Congratulations! You have purchased the BowTieXP software. From now on you will use this software tool to visualize how your organization is dealing with risks (and if those measures prove to be effective) in an easy-to-understand framework.
Now that your organization has started its BowTieXP journey, how do you make sure to get the best out of its potential? Here is how to create the correct conditions for a high return on investment (ROI).
1 – Make sure users and other stakeholders understand the bowtie methodology
To make sure that risk scenarios and how they are being dealt with are correctly displayed in a bowtie diagram, it is of vital importance that BowTieXP users first become familiar with the bowtie method. By doing so you ensure that everyone who will build bowtie diagrams is using the bowtie language in a similar fashion. When applied the correct way, bowties facilitate risk understanding and communication.
Other than direct users of the software, there are also people in the organization who do not need to build bowtie diagrams, but who do need to understand the hazard information that they are looking at. In this way, governance of risks is better guaranteed.
Depending on one’s role in the organization, there are various ways to get familiar with the bowtie method. The higher involved you are, the more in-depth knowledge will be required. 5 ways to learn about the method are:
1. Video: The bowtie method in 5 minutes
2. Knowledge base: the bowtie method
3. E-Learning (basic bowtie methodology)
4. Attending a bowtie method workshop/webinar
5. Attending an in-depth bowtie method training
2 – Make sure users know how to use the BowTieXP software to its full potential
You can give someone a great tool, but when they don’t know how to use it “a fool with a tool is still a fool”.
Getting started with BowTieXP is fairly easy; the software has a user friendly and intuitive user interface, with a look and feel that is similar to other Microsoft ‘classics’. However, the software does hold a lot of different (advanced) features, and to determine what feature is useful for what use case, the end-users must understand what the features are all about.
Depending on one’s role in the organization, a different level of practical knowledge will be required. When leading the BowTieXP trajectory as a ‘champion’ or ‘super user’, more in-depth knowledge will be required. Ways to learn how to use the BowTieXP software are:
1. Playing with a trial version of the software
2. Subscribing to our Youtube Channel
3. E-Learning (bowtie diagram construction with BowTieXP)
4. Attending a BowTieXP workshop/webinar
5. Attending an in-depth BowTieXP training
3 – Make sure users work with the latest version
Are you using the software on a regular basis? BowTieXP is under active development and new versions are being released regularly. We continue to make the software more user-friendly and add new features to keep up with both commercial and regulatory needs. Please check our webpage with release notes, to have an insight on our recent developments.
Working with the latest version will ensure that your software is working optimally, and you can avoid potential compatibility problems. Note that our software is backward compatible: files from older versions can be opened with newer versions, but not the other way around. You will need a support and maintenance contract for free software upgrades.
Visit this page to see what the most recent version of the software currently is.
4 – Make sure users have access to technical and methodological support
Even the most skilled BowTieXP users, sometimes need a hand. If you are not able to find a report, your laptop has crashed, or another technical or functional issue pops up, our support team will have you up and running in no time. We even benefit from listening to the problems you run into, for it makes us consider improving our software, or its user manual.
Next to that, you may need a fresh pair of eyes to have a look at your work content-wise. You can have your bowtie diagram checked by one of our product specialists to check, correct, or brainstorm about any of your initial thoughts. A two-hour bowtie review is also part of that very same support and maintenance package.
