Fusion Framework System Reviews

Strong Business Continuity and Resilience Platform

Comments: We have been partners with Fusion since 2017 and have used the product quite extensively. They are a passionate organization that wants to see their clients be successful and resilient. They have been great to work with.

Pros:

The Fusion platform has helped us build our continuity plans, categorize our risks, and incidents across our organization. Fusion is very easy to use, update, and everything connects together easily. The platform is very reliable and stable. In addition, Fusion has been thoughtful with integrations, such as with AlertMedia and Security Scorecard, which allows you to bring in additional data for context and awareness.

Cons:

Because the platform is built on Salesforce, which is pretty easy to use, you're limited to what Salesforce can (or cannot) do - such as enhancements or specific customizations. Also, with Salesforce, additional seat licenses can be expensive.

Fabulous Fusion Framework

Comments: It took us time to set up and integrate all of our data, but just plan development for all but one of the 40 teams, went from estimated 3-5 days, down to 1 day. That is BIA data collection in the AM and BCP in the PM. We had basic plans with requirements done in 1 day! This saved us 10K hours of team time during the first year. We have been thrilled with the automation both on the planning side and on the Risk Management side.

Pros:

That it is so flexible and configurable. We have very specific requirements based on our risk models and this platform allows us to meet every single one.

Cons:

The classic version is dated, but moving to the Lightening is improving our end user experience. It is also somewhat difficult to learn some of the concepts of relational data, how they integrate and are maximized for those who don't have a background in software back ends. Having said that, I'm not a developer and can do most of my own configurations.

Expensive product with lots of hidden caveats.

Comments: If you go with base package, then load your data and go from there, you will have a better chance of success.
Like all software packages, the Devil is in the details. If you want a bespoke solution then do not buy a package that limits your ability to customize it to the UI or the limitations of ANOTHER 3rd party (Salesforce) which is an independent company that creates issues on "who" to even talk to.

Pros:

It is not vaporware and does cover a wide area on a number of BC, DR, QA, EM, Risk, etc areas.

Cons:

Limited by Salesforce platform and decisions. Can't run large reports. Have to export to run deep analytics. No real tools to measure performance of system or determine what the issues are. No Archiving built in. Audits require evidence within a audit window period "typically" in the past. Reporting ability with Conga is outdated. Even the new Adv Reporting should be called Adv Dashboarding. Executives DO NOT want to login to see those pretty pictures. Need a supported interface to PowerBI. SOQL is NOT SQL. Joins limited to 3 levels. Every SQL tool I have used to solve problems in the past is basically NOT allowed in SOQL. Lacking Audit tools to even use Shield product. Lack of advanced training specific for the tool. Need a 3rd party blog site to track and discuss issues that will NEVER be discussed or even allowed in the ENGAGE meetings. Limitations on refreshes, limitation on space for data, and the absolute need to engage with additional 3rd parties and tools for Deployments and backup and recovery. It is embarrassing that a Risk (BC/DR) tool does not even have "self coverage" of BC/DR within an RTO/RPO or MTO that would pass an audit much less a real event.

Fusion Framework System, by Ed Brown

Comments: Improved crisis management and communication during events. We call these response plans which are activated based on the level of the event and are a prelude to a recovery plan activation.

Pros:

I love the simplicity as an administrator to make changes, within my knowledge limits and the use of Fuel Hours to supplement my knowledge gaps. There were very view, but some, implementation problems. Fusion listens to their clients and has since improved their implementation process. I presented a complex model to determine the process RTO based 9 impact categories over time. They delivered what I wanted. Of course, I think, everyone client would want this model and it should be a separate object because it did eat up a lot of our available custom fields in the process object. We are working with Fusion to pull that part out and create a new object or leverage a lesser used object. I really like the incident management object.

Cons:

I think there should have been standard dashboarding out of the box. All clients implement a program with a BCP life cycle and dashboard are used to help user and program managers manage compliance to the annual deliverables. Instead these were created with fuel hours. (scale 1-10, 1 being not a big deal to 10 being horrible - this is a 2.) I am also accustom to having a BIA (Process) review with a maintenance control and we used fuel hours to enhance this for a BIA approval section. I think that should be standard. (scale 1-10, 1 being not a big deal to 10 being horrible - this is a 4.) Lastly plan conga generator and its templates are not well designed and we have had several changes requested to make them design the way we want them. Fusion could spend more time on the conga templates clients may like. (scale 1-10, 1 being not a big deal to 10 being horrible - this is a 7.) All these cons are correctable and have been and which is why I added the first PRO above.

Fusion Framework System

Comments: The tool works well for our BC and IT plan management. We have taken the next step to use the tool for our disaster recovery exercise monitoring. We are monitoring our exercises and proof of concepts manually and we will eventually implement the Service now connection that will allow us to track, monitor and delegate tasks once an incident is triggered and the plans are executed. We are looking to use the tool too its full capability.

