The Action Tracking module in BowTiePro helps organizations manage, monitor, and follow up on actions related to hazards, controls, deficiencies, audits, and risk assessments.

It provides a centralized system for:

The module supports ongoing operational risk management by ensuring corrective and preventive actions are properly documented and completed.

Purpose of Action Tracking

Action Tracking helps organizations ensure that identified issues and risk-related tasks are addressed in a structured and traceable manner.

Actions may be created from:

The module helps teams maintain accountability and visibility across all outstanding activities.

Key Features of Action Tracking

The Action Tracking module includes several core capabilities.

Action Creation

Users can create actions linked to specific hazards, controls, deficiencies, or operational findings.

Actions may include:

Action Assignment

Actions can be assigned to responsible users or teams to ensure accountability and ownership.

Workflow Management

The module supports action lifecycle management, including:

This helps organizations monitor completion progress effectively.

Deficiency Management

Deficiencies identified during reviews or assessments can be linked directly to actions for follow-up and remediation.

Board and List Views

Actions can be viewed using:

This provides flexibility for different operational and management needs.

Progress Monitoring

Users can monitor:

This helps improve operational visibility and follow-up management.

Benefits of Using Action Tracking

Using the Action Tracking module helps organizations:

Relationship with Other BowTiePro Modules

The Action Tracking module integrates closely with:

This integration helps organizations manage risks and follow-up activities within a single system.

Best Practices

When using Action Tracking:

Maintaining accurate action records helps improve operational control and long-term risk management.

The Action Tracking workflow in BowTiePro helps organizations manage corrective and preventive actions in a structured and traceable manner.

The workflow allows users to:

The module is designed to support operational risk management and ensure follow-up activities are properly managed.

Accessing the Action Tracking Module

To open the Action Tracking module:

  1. Log in to BowTiePro.
  2. Navigate to the top navigation menu.
  3. Select Actions.

The module opens on the Action List screen where users can search, filter, and manage actions.

Understanding the Workflow Structure

The Action Tracking workflow is designed around the lifecycle of an action from creation through completion.

A typical workflow includes:

  1. Action identification
  2. Action assignment
  3. Progress tracking
  4. Review and follow-up
  5. Action closure

Each action remains traceable throughout the process.

Action Lifecycle

Actions move through different operational stages during their lifecycle.

Open Actions

Newly created actions are initially considered open and require assignment and follow-up.

In-Progress Actions

Once assigned, actions may move into an active working state while corrective activities are being performed.

Review Stage

Actions may require review or verification before closure to ensure the issue has been resolved appropriately.

Closed Actions

Completed and approved actions can be closed once all required activities are finalized.

Using the Action List Screen

The Action List screen provides a centralized view of all actions within the selected case or location.

Users can:

The list view helps users quickly identify outstanding work and monitor action status.

Understanding Action Details

Each action contains detailed information used throughout the workflow.

Typical action details include:

These details help teams manage accountability and progress tracking.

Using the Action Board View

The Action Board view provides an alternative visual layout for monitoring actions.

The board view helps users:

This layout is useful for operational reviews and workflow monitoring.

Filtering and Monitoring Actions

Users can apply filters to:

This helps improve visibility and operational follow-up.

Benefits of the Workflow

The Action Tracking workflow helps organizations:

Best Practices

When managing actions in BowTiePro:

The Action Tracking module in BowTiePro allows users to create, assign, and manage actions related to operational risks, deficiencies, audits, and assessments.

Actions help organizations ensure that identified issues are properly tracked and resolved through a structured workflow.

Accessing the Action Tracking Module

To create a new action:

  1. Log in to BowTiePro.
  2. Navigate to the top navigation menu.
  3. Select Actions.
  4. Open the Action List screen.
  5. Click Create New.

Creating a New Action

When creating a new action, users must provide the required action details.

The Action Details screen includes fields for:

These fields help organizations manage accountability and track corrective activities effectively.

Entering the Action Description

The Description field is used to define the issue or task that needs to be addressed.

Action descriptions should:

Example:

Review and update operational maintenance procedures for critical equipment.

