One of the major goals and challenges any company is presented with post merger is bringing together the various products and services into one cohesive union. When BPS and Resolver merged, our risk management, compliance, and audit offerings were placed side by side and the teams began to explore how the products would work together for the benefit of new and existing clients.

Over the past 6 months our teams have worked hard to assemble a foundation for the applications to grow from and a vision to grow towards. We’re excited to announce that the hard work has paid off, the platforms are aligned, the foundation established, and a vision has been architected that will foster efficiency for years to come. There’s a lot more hard work to come, and over the next year you will see a number of exciting developments hit the market. This September marks the beginning of that journey, a journey of exciting new features and integration, a journey where our clients will breathe fresh, new air … GRC does not have to be complicated.

Many of you are aware of the suite of applications that Resolver and BPS offered, and rest assured the functionality you count on will continue to exist, and evolve. What you will see in September is a fresh new look and a realignment of features and functions with their intended purpose. The most notable change is in the names of the applications. In the past many of you referred to the tools as just “Resolver” or “BPS”. Now they make up specific components in a bigger strategy: the BPS Resolver GRC Suite, and accordingly they have new names that denote their function and the way they work together.

The new BPS Resolver GRC Suite is made up of 3 great platforms:

• Resolver*Ballot

• GRC Cloud (Formerly Resolver*Risk)

• GRC Enterprise (Formerly BPS Suite)

Those of you familiar with our offerings will notice a few things immediately:

• Why is Resolver*Risk called GRC Cloud? — Over the years our clients have continually asked us “Why do you call your application Resolver*Risk when we use it for SOX, NERC, IT-GRC, PCI, Bill 198, and Audit as well as Risk Management?” We listened; GRC Cloud now reflects exactly what you use it for, GRC, and how it is typically delivered, via the cloud. With completely separate databases for each client, and security that has passed the scrutiny of large multi-national corporations, hospitals, banks, financial institutions, defense contractors, utilities and government agencies. You can be sure your data is secure, and can also benefit from the efficiencies the cloud provides.

• What happened to Resolver*Net? – Good question. Resolver*Net will continue to exist as an independent application for the remainder of 2010. Early in 2011 Resolver*Net is receiving a major overhaul and will be brought into GRC Cloud. This will enable our clients to benefit from the strengths of both applications with a single platform, interface, menu and login. It will still be available for independent purchase if desired.

• Why is BPS Suite called GRC Enterprise? — A detailed examination of our clients’ usage of BPS Suite showed that while it often focused on Audit, BPS Suite was often also used for SOX, Issue and Actions Tracking, and other compliance initiatives. In addition, unlike GRC Cloud, it is primarily installed within the client environment. With those two factors together it was clear that the Suite was a GRC application on its own, and well suited for Enterprise clients with a large team of auditors and testers.

• What are you doing about integration? — We’ve already started the integration between GRC Enterprise and GRC Cloud; the linkages exist and the applications can exchange data. As that integration progresses our clients will be able to benefit from fully integrated features and a homogenous blend of proven audit functionality and the flexibility of a GRC framework.

You can probably tell that we at BPS Resolver are very excited about this evolution. You can pick and choose which components of the suite you want, have the right interface for the task at hand, and still have the power of a GRC suite that can support your organization both now and as new risk, audit and compliance obligations emerge. This is an exciting time, the industry is ready for the next wave of efficient mature GRC systems, and BPS Resolver is proud to lead the way: The Cloud is Coming – September 8th.

By: Joe Crampton, Director, Product Research & Marketing

TORONTO, August 11, 2010 – BPS Resolver Inc., a recognized leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) management in conjunction with The Corporate L.I.F.E Centre International Inc. (CLCI) announces today their partnership now provides a stronger presence within the Middle East.