Pros:

Plan configuration and management, Incident management, Processes, Library Procedure Group options, Dashboard for reports, Application and Component records. We were looking to replace our old LDRPS and this was clearly a better tool.

Cons:

The inability to remove/delete user accounts.

One of the Best Enterprise Resiliency Software

Comments: The system is great and very powerful.

Pros:

Ability to create guided workflows; ability to quickly build reports and dashboards.

Cons:

Too expensive; endless amount of customization options that it causes confusion and missed opportunities.

End User and Product Project Manager Review

Comments: Positive

Pros:

The flexibility and metrics, we can get data about our activity and drill down as much as we want and this is awesome.

Cons:

Support is limited, and a bit rigid, I wish Fusion was more customer centric.

Better then the rest.

Comments: Having a one stop shop for all our resilience plans makes life so much easier. It can show us all our dependencies with the few clicks.

Pros:

I have used a number of business continuity software systems, as this one is the best one I have used to date. It is more user friendly, more intuitive the all the others I have used. I like the fact it is be customized to fit the Firm rather then the other way around.

Cons:

The software changes/upgrades, whilst may appear small, can actually change a lot in the layout of our plans and sometime with little or no notice to the customer.

Platform designed for operational resilience

Pros:

After the learning curve the system is easy to configure based on internal workflows, using the Salesforce lightning platform. All fields can be reported on using custom report generator. Records can look up to others through parent-child relationships, providing enhanced visibility for critical operations from a business, system, or even vendor perspective.

Cons:

There is a learning curve required. Permissions and security can be tricky for users because settings exist at field level, in permission groups, profiles. Highly recommend vendor lead admin training.

Fusion Framework

Comments: Fusion Framework has been very useful once it has the data loaded into the system. There is a steeper learning curve and design phase versus just out of the box deployment. But with the support of the Fusion team it is an invaluable tool in helping understand the critical function of the organization and priorities of what to recover when Managing an impactful event.

Pros:

Fusion Framework is customizable to meet the needs of the organization. Other products require you to adapt to their product. The dashboards, reports and ability to have a vision of organization through a 'single glass' view Continues to evolve and adapt to request of its client and user base

Cons:

Difficulty to use and navigate. This is a software that would be hard to allow infrequent users to utilize in updating plans and documents as it is not intuitive and has a steep learning curve. Different modules are not 'easy' to correlate. Working with the BIA process and then tying those processes and organization structure to a module like Risk is Silo'd and difficult at time to set-up with our professional services.

Connecting the dots: going digital with turn data into information, and into business decisions

Comments: The first intent was to get our business continuity management processes configured and managed in a structured and governed way of working. To solve less of standardization was also a key objective.
Having Fusion RM operationalized and deployed in all entities in our scope we achieved the key objectives. In the mean time we started to include other domains to use their data (e.g. insurance risk) of an entity. This data became direct and real-time available. Based on this success the FRM platform expanded to an integrated resilience platform as of today. We included an advance threats, other domains with real-time data like security incident, emergency response, crisis management activities, etc etc. Real-time data is available, with an integrated overview of business, IT, insurance, and suppliers with financial values which in the past took too much time to get this insights. This resolved many business issues of delivery, quality and operational excellence. However there is always room for improvement to be faster, accurate, and complete.

Pros:

The ease of use to connect all objects and data together and create a single lens as for an overview. In short the flexibility, capability to integrate data and user friendliness of the total system.

Cons:

It's hard to say what we think is the least of the system. The biggest pitfall we always find is that there is as much as possible, and because of the enthusiasm to create as much as possible, the challenge is to keep things as simple as possible for the end user so that people keep on using the system for what it is meant for!

Fusion - should I do it?

Comments: I have worked with several different applications that support the Business Continuity / Emergency Management industry (over 20 years of experience). I have been able to develop key performance indicators to communicate the value of the investment into the application and the BC program. Once you understand how to make customization, it is very easy. The 'customization' have also been able to convert over to the most recent LEX upgrade.

Pros:

The software allows for a Business Continuity / Emergency Management team to build the application desired to support THEIR defined program...not the program the vendor has defined.

Cons:

It can be intimidating. There is so much flexibility, it does take a team lead to maintain the application. There are APIs that can be put in place to pull / push data between supporting applications (architecture, incident management, CMDB) if Fusion is not used for these features as well.

Fusion Unbeatable Edge

Comments: Above average to very good. After about a year, the Fusion RM platform is finally getting leveraged and so; for example, Internal Audit has complete access to the system and can run its own reports, and audits with less time. Also being used for a portion of vendor risk management.

Pros:

Fusion has the advantage of being hosted on the Salesforce platform. This allows it to leverage tools developed by Salesforce in other verticals within Fusion over time. System is very flexible.

Cons:

Your organization should be prepared to dedicate 1/2 FT to fully utilizing the product or by Fusion hours. Also, if your organization is transitioning from a paper based process, there is a tendency to carryover older processes into the new platform. Fusion is best utilized in more then just BC-DR so that the Enterprise can leverage data for common use; such as, vendor risk management.

