Gartner Research

Building a Business Impact Analysis: The Keystone to Effective Business Continuity Planning

Published: 30 July 2008

ID: G00204037

Analyst(s): Richard Jones

Summary

Why do IT organizations still report that more than three-quarters do not have confidence in their business continuity plans or not have any plans at all when the business continuity planning (BCP) market is replete with books, consultants, and professionals? A well-built business impact analysis (BIA) forms the keystone of a business continuity solution and offers facts to support a broad range of business decisions. In this Data Center Strategies Methodologies and Best Practices document, Service Director Richard Jones outlines the best approaches to building and maintaining an effective BIA.

Table Of Contents

Introduction and Scope

Building an Effective Team

  • Team Structure
    • The Core Team
    • The Extended Teams
    • The Internal Business Team
    • The External Team

Business Impact Analysis Principles

  • Component Dependencies
  • Direct Financial Impact
  • Indirect Financial Impact
  • Work Recovery Procedures
  • Workaround Procedures
  • Recovery Costs
  • Recovery Timeline

The Business Impact Analysis

  • Project Kickoff
  • Data Gathering
    • Training Workshop
    • Component Survey
    • Data Consolidation Workshops
    • Targeted Interviews of Extended Team Members (Optional)
  • Data Analysis
    • Critical Components and Activities
    • Direct Financial Impact Dynamics
    • Indirect Impact Dynamics
    • Maximum Allowable Downtime
    • Recovery Sequence
    • Recovery Time Objectives
    • Recovery Point Objectives
    • Work Recovery Procedures
    • Workaround Procedures
    • External Dependencies
    • Restoration
  • Analysis Validation
  • Analysis Summary

Keeping the BIA Alive

  • BIA Integrated with Change Management
  • Update Frequency

The BIA Beyond Business Continuity Planning

  • Decisions About Outsourcing
  • System Upgrade Justification
  • Operational Metrics

Sample BIA Survey

Conclusion

Notes

Related Research and Recommended Reading

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