The launch of this strategic partnership is another highlight achieved in BPS Resolver Inc. and CLCI’s organic growth strategy, with the aim of building presences in geographic markets that represent strong opportunities and help to roll out first-class solutions to clients with language support that serve those markets.
BPS Resolver has a strong local partner operating out of an office in the Al-Falleh Building on Oleya Road in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The BPS Resolver Inc. and CLCI representative office comprises a team whose focus is to provide leading edge Enterprise Risk Management and Strategic Planning solutions and comprehensive customer service support to all Arabic speaking clients not only in Saudi Arabia, but also to those clients worldwide.
“This new partnership with CLCI and their team in Saudi Arabia is an exciting development for both our companies,” said Steve Taylor, CEO, BPS Resolver Inc. “We feel that expanding our team and focus with CLCI will provide a much more enhanced Enterprise Risk Management and Strategic Planning to a wide range of companies in the Middle East”.

“We are excited about our strategic partnership with BPS Resolver which will enable us to offer clients in the Middle East a strong local presence for integrating Risk Management with Strategy Execution,” said Mansoor Osmani, President CLCI.

About BPS Resolver Inc.

BPS Resolver products are purchased by companies that have material exposure to failures in legislative compliance, shareholder assurance and long term sustainability. We make it simple for companies to effectively mobilize people to address these issues proactively and to demonstrate and document these efforts to third parties. BPS Resolver adds value by replacing informal, unreliable, expensive or inflexible systems with easy to adopt and easy to use solutions. We proudly support over 300 top brand companies in over 100 countries. Our approach has generated thousands of happy users, where we are the governance, risk and compliance system of record.

About CLCI

CLCI’s mission is to help their clients transform their businesses into High Performance Organizations™ (HPO). CLCI is a boutique management consulting firm passionate about helping clients achieve strategic performance improvement by implementing performance measurement and management systems.

CLCI’s Integrated Performance Management™ (IPM) methodology is based on the premise that organizations can successfully reach their full potential by transforming into High Performance Organizations. The key to their success is the well-defined and proven methodology, process, tools and facilitation techniques they use.

For further information, please contact:
Elaine Buzma
Marketing Manager, BPS Resolver Inc.
Tel: (416) 622-2299 x 306
E-mail: elaine.buzma@bpsresolver.com

P.O. BOX 89146,
RIYADH 11682
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966(1)293-2333
Email: info@theclci.com

Toronto – August 10, 2010 – BPS Resolver Inc., a leading Governance, Risk and Compliance software provider, announced a strategic alliance partnership with Spyders Inc. today, to provide the BPS Resolver GRC Suite of software solutions to the Canadian market.

“BPS Resolver’s goal is to provide the most comprehensive Risk Management software solution to companies globally. Through this strategic alliance with Spyders Inc., we are able to utilize their extensive selling, client relationship experience and skills to deliver world class solutions with a focus in the Canadian Market.” said Tricia Kelly, Director, Global Alliances, BPS Resolver Inc. “

Spyders Inc., a Risk Mitigation Solution Integrator, will work with BPS Resolver to promote and implement next generation risk mitigation solutions and services for world class companies.

“Spyders is thrilled to be partnering with BPS Resolver as this will enable Spyders to provide Canadian clients with a comprehensive way in which to manage their risk and control of information and reporting.  We genuinely believe that BPS Resolver offers a strong operational risk management system that has both the enterprise strength and conceptual depth that many Canadian businesses need.”  said Khaled Mansour, President and CEO, Spyders Inc.

About BPS Resolver Inc.

BPS Resolver products are purchased by companies that have material exposure to failures in legislative compliance, shareholder assurance and long term sustainability. We make it simple for companies to effectively mobilize people to address these issues proactively and to demonstrate and document these efforts to third parties. BPS Resolver adds value by replacing informal, unreliable, expensive or inflexible systems with easy to adopt and easy to use solutions. We proudly support over 300 top brand companies in over 100 countries. Our approach has generated thousands of happy users, where we are the governance, risk and compliance system of record.

About Spyders Inc.

