Frequently Asked Questions:
Why should I engage FSO PROS®?
- We do not direct clients to a call center.
- FSO PROS® is a mid-sized FSO consulting firm, which means that in addition to being able to provide our clients with a dedicated primary point-of-contact, we work as a team and have the benefit of redundant support when the primary POC is not available.
- Our team members average over 12 years of experience as an FSO or AFSO.
- FSO PROS® has a methodical hiring process, vetting our professionals for the proper skillset, experience, relevant training, and consulting aptitude.
- The team members who provide on-going support are full-time employees with FSO PROS®.
- We work remotely but can travel to the Client’s facility for self-inspections, DCSA audits or special projects.
- Our IT posture is compliant with NIST/CMMC; we are on the Microsoft GCC enclave, and we have the capability of sending and receiving encrypted emails to handle CUI.
How can my organization engage FSO PROS®?
FSO PROS® has multiple service options to meet our clients' needs. We start with a discovery call to learn about the organization and their security program, answer any questions they have, and present clear engagement options - sharing our complete SOW with the engagement options. We can accommodate a SOW change with 30-day's notice as we understand that our client's support needs may change over time.
Please see below for our typical service offerings:
Option 1 – Monthly Consulting Retainer:
The first option on the SOW provides Industrial Security Consulting / SME Advisory support on a Monthly Consulting Retainer basis. This option has a 1-hour per month minimum, and it is designed to provide consulting support for the client’s facility security program, such as FCL submission (post sponsorship), program development, security training, safeguarding, FOCI and DCSA audit preparation. We are here to support as needed, answer any industrial security related questions, walk clients through the government systems, assist with self-inspections, and help with audit preparation, etc. We do not take action unless clients specifically request us to do so, however we provide updates regarding changes in the industry, so they can prepare for upcoming requirements.
FSO PROS® has multiple service options to meet our clients' needs. We start with a discovery call to learn about the organization and their security program, answer any questions they have, and present clear engagement options - sharing our complete SOW with the engagement options. We can accommodate a SOW change with 30-day's notice as we understand that our client's support needs may change over time.
Please see below for our typical service offerings:
Option 1 – Monthly Consulting Retainer:
The first option on the SOW provides Industrial Security Consulting / SME Advisory support on a Monthly Consulting Retainer basis. This option has a 1-hour per month minimum, and it is designed to provide consulting support for the client’s facility security program, such as FCL submission (post sponsorship), program development, security training, safeguarding, FOCI and DCSA audit preparation. We are here to support as needed, answer any industrial security related questions, walk clients through the government systems, assist with self-inspections, and help with audit preparation, etc. We do not take action unless clients specifically request us to do so, however we provide updates regarding changes in the industry, so they can prepare for upcoming requirements.
Option 2 – Alternate FSO Plan:
The second option is referred to as the Alternate FSO Plan, which is for businesses and organizations who need compliance support and personnel security support. Complete facility security program support is available, as we can access government systems (DISS/NBIS) with this plan. There are tiered support options available with this plan.
Option 3 – Ask an FSO by FSO PROS®
In addition to our consulting options, we do offer one-time services where customers can schedule pre-paid consulting meetings with our experienced team members. NO CONTRACT REQUIRED.
More Options - FSO PROS® can also provide a fee-based and project-based SOWs for specific needs, such as training, surge support, candidate sourcing, candidate vetting and placement services.
What are the Rules of Engagement with FSO PROS®?
What FSO Pros can do: FSO Pros can provide guidance on policy and compliance, as well as typical security activities, and we can be an extra set of eyes for impending security activities. With our AFSO Plan (Option 2 on our SOW) and your concurrence, we can handle the vast majority of the responsibilities of your security program.
What FSO Pros cannot do: We cannot make decisions for you about your security practice, and we cannot be the primary oversight of your security activities.
What we need from you: We need an internal partner that can “direct traffic,” authorize tasking of security items to our team, and provide the necessary information, documentation, and access needed to accomplish any tasks you would like us to tackle.
Hours of availability: Our team is available during core business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. If an emergency occurs outside business hours, we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible.
Response Time & Expectations: Our response time is typically within one (1) business day, excluding Federal holidays. We will always do our best to meet or exceed this expectation. Typically, we will acknowledge receipt the same business day, within an hour or two. If we can accomplish an assigned task immediately we will. If we cannot accomplish the task immediately, we will provide a timeline for completion. We will provide confirmation that the task is complete. There may be times when circumstances beyond our control arise that cause delayed response. We ask that you bear this in mind when sending requests for action. If you have a task with a definitive deadline, please provide as much advanced notice as possible. Unforeseen urgencies will be prioritized to the best of our ability.
What FSO Pros can do: FSO Pros can provide guidance on policy and compliance, as well as typical security activities, and we can be an extra set of eyes for impending security activities. With our AFSO Plan (Option 2 on our SOW) and your concurrence, we can handle the vast majority of the responsibilities of your security program.
What FSO Pros cannot do: We cannot make decisions for you about your security practice, and we cannot be the primary oversight of your security activities.
What we need from you: We need an internal partner that can “direct traffic,” authorize tasking of security items to our team, and provide the necessary information, documentation, and access needed to accomplish any tasks you would like us to tackle.
Hours of availability: Our team is available during core business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. If an emergency occurs outside business hours, we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible.
Response Time & Expectations: Our response time is typically within one (1) business day, excluding Federal holidays. We will always do our best to meet or exceed this expectation. Typically, we will acknowledge receipt the same business day, within an hour or two. If we can accomplish an assigned task immediately we will. If we cannot accomplish the task immediately, we will provide a timeline for completion. We will provide confirmation that the task is complete. There may be times when circumstances beyond our control arise that cause delayed response. We ask that you bear this in mind when sending requests for action. If you have a task with a definitive deadline, please provide as much advanced notice as possible. Unforeseen urgencies will be prioritized to the best of our ability.
What are the next steps once I am ready to move forward with FSO PROS®?
- Complete the FSO PROS® Consulting Agreement and Exhibits, in which we will counter-sign and return. along with our Client On-Boarding Form.
- Our accounting department will send our Form W-9 and Remittance Info to the email address you've provided to receive our monthly invoicing. In addition to ACH or check payments, we accept Credit Cards and PayPal payments via our online billing portal.
- We will coordinate a kick-off call with your team, where we gather pertinent information about the organization, as well as the Client’s procedures and preferences. It would be very helpful to have the individual(s) on this call who are well versed in your current program. FSO PROS® will determine who will best support your security program, based on multiple factors and make introductions to all parties. We will begin the initial discovery into specifics about your security program, discuss our support, next steps, and initial projects.
- FSO PROS® team members typically obtain access to the Client’s security docs via a shared repository such as SharePoint or DropBox through a secure connection.
- For organizations with an established Facility Security Program, FSO PROS® prefers to begin service with a program review (self-inspection) to determine any deficiencies and to build an SOP documenting program information, ensuring continuity of support for our clients.
- FSO PROS® will provide a group email address shared by our team members who are assigned to support your organization. As an option, the FSO PROS® group email address can be added to the client’s security group email address.
- FSO PROS® consultants can communicate directly with the client’s employees, customers, etc. via FSO PROS® Microsoft GCC email, however client must provide FSO PROS® with at least one point-of-contact authorized to make decisions for the security program on behalf of the Client.