Assigning the Responsible Party

The Action Party field allows users to assign responsibility for completing the action.

This helps:

Users can select the responsible person or team from the available list.

Setting the Priority

The Priority field defines the urgency or importance of the action.

Prioritization helps organizations:

Priority levels may vary depending on system configuration.

Defining the Target Date

The Target Date field specifies when the action should be completed.

Users can:

Setting realistic deadlines helps improve workflow management and action completion.

Adding Action Details

The Action Details section provides additional information related to the corrective or preventive activity.

This section may include:

Providing complete details improves clarity for the assigned party.

Recording Cost Information

Users can optionally define:

This helps organizations track operational or corrective action expenses when required.

Saving the Action

After entering all required information:

  1. Review the action details.
  2. Click Save & Close.

The action will then appear within:

Managing Assigned Actions

Once created, assigned actions can be:

This ensures all activities remain traceable throughout the action lifecycle.

Best Practices

When creating and assigning actions:

Maintaining accurate action records helps improve accountability and operational risk management.

The Action List screen in BowTiePro provides a centralized location for viewing and managing all actions within the selected case or location.

The screen allows users to:

This helps organizations maintain visibility and control over corrective and preventive activities.

Accessing the Action List Screen

To open the Action List screen:

  1. Log in to BowTiePro.
  2. Navigate to the top navigation menu.
  3. Select Actions.

The system opens the Action List screen automatically.

Understanding the Action List Layout

The Action List screen contains several sections used for filtering and managing actions.

Typical sections include:

The list view helps users quickly locate and monitor actions across the organization.

Using Filters

The filter section allows users to narrow down displayed results.

Available filters may include:

Filtering helps users focus on specific actions or operational areas.

Searching for Actions

The search field can be used to locate actions using keywords or descriptions.

This helps users quickly find:

Viewing Overdue and Open Actions

The screen includes options for displaying:

These filters help organizations prioritize unresolved or delayed activities.

Understanding the Action Table

The action table displays detailed information about each action.

Typical columns may include:

Users can select actions directly from the table to review or update details.

Creating New Actions

Users can create new actions directly from the Action List screen.

To create a new action:

  1. Click Create New
  2. Enter the required action information
  3. Save the action

New actions are automatically added to the list after saving.

Exporting Action Data

The Action List screen supports exporting action information.

Users can click:

to generate downloadable reports for:

Managing Actions from the List

Users can open actions directly from the list to:

This helps maintain centralized workflow management.

Best Practices

When using the Action List screen:

Proper use of the Action List screen helps organizations improve accountability, visibility, and operational follow-up management.

The Action Board View in BowTiePro provides a visual workflow-based layout for managing actions and tracking progress.

Unlike the Action List view, the board view organizes actions into workflow stages, making it easier to:

The board layout is especially useful during operational reviews and team management activities.

Accessing the Action Board View

To open the Action Board View:

  1. Log in to BowTiePro.
  2. Navigate to the top navigation menu.
  3. Select Actions.
  4. Open the Board view option.

The system will display actions grouped into workflow columns.

Understanding the Board Layout

The board view organizes actions into separate workflow stages or categories.

Each card on the board represents an individual action.

Depending on system configuration, columns may represent:

This visual structure helps users quickly understand overall operational status.

Understanding Action Cards

Each action card may display:

This allows users to review important action details directly from the board view.

Monitoring Workflow Progress

The board view helps users track how actions move through different workflow stages.

Users can quickly identify:

This improves visibility across operational teams.

Reviewing Action Details

Users can open action records directly from the board view.

Selecting an action allows users to:

This helps maintain centralized workflow management.

Using the Board View for Operational Reviews

The Action Board View is useful for:

The visual layout simplifies tracking and improves communication between teams.

Benefits of the Action Board View

Using the board view helps organizations:

Best Practices

When using the Action Board View:

Maintaining an updated board helps improve operational oversight and action management efficiency.

LOPA (Layer of Protection Analysis) is a risk assessment method used to evaluate whether sufficient protection layers exist to reduce risk to an acceptable level. 