Spyders is a fast-growing provider of premier network and information security services serving clients across a number of industry verticals.  For over 25 years, Spyders’ team has been delivering cost-effective network and IT security services, training and support to help private and public sector businesses gain a competitive advantage in the market place.  Spyders offers a portfolio networking and information security services that include, network optimization, threat and risk assessments, IT risk management, firewall management and monitoring and security incident management.  Organizations of all sizes rely on Spyders to protect their critical assets, mitigate and manage risk and reduce costs.

For further information, please contact:
Elaine Buzma
Marketing Manager, BPS Resolver Inc.
Tel: (416) 622-2299 x 306
E-mail: elaine.buzma@bpsresolver.com

Toronto – July 29, 2010 – BPS Resolver Inc., a leading Governance, Risk and Compliance software provider, announced a partnership with Encore Consulting Services, Inc. that will allow them to supply customers with a complete Governance, Risk and Compliance suite.

“We are very excited to be working with Encore Consulting Services, Inc.,” said Tricia Kelly, Director, Global Alliances, BPS Resolver Inc. “Pulling from the strengths of both companies, this strategic partnership brings a distinctive relationship by combining BPS Resolver’s leading GRC solutions with Encore’s experience within their market space which will generate significant added value for our new and existing customers.”

Encore Consulting Services Inc., a Value Added Reseller (VAR) will work with BPS Resolver to help resell all of its solutions and services. Our mission together is to build a next generation Risk Management partnership that properly integrates risk management into the strategic and daily operations of world class companies. Also, to help customers gain a competitive advantage by better managing their risks to grow faster and eliminate material failure.

“We are looking forward to introducing BPS Resolver and its products to our North American clients to help meet their internal Governance, Risk and Compliance Management (GRC) needs and we are planning to use the product suite in our Business/Management Consulting practice to help formalize our assessment, data-gathering, and risk management activities”, said Stephen Cottini, Director of Sales, Encore Consulting Services, Inc.

About BPS Resolver Inc.

BPS Resolver products are purchased by companies that have material exposure to failures in legislative compliance, shareholder assurance and long term sustainability. We make it simple for companies to effectively mobilize people to address these issues proactively and to demonstrate and document these efforts to third parties. BPS Resolver adds value by replacing informal, unreliable, expensive or inflexible systems with easy to adopt and easy to use solutions. We proudly support over 300 top brand companies in over 100 countries. Our approach has generated thousands of happy users, where we are the governance, risk and compliance system of record.

About Encore Consulting Services, Inc.

Founded in 2000, Encore Consulting Services, Inc. is a privately-held business and technology consulting company headquartered in Chicago.  Encore delivers technology-enabled solutions in a variety of areas.  Encore’s technical expertise as software architects, developers, business innovators and project managers adds agility, scalability, and value to our clients’ business and IT environments.

For further information, please contact:
Elaine Buzma
Marketing Manager, BPS Resolver Inc.
Tel: (416) 622-2299 x 306
E-mail: elaine.buzma@bpsresolver.com

A big part of BPS Resolver’s business continues to be in the arena of Risk Assessments. I’m a firm believer that the Risk Control Self Assessment (RCSA) is the easiest component of a GRC program to implement and also possibly the most powerful. These are collaborative sessions, supported by software, in which management teams or project teams attempt to look into the future and determine what events might transpire that will keep them from achieving their corporate objectives. This is the best definition of a Risk. Our customers and partners that do this right have embedded it into their strategic planning process. The risk Heatmaps are the other side of the planning coin. In some cases, budgets are not assigned to initiatives or departments unless a proper Risk Map can be presented and defended.

It’s easy to jump on BP these days but it strikes me that in one of these simple sessions, someone would have come up with the Risk that they may have a leak (major or minor) in a deepwater well. This would have led to a discussion on the controls that exist – or should exist – to ensure this does not happen. Apparently there is a control for this and they did not have it place. The next step would have been to determine mitigating activities and plans if this risk were to occur and management would conclude that indeed it would be a good thing ( a REALLY good thing ) to have a detailed plan for this type of event.

