The Business Impact Analysis

A businesses first step in addressing Business Continuity (BC) is to conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). This process includes all business functions and departments, not just IT. The BIA is an overall assessment of a company’s operational infrastructure and the resources that support it in order to identify the critical business process that most affect revenue. The metrics are measured against industry “Best Practices” to determine the maximum allowable downtime for each individual asset within the infrastructure. This allows the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) for each asset to be determined.

Using this information, a strategic plan can be developed for the organization to follow in the event of a business interruption.

The Key Factors in a Business Impact Analysis Include:

• Identification of the potential impact of uncontrolled, non-specific events on the businesses processes and its customers.
• Consideration of all departments and business functions, not just data processing or technology.
• Estimation of maximum allowable downtime and acceptable levels of data, operations, and financial losses.
• A prioritization of potential business disruptions based upon severity and likelihood of occurrence.
• A Gap Analysis comparing the businesses existing BCP, if any, to what is necessary to achieve recovery time and point objectives.
• An analysis of threats based upon the impact on the business and its customers.

Operational Assessment

In order to develop a truly comprehensive Business Continuity Plan, it is imperative that organizations initiate this first step in the process to get a “snap-shot” of the environment. From this documentation, a thorough contingency plan can be built covering business interruptions ranging from simple server crashes to large catastrophes such as a flood or fire.

Experience

With over 30 years of experience, DP Solutions’ Business Continuity Division is comprised of industry certified professionals who are versed in the latest recovery methods, and who can draw from DP Solutions’ wide spectrum of technology and operational experts. Our processes and methodologies are continuously measured against industry “Best-Practices” to ensure we stay on the cutting edge of customized solutions development.

To learn more, view our Business Continuity Planning Process Methodology PDF or Contact us .