Fusion - Exceptional Customizable Solution

Pros:

The amount of customization available within this software is exceptional. In addition, the out-of-the-box solution is very usable with limited customization if your organization needs a quick setup. The customer service is quick to respond to questions, and updates are made regularly to improve and enhance they system.

Cons:

It is difficult to track all of the changes made within the software, so when educating other administrators or making future improvements rely on your own documentation of changes/customizations. Otherwise, it may require significant assistance from Fusion to implement new customization without disrupting current processes.

Great Partners in Development

Comments: The Fusion Framework has made is big difference in allowing our team to generate user friendly reports and dashboards.

Pros:

The software is easy to use, easy to configure or customize,

Cons:

This software doesn't have too many cons that I can think of

Good product!!

Comments: We rolled out a property emergency response plan process for more that 2000 properties globally. It works pretty well, but we are still looking to make improvements.

Pros:

Fusion is very customizable and customer service is very good.

Cons:

While Fusion is very customizable, sometimes we would prefer more guidance from the Fusion team so that they direct us in the optimum way the tool should be implemented.

Fusion Framework review

Comments: I have used this system for almost 8 years with several different employers and I find it to be a very good BCMS with flexibility to fit most organizations.

Pros:

I like to depth it adds to our BC/DR program. The ability to connect the dots and really see our dependencies and gaps.

Cons:

It does take some extensive setup and in many cases data cleanup within the organization in order to connect all of the data.

Fusion Framework for Enterprise Business Continuity,Disaster Recovery and Risk Management

Comments: We now have the ability to show interrelationships between business operations and the things it needs to operate effectively.

Pros:

The feature I liked the most about this software tool is how customizable it is to the needs of my organization. We can capture all the data elements we want in the different objects and are able to search and report out various views of the data. It is the ONLY place in the organizations that ties business process to all the elements that process needs, from people, buildings, applications, suppliers etc.

Cons:

Ad Hoc reporting in terrific but the Conga report builder is difficult to use and modify for the actual "plan" documents

Fusion Framework: Automation for Business Resiliency

Pros:

Allows all the different aspects of Business Resiliency to be created and maintained in a single system provided as a SaaS solution, meaning it's available when your internal systems may not be. Ability to automate many tasks associated with collecting data for plans and business impact analysis forms, as well as auto-generating reports for audits or at the executive level. Additional connectors may be purchased to help connect Fusion to mass notification tools and CMDB systems. Great support from regional user groups available across the country.

Cons:

Most feature enhancements require additional implementation costs. Support services can be quick to mark a problem as resolved though it may not have been.

Fusion User 10+ Years

Comments: New planner (LEX) interface is better. We've used Fusion for over 10 years and appreciate the system to document the BC/DR program and plans. We also use it for Risk and Vendor management, testing, and event documentation.

Pros:

BC and DR planning Vendor and Risk Management Incident Management

Cons:

Conga reporting is still a challenge and we avoid using it.

Fusion Review

Comments: Fusion has helped us onboard multiple business segments quickly and gives us the ability to track and report user planning status.

Pros:

It's built on the Salesforce lightning platform and therefore extremely configurable. Meaning you can configure this to get exactly what you want.

Leverages of the Salesforce product and features to create a customizable platform to manage Risk.

Comments: The biggest thing we are solving with Fusion is gap analysis for risk and security for the most critical functions and assets for the company.

Pros:

Customization. If it doesn't do what you would like out of the box you are able to add and develop features you desire or need.

Cons:

Certain functions are involved in their use or customization such as Incident management and plan implementation. It means that you need specific administrators that are familiar with this functionality.

Fusion Risk Management is our primary source to manage our risks

Comments: We used to keep everything in spreadsheets, but now Fusion makes it easy to have 1 source of truth when managing our risks.

Pros:

Fusion -Provides easy to manage and monitor risk management -Dashboards to provide status updates across the enterprise

Cons:

-The biggest challenge is not with the software but getting management aligned with the capabilities and making time to add on additional features of the software.

A solid Business Continuation Management platform

Comments: Overall, I like Fusion and I can navigate it easily. The GUI is easy to understand and the sections allow for customization and adaptation to different operational needs.

Pros:

I like that Fusion offers good out of the box functionality, with the ability to customize modules for my business. Our BC program has made changes to the application, when needed. However, we've been able to leverage much of what Fusion offers from day 1.

Cons:

The cost is not prohibitive, but getting new users licensed makes for a new user experience to be slow within my organization.

DFA Review

Comments: I think overall it's a great product. I think it has taken some time to get up to speed to truly be an administrator of the system. We are getting there. I do like the fuel hours but think the support model could be better.

Pros:

That it's a database where we can connect the dots from BC to DR information, run reports and it is user friendly to our internal clients/customers.

Cons:

The expertise needed for Conga. Also, it took a while for us to get use to how to add fields etc. I think the implementation could be done in phases as it's a lot of information during initial implementation.