If the first interaction with the press started with a statement indicating that BP had a detailed and thorough plan to deal with this situation, and they could even depict that plan along with the resources committed, I think the public reaction would have been different. If such a plan existed, the financial impact to BP, both in enterprise value, damage to their brand and the amount of cash needed to repair the situation would have been lessened. More importantly, the environmental and economic impact to the Gulf region would have been curtailed as well.

BPS Resolver often facilitates RCSA’s and often these types of high impact, low likelihood Risks emerge. Consider what these Risks might be for your business and ask yourself as a management team whether they are the ‘Elephant in the Room’ or whether you have thoughtful plans and the resources necessary to deal with them.

Steve Taylor
CEO
BPS Resolver Inc.

Toronto – July 22, 2010 – BPS Resolver Inc., a recognized leader in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Management, announced today the highly anticipated release of their recently enhanced Issues & Actions Tracking (IAT) solution.

BPS Resolver’s IAT solution represents a new step in composing highly configurable defined fields, workflows and reports. IAT enables the identification, allocation, prioritization, sizing, scheduling, additional testing and monitoring of issues and action plans, and uses many features found in BPS Resolver’s BPS Suite to create meaningful relationships between issues/action plans and other risk-based activities. Finally, you have the information and insight you need to locate systemic root causes of risk management failures and to provide the oversight required by senior management.

“BPS Resolver’s IAT is a powerful issues and action tracking system, allowing users to collect and manage issues and action plans across the enterprise as part of an integrated approach to risk management” said Steve Taylor, CEO of BPS Resolver Inc. “What is unique about IAT, is that it has seamless integration capabilities with other BPS Resolver Suite solutions or 3rd party products”

IAT can be used on its own or in conjunction with other solutions in BPS Suite. Auditors can use the software to identify and report audit findings. Compliance officers can identify issues for failed control tests and ensure that there are appropriate follow-up plans. Operational risk managers can use the software to log and track loss events and support regulatory investigations.

BPS Resolver’s GRC Suite of solutions enables businesses to create and maintain a successful, efficient and effective enterprise wide Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) program. Companies are recognizing the benefits of productivity and profitability when GRC programs are automated across their enterprise. Through the use of a combination of Resolver*Ballot, Resolver*Net and Resolver*Risk, companies from various industries can have unparalleled success embracing and managing risk at all levels within the organization.

About BPS Resolver Inc.

BPS Resolver solutions are acquired by companies that have material exposure to failures in legislative compliance, shareholder assurance and long term sustainability. We make it simple for companies to effectively mobilize people to address these issues proactively and to demonstrate and document these efforts to third parties. BPS Resolver adds value by replacing informal, unreliable, expensive or inflexible systems with easy to adopt and easy to use solutions. We proudly support over 300 top brand companies in over 100 countries. Our approach has generated thousands of happy users where we are the governance, risk and compliance system of record.

For further information, please contact:
Elaine Buzma
Marketing Manager, BPS Resolver Inc.
Tel: (416) 622-2299 x 306
E-mail: elaine.buzma@bpsresolver.com
Website: www.bpsresolver.com

BPS Resolver’s Resolver*Risk 5.2 enhances the File Export Capabilities and adds Additional New Benefits

Toronto – July 15, 2010 – BPS Resolver Inc., a recognized leader in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Management, announced today the release of the highly anticipated enhanced version of its GRC management software, Resolver*Risk. The release of Resolver*Risk 5.2 demonstrates BPS Resolver’s ongoing commitment to product enhancement.

Resolver*Risk now enables users to export file attachments en masse, using a new “Generate Zip File” feature within Hierarchical Reports, enabling the delivery of evidence to external parties such as external auditors or regulators.

In addition, the existing set of functions has been expanded to include a number of logical functions. Functions like IF, CHOOSE and LOOKUP can now be used to create advanced logic in calculations of values in the application.

Other beneficial additions include:
• Ability to easily clear values entered into the application
• Expanded legends available on home page pie charts
• Completion Reminder information now editable by non-admin users
• Role information now optional in Hierarchical Reports
• All newly created test items are Framework Items
• Customers using LDAP integration can now include external users in the application

“With the release of Resolver*Risk 5.2, BPS Resolver is exhibiting a dedication to continually enhance our clients’ risk and compliance management processes,” said Phil Obendorf, VP Product Development, BPS Resolver Inc.