In BowTiePro, the LOPA module helps users:

LOPA assessments work alongside BowTie diagrams and help provide a more quantitative approach to risk analysis.

What LOPA Does

The LOPA module allows users to:

This helps organizations better understand whether existing safeguards are sufficient.

Key Components of LOPA in BowTiePro

LOPA assessments in BowTiePro are built using several key elements.

Threat Frequency

Threat frequency defines how often a threat or initiating event may occur within a given period.

Example:

Enabling Factors

Enabling factors increase the likelihood of a threat occurring under specific conditions.

Example:

Condition Modifiers

Condition modifiers are additional factors that influence consequence probability or severity. These are applied during LOPA calculations to refine the overall assessment.

Independent Protection Layers (IPLs)

IPLs are safeguards or controls designed to reduce risk independently.

Examples may include:

Each IPL may contain a Probability of Failure on Demand (PFD) value.

Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance criteria define whether calculated risk levels are considered acceptable.

BowTiePro supports configurable criteria such as:

These values help determine whether additional controls are required.

LOPA Results

After all values are configured, BowTiePro calculates:

Results are displayed within the LOPA assessment screens and related hazard views.

Relationship Between BowTie and LOPA

LOPA assessments are linked directly to hazards, threats, and consequences already defined within BowTie diagrams.

This allows users to:

The LOPA (Layer of Protection Analysis) module in BowTiePro allows users to create and manage quantitative risk assessments linked to hazards, threats, and consequences. 

Users can access the LOPA module directly from the main navigation menu.

Accessing the LOPA Module

To access the LOPA module:

  1. Log in to BowTiePro.
  2. From the top navigation menu, click LOPA.

The system will open the LOPA List screen.

Understanding the LOPA List Screen

The LOPA List screen displays all available LOPA assessments for the selected case.

Each row represents a LOPA assessment linked to:

The list helps users quickly review the status of existing LOPA analyses.

Available Filters

The top section of the page contains several filters used to narrow down displayed results.

Case

Select the case containing the required LOPA assessments.

Example:

Location

Filter LOPA items by location.

Users can:

Hazard

Filter assessments by hazard. This helps users quickly locate specific risk scenarios.

Display

The Display filter controls which LOPA items are shown.

Example:

Understanding LOPA Columns

The LOPA list includes several important columns.

Hazard

Displays the linked hazard.

Example:

Threat

Displays the initiating threat associated with the assessment.

Example:

Consequence

Displays the consequence being evaluated.

Examples:

Full LOPA

Indicates whether the assessment is configured as a full LOPA analysis.

Met?

Displays whether the calculated result meets the defined acceptance criteria.

Typical values:

Colour indicators may also be displayed for quick visibility.

Creating a New LOPA Assessment

To create a new assessment:

  1. Click the Create New button.
  2. Configure the required hazard, threat, and consequence information.
  3. Continue building the LOPA assessment.

Detailed configuration steps are covered in later articles.

Viewing Existing LOPA Assessments

Users can open existing LOPA assessments directly from the list.

This allows users to:

BowTiePro allows users to create LOPA (Layer of Protection Analysis) assessments directly from existing hazards, threats, and consequences defined within BowTie diagrams.

Each LOPA assessment is linked to: 

This helps users evaluate whether existing safeguards reduce risk to acceptable levels.

Opening the LOPA Module

To begin:

  1. Log in to BowTiePro.
  2. From the top navigation menu, click LOPA.

The LOPA List screen will open.

Creating a New Assessment

To create a new LOPA assessment:

  1. Click the Create New button.

The system will open the Available Items screen.

Understanding the Available Items Screen

The Available Items screen displays combinations of:

These items are pulled from existing BowTie hazard data.

Users can filter items using:

Selecting a Threat and Consequence

To create a LOPA assessment:

  1. Locate the required threat and consequence combination.
  2. Click the Create button next to the selected item.

BowTiePro will generate a LOPA assessment for that specific scenario.

Opening the LOPA Diagram

After creating the assessment, the system opens the LOPA Diagram view.

