Do you know the answer to the questions - "what do you need to do a business impact analysis and what do you need to know to do it?" If not, you aren't alone.
If you are like most people, you probably wonder if there's another way to identify the crucial functions in your organization. After all, when you ask managers questions regarding disruptions in the area they are responsible for, they are probably quick to defend their "turf," making statements along the lines of - "that could never happen here."
If any of this sounds familiar, chances are you are about to embark on your very first BIA. Don’t let these nay-sayers hold you back. These can be invaluable tools for your business.
The Purpose of a Business Impact Analysis
The primary purpose of the business impact analysis isn't to identify "critical functions." If you use this reason to acquire support for your BIA project, it will likely impact your level of success. If your senior manager can't sit down in a room and identify the top critical functions in your company, then you don't have the right people in these positions. Even more importantly, do you really only care about these proclaimed "critical functions?" Do you really use a process within your organization that classifies each resource and function into just two stacks - critical or not-critical.
Each of the functions and resources in your business is considered "critical" at some point and the level of criticality won't be the same for each resource or function. While this is true, the resource and functions are absolutely critical to the way your organization functions and have a huge role in your ability to meet the mission and vision of your organization. If they didn't, why would they continually be in the budget and have resources allocated to support these resources and functions deemed less important?