The release includes significant new developments that allow users to complete tasks with great efficiency. “The high degree of usability and innovative reporting capabilities are most often cited as the reason companies choose Resolver*Risk over the competition,” said Steve Taylor, President of BPS Resolver Inc.

About BPS Resolver Inc.

BPS Resolver products are purchased by companies that have material exposure to failures in legislative compliance, shareholder assurance and long term sustainability. We make it simple for companies to effectively mobilize people to address these issues proactively and to demonstrate and document these efforts to third parties. BPS Resolver adds value by replacing informal, unreliable, expensive or inflexible systems with easy to adopt and easy to use solutions. We proudly support over 300 top brand companies in over 100 countries. Our approach has generated thousands of happy users where we are the governance, risk and compliance system of record.

For further information, please contact:
Elaine Buzma
Marketing Manager, BPS Resolver Inc.
Tel: (416) 622-2299 x 306
E-mail: elaine.buzma@bpsresolver.com
Website: www.bpsresolver.com

Medicare Audits & Appeals

Over the past decade, CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) has ramped up efforts to insure that healthcare providers are solely paid for services rendered that (1) meet requirements as originally established within the Social Security Act and subsequent regulations, (2) meet Medicare provider contractual obligations (Conditions of Participation) and (3) meet CMS payment criteria or Medicare coverage criteria.

CMS is investing millions of dollars in dozens of separate – but coordinated – enforcement efforts to force providers to adhere to Medicare rules & regulations. Unfortunately, although the vast majority of providers support the aggressive pursuit of fraud & abuse, wide ranging challenges face those same providers when striving to achieve 100% compliance with Medicare coverage criteria.

Top 5 Barriers to Medicare Compliance

Ok, let’s be honest. While the barriers to Medicare compliance are too numerous to address in the body of this discussion, the following would be generally considered as the TOP 5:

1) First and foremost, the Medicare regulatory environment is so dynamic that even the most highly trained and skilled professionals struggle with day-to-day updates. Decentralized and potentially conflicting guidance from 100s of CMS contractors, continually changing regulations and disparate CMS payment criteria / Medicare coverage criteria resources are just a few major focus areas.

Today, the nation’s leading source of CMS Payment Criteria / Medicare coverage criteria is the CMS PI Warehouse. Simply put, the Warehouse is a “game changer” for healthcare providers seeking the absolute best guidance and insight to CMS documentation, billing, payment and medical necessity related issues.

2) Providers nationwide are making documentation, coding & billing decisions based upon an array of information and insight from sources other than CMS. While these sources may provide an important advisory role they don’t have authority over Medicare payments. Some of these include consultants, professional associations, commercial admission screening or “medical necessity” criteria, peers, lawyers, certification organizations, physician advisors and software vendors.

3) Making changes isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. With a 10% unemployment rate and potential fraud implications associated with Medicare billing practices, it can be very difficult to gain buy-in from key decision-makers. No one wants to be the messenger when it can mean major repayments and reduced cash flow for the foreseeable future.

4) The nation’s best attorneys – like Robert Benvenuti, the former Inspector General of Kentucky – are advising clients to make every effort to adhere to Medicare coverage criteria. However, arguing vague notions of “medical necessity” can be a boon for unscrupulous attorneys and consultants. There are far too many consultants and other attorneys looking to tap into provider emotions and cash-in on provider retainers.

5) Discussions and education of medical staff can be very stressful and is often avoided for political (or personal survival) reasons.

Overcoming the Barriers to Medicare Compliance

No real magic here – simply, embrace CMS Payment Criteria / Medicare Coverage Criteria as the core foundation of your financial infrastructure. Put another way, don’t let anything – other than documented CMS & CMS contractor guidance – be the foundation for your decisions relating to potential Medicare beneficiary coverage & payment.