The diagram visually displays:

Understanding the LOPA Diagram

The LOPA diagram provides a visual representation of the assessment.

Typical components include:

Threat

The initiating event being analyzed.

Example:

Protection Layers

Independent Protection Layers (IPLs) used to reduce risk.

Examples:

Hazard

The central hazard associated with the scenario.

Example:

Consequence

The outcome being evaluated if safeguards fail.

Example:

BowTiePro uses Threat Frequency values in LOPA assessments to estimate how often a threat is expected to occur before safeguards and protection layers are applied.

Threat frequency is one of the core components used in LOPA calculations and directly affects the overall risk evaluation of a scenario.

The frequency value works together with:

to calculate the final residual risk.

Using accurate threat frequency values helps organizations perform more realistic and reliable risk assessments.

Accessing Threat Frequency Settings

To configure or review a threat frequency value:

  1. Open the LOPA module from the top navigation menu.
  2. Open an existing LOPA assessment or create a new one.
  3. In the LOPA diagram, locate the Threat node on the left side.
  4. Click the small information (i) icon below the threat.
  5. Click Edit in the popup window.

This opens the Threat Details screen where the threat frequency can be configured.

Understanding Frequency in the LOPA Diagram

The LOPA diagram displays the threat frequency directly beneath the threat node.

Example:

This value represents the estimated number of times the threat may occur annually before safeguards reduce the risk.

The displayed value automatically updates whenever changes are saved in the Threat Details screen.

Editing Threat Frequency

After clicking Edit, the Threat Details screen opens.

The following fields are available:

Field Description
Threat Name of the identified threat
Frequency (per year) Estimated annual occurrence rate of the threat
Justification Optional explanation for the selected value
Enabling Factors Additional conditions that increase threat likelihood

Configuring Frequency Values

Enter the estimated occurrence rate in the Frequency (per year) field.

Examples:

Frequency Value Meaning
1 Expected once every year
0.1 Expected once every 10 years
0.01 Expected once every 100 years

The selected value should ideally be based on:

Using the Justification Field

The Justification field allows users to document why a particular frequency value was selected.

This helps:

Recommended information to include:

Understanding Enabling Factors

Enabling factors are additional conditions that may increase the likelihood of the threat occurring.

Examples include:

These factors can be added directly within the Threat Details screen and are included in the overall LOPA calculations.

Saving Threat Frequency Changes

After entering or modifying the threat frequency:

  1. Click Save
  2. Return to the LOPA diagram
  3. Verify the updated frequency is displayed beneath the threat node

The updated value will now be included in the overall LOPA risk calculations.

Best Practices

To improve LOPA accuracy:

Conclusion

Threat frequency is a foundational component of LOPA analysis in BowTiePro. Properly configuring frequency values helps organizations produce more accurate risk calculations and better evaluate whether existing safeguards sufficiently reduce operational risk.

Using realistic values, documented assumptions, and properly configured enabling factors improves the overall reliability of the LOPA assessment process.

Enabling factors in BowTiePro are conditions or circumstances that increase the likelihood of a threat occurring. These factors are linked to threats within a LOPA assessment and help provide more accurate and realistic risk evaluations.

Enabling factors are commonly used to represent:

Adding enabling factors helps organizations better understand the conditions that may contribute to incidents.

Opening the Threat Details Screen

To add enabling factors:

  1. Open the LOPA module from the top navigation menu.
  2. Open an existing LOPA assessment diagram.
  3. Click the small information (i) icon below the threat.
  4. Click Edit from the popup window.

You will be taken to the Threat Details screen.

Adding a New Enabling Factor

Inside the Enabling Factors section:

  1. Click the green Add button.
  2. The Linked Enabling Factor Details screen will open.
  3. Select an enabling factor from the dropdown list.
  4. Enter justification or supporting notes if required.
  5. Click Save.

The enabling factor will now be linked to the selected threat.

Why Enabling Factors Matter

Enabling factors improve the quality of LOPA analysis by identifying additional conditions that may influence threat occurrence.

Benefits include:

Best Practices for Enabling Factors

When adding enabling factors:

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