Topic
Flexible Definition of Affected Assets in CEM Alerts
Description
Note: The default behavior for new and existing CEM Orchestration rules is that only triggering contacts are included as “affected” in alerts, so if that is your preferred behavior for all of your rules, you don’t need to do anything. Your rules already work this way and they will continue to do so even if you take no action to enable this feature in CEM Orchestration Setup.
CEM Orchestration rule configuration allows configuration of which contacts and assets are included as "Affected" when an alert is triggered. This configuration helps clarify the true impact of an alert while still allowing precise control over which assets and contacts can trigger alerts.
With this configuration, alerts can:
- Trigger based on specific contacts or assets
- Display the full scope of impacted contacts and infrastructure
- Avoid overly restrictive rule configurations that limit situational awareness
Key Concepts
Triggering Contacts and Assets
Triggering contacts and assets are the entities that initiate an alert when they meet the conditions defined in a CEM Orchestration rule.
These entities are configured in the Contacts and Assets condition within the rule Filters.
When a triggering contact or asset is located within proximity of a qualifying risk event, the rule performs the following actions:
- Generates an alert
- Executes any additional rule actions configured in the orchestration workflow
Only contacts and assets included in the rule filters can trigger alerts.
Affected Contacts and Assets
Affected contacts and assets are the entities displayed as impacted by an alert when they are located within the alert impact area.
Affected entities appear in:
- Affected asset lists
- Alert variables generated by CEM Orchestration rules
- Alert impact views
Affected contacts and assets do not need to be the same entities that triggered the alert.
This distinction allows rules to maintain strict triggering criteria while still presenting a broader view of impacted people and infrastructure.
Configuring Affected Contacts and Assets in a Rule
Note: The default behavior for new and existing CEM Orchestration rules is that only triggering contacts are included as “affected” in alerts, so if that is your preferred behavior for all of your rules, you don’t need to do anything. Your rules already work this way and they will continue to do so even if you take no action to enable this feature in CEM Orchestration Setup.
Affected assets are configured within the Alert action settings of a CEM Orchestration rule.
Step 1: Enable Alert Configuration Visibility
- Navigate to Workflow > CEM Orchestration > Setup.
- Enable the Show Which Contacts and Assets are Included in Alerts toggle.
- Select Save.
This setting enables the configuration option within orchestration rule actions.
Step 2: Configure Affected Asset Behavior
- Open the desired CEM Orchestration rule.
- Navigate to the Actions tab.
- Locate the Alert action configuration.
- Under Which contacts and assets are included in Alerts for this Rule, select one of the following options:
- Only triggering Contacts and Assets
- All Contacts and Assets in the Alert area
This setting determines which contacts and assets appear as affected when the alert is generated.
Options
Option 1: Only Triggering Contacts and Assets
Only the contacts and assets that triggered the alert are displayed as affected.
This configuration is appropriate when:
- Alerts must correlate directly with the entities responsible for triggering them
- Operational workflows require precise alignment between triggers and visible impact
- Additional contacts and assets should not appear in alert outputs
Option 2: All Contacts and Assets in the Alert Area
All contacts and assets located within the alert area appear as affected, even if they did not trigger the alert.
This configuration is appropriate when:
- Full situational awareness of impacted areas is required
- Only a subset of contacts or assets are configured to trigger alerts
- Alert triggers must remain narrowly defined while impact visibility remains broad
Example
A rule triggers alerts only when critical infrastructure assets are affected.
If the alert area also contains employees, facilities, or other infrastructure, selecting All Contacts and Assets in the Alert Area displays all entities as affected even though only the critical infrastructure assets triggered the alert.
Asset and Contact Eligibility
Assets
Assets must have the alertable flag enabled on the asset type in order to appear in orchestration workflows and trigger alerts.
Assets without this flag cannot trigger alerts.
Contacts
Contacts do not include an alertable flag.
When All Contacts and Assets in the Alert Area is selected, all contact locations within the alert area appear as affected.
Example Use Cases
Targeted Alert Triggering with Full Impact Visibility
A rule triggers alerts only when data center assets are affected by a wildfire risk.
Operational awareness requires visibility into whether employees or other facilities are also within the alert area.
Configuration
- Triggering Assets: Data Centers
- Affected Assets: All Contacts and Assets in Alert Area
Result
- The alert triggers only when a data center is affected
- The alert displays all impacted contacts and assets in the area
Highly Targeted Alert Correlation
A rule triggers alerts only when specific infrastructure assets meet defined thresholds.
Configuration
- Triggering Assets: Critical Infrastructure
- Affected Assets: Only Triggering Contacts and Assets
Result
- Alerts remain tightly correlated to the triggering entities
- Additional contacts and assets are not shown in the affected list