Sound simple? It’s really not. In order to “embrace” Medicare coverage criteria, you first have to know what it is. In order to know what it is, you have to find it, evaluate it, understand it, synthesize it and then do something with it. Oh yeah, you also have to convince everyone around you that it is the right thing to do and hope that the coverage criteria doesn’t change before you can get it implemented.

This is where the CMS PI Warehouse comes into play – it is the game changer. The Warehouse is the ultimate source for providers looking to understand and integrate real-time CMS Payment Criteria / Medicare Coverage Criteria at the heart of their organizations. The Warehouse does the heavy lifting for you. Backed by over 25,000 hours of industry-leading expert analyses, the Warehouse is the ultimate solution to overcoming Medicare compliance barriers.

CMS PI Warehouse – What is it?

It really is the game changer. The Warehouse is your one-on-one, real time connection to the nation’s leading Medicare professional compliance resources. We’ve taken the best and brightest Medicare coverage experts and invested over 25,000 hours in identifying, evaluating, analyzing and synthesizing Medicare coverage criteria from 10,000+ CMS and CMS contractor documents. We’ve packaged the outcomes in a web-based, security conscious solution that is truly unmatched in the industry.

• Dedicated CMS Internal Audit Functionality

• CMS Targeted Audit Focus Areas

• 10,000+ CMS Document Library

• CMS Payment Criteria / Medicare Coverage Criteria Modules

• Easily Modified Continuing Education Program Templates

• On-line CMS Appeals Processing

• Management Reporting, Work Queues and much, much more…

Tim Johnson Executive
Director Jackson
Davis HealthCare

Too many companies and organizations are *reactive* rather than *proactive* in identifying and mitigating risks.  It amazes me how businesses fail to learn the lessons they see in the news every day.

When the Nigerian would-be terrorist tried to blow up a plane on Christmas Day 2009 with explosives stashed in his underwear, I, like many others, wondered how TSA/Homeland Security could have missed that.  There are explosives-detecting machines in many airports – the devices the size of a phone booth that blows air at you – but they’re not in *all* airports.  I don’t know whether the airport at which he boarded had those devices, but even if they didn’t, I’ll bet they made him take off his shoes.

It’s been nearly ten years since the Shoe Bomber tried to blow up a plane.  Perhaps the lesson at that time was not, “Hey, you can blow up planes with explosives hidden in your shoes,” but “You can blow them up with explosives hidden *anywhere* in your clothing.”  Now that we’ve figured out what WMD one’s Fruit-Of-The-Looms can be, we should take this a step further and remember the lessons learned back in the 1970s when people tried to smuggle drugs internationally by swallowing packets of heroin.  See where I’m going with this?  Bring on the full body scan machines, which we should have brought on after the Shoe Bomber, but make sure they can look deep enough.  Don’t wait for someone to blow up a plane with swallowed explosives.  You can bet someone’s working out that angle in a cave in Afghanistan right now.

Now you can’t bring liquids onto a plane, or if you do, they can’t be more than three ounces and must be stored in a Ziploc bag.  (What, to make it more inconvenient for the terrorist to have to remove it first?)  How does TSA *know* the liquid inside isn’t dangerous?  They never check *mine*.  It could be acid, poison, nitroglycerine, who knows.  Do we have to wait for someone to create havoc with a TSA-approved hand lotion travel bottle?

I don’t mean to pick on TSA/Homeland Security particularly (or to angle for a spot on the no-fly list – that’s shampoo, really!  When no one can wash their hair the terrorists have won!) but it’s one example of many that I see in the news headlines of organizations that spend more time closing the barn door rather than making sure the horse doesn’t escape to begin with.

Every day I speak with people all over North America who say they don’t have an interest in ERM or doing regular risk assessments, or senior management doesn’t think it’s necessary, or they lost the budget again for it, or they just don’t see the value.  Because volcanoes, underwater oil gushers, terrorists and mysteriously faulty brakes happen to *other* companies, right?

By: Nicole Chardenet, Inside Sales