Once a drill has been configured and started, CrownSync Playbooks provides a dedicated drill interface that guides participants through the playbook phases, tracks timing, and records completion of each action item. The drill interface is designed to simulate the experience of responding to a real incident while capturing the data needed for meaningful post-drill analysis.

The Drill Timer

When a drill begins, a timer starts automatically and is displayed prominently at the top of the drill interface. The timer serves several purposes:

Overall drill duration— Tracks how long the entire exercise takes from start to finish.
Phase timing— Each phase has its own timer showing how long the team spends in that phase. Phase times are recorded independently and appear in the drill report.
Regulatory deadline simulation— If the selected playbook includes regulatory notification requirements, a simulated deadline countdown runs alongside the drill timer, helping participants practise working within the 72-hour ICO window.

The timer continues running even if you navigate away from the drill page. It only stops when the drill is formally completed or paused.

Phase Progress

The drill interface displays the six playbook phases as a progress bar across the top of the screen. The current phase is highlighted, and completed phases show a tick mark. This gives participants a clear sense of where they are in the response process.

To advance to the next phase, the drill facilitator clicks Advance to Next Phase. The system records the transition time and begins timing the new phase. There is no requirement to complete all actions in a phase before advancing — this flexibility allows the facilitator to manage the pace of the drill based on the time available and the objectives.

The Action Checklist

Within each phase, the playbook's action items are presented as an interactive checklist. Each action item can be:

Completed— Click the checkbox to mark the action as done. The timestamp of completion is recorded. A completed action is visually ticked off but remains visible.
Skipped— If an action is not applicable to the drill scenario or cannot be completed in the exercise environment, click Skip. Skipped actions are recorded separately from completed actions and appear as gaps in the drill report.
Left incomplete— Actions that are neither completed nor skipped remain in their default state. They are counted as incomplete in the drill report.

Participants can add notes to individual actions by clicking the note icon next to each item. Notes are useful for recording observations, difficulties encountered, or suggestions for improving the playbook content.

Assign observers for richer feedback

If you assigned observers when starting the drill, they can view the checklist progress in real time and add their own notes to actions. Observer notes are tagged separately in the drill report, providing an independent perspective on how the response was handled.

Pausing and Resuming

Drills can be paused if the team needs to take a break or if an interruption occurs. When paused:

The drill timer stops and a “Paused” indicator is displayed
No actions can be completed or skipped until the drill is resumed
The pause duration is excluded from the overall drill timing in reports
A note is automatically added to the drill log recording the pause and resume times

To resume, the facilitator clicks Resume Drill. The timer continues from where it was paused.

Completing the Drill

When the drill is finished, the facilitator clicks Complete Drill. This:

Stops all timers
Records the final state of all action items across all phases
Prompts the facilitator to add overall observations and a summary
Generates the drill data needed for the drill report

After completion, the drill record is locked and cannot be modified. This ensures the integrity of the drill data for audit and compliance purposes. If additional observations need to be recorded after the drill, they can be added as comments on the completed drill record.

Facilitation Tips

For the most effective drills:

Set the scene— Brief participants on the simulated scenario before starting the timer. Make it realistic enough to engage the team.
Inject scenarios— Introduce unexpected complications during the drill (e.g., “The backup server is also compromised”) to test adaptability.
Encourage discussion— Drills are learning exercises. Pause to discuss decisions rather than rushing through the checklist.
Time-box phases— Set a time limit for each phase to maintain momentum and simulate the pressure of a real incident.