custom or rarely used views and tables to the reporting engine reportable data.  If you know the name of the table or view this feature will mine it and build a definition for ReportBuilder  (Report builder is packaged into every client).  Now nothing is hidden!
• New Views for assertion reporting, number capture, etc.
• Updated BPC RiskMailManager (Email message batching) to accommodate the new mail queues in this version.

BETA12 is on the client download site (you will need your username and password), but if applying the BETA12 patch we STRONGLY  advise you to contact us so that we can assist with the DB conversion.   There are a couple of messy changes to tables that are mirrored or version tracked and some new FK constraints that may require more personalised attention depending on your data.  

 Those preferring to skip the BETA’s and wait for the full installer that is shipped with the official release, should be looking about 1 to 2 month’s out from now.

The next BETA release – due end of next week – will include a big update to claims processing and the compliance obligations.

Follow this link to the forum: http://bpc.bishopphillips.com/forum/

You will need to register if you haven’t already.  Instructions for using the reports are in the post.

Cheers

JB