Contributed March 19, 2001 by MarkH927@aol.

com
Performing The Business Impact Analysis
1

Determine the business areas

For each business area, determine the business processes and identify the essential
processes.

For the business processes, estimate the costs of failure

3.1
3.2
3.3

What are the costs of not performing the process?

What are the costs of performing the process late?
What is the longest time the process could be left without being performed?

Determine attributes for these business processes

4.1

General
4.1.1
4.1.2

4.2

Establish manpower requirements

4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
4.2.4

4.3

Mainframe applications/software/data
Mainframe hardware, terminals, printers
Server/LAN hardware/PCs/printers
LAN/PC software and data
IT networks/communications

Establish non-IT facilities required

4.4.1
4.4.2
4.4.3
4.4.4

4.5

Numbers required
Skills required
Who normally performs the process?
Who else could perform the process?

Establish IT facilities required 1

4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
4.3.4
4.3.5

4.4

Description of process
Frequency

Telephones, faxes
Desks, chairs
Filing cabinets, storage
Other considerations, vendors, customers

Establish clerical requirements

4.5.1
4.5.2
4.5.3
4.5.4

Forms, documents, brochures, checks,

envelopes, etc.
Reference information, manuals
Vital/critical records
Other systems, departments' dependencies

For the business processes, establish the minimum resources required to operate.
Prioritise essential business processes.

It may be more efficient to examine the mainframe part of IT on a global basis and not by
business process

Summarise the requirements for the business processes 2

6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4

Determine the minimum acceptable backup plan (non-IT and IT facilities, clerical
requirements, staff numbers and necessary skills)
Determine the minimum acceptable recovery configuration (non-IT and IT
facilities, clerical requirements, staff numbers and necessary skills)
Are alternatives to the requirements available?
Examine time scales

Consider alternative backup/recovery solutions (cost/benefit analysis)

7.1

IT
7.1.1
7.1.2
7.1.3

7.2

Workarea (office space)

7.2.1
7.2.2
7.2.3
7.2.4
7.2.5

Hot site
A fully functional site ready for use
Cold site
A facility wired and configured to operate,
but without the computer equipment installed
Alternative solutions
Minimum/maximum module size
Increment size
Types of data communications supported
Office equipment
Availability

Determine the Backup and Business Recovery Strategy

A Backup and Business Recovery Strategy should be put in place based on the results of
the Business Impact Analysis and the cost/benefit analysis of possible backup and
recovery solutions.

It may be more efficient to examine the mainframe part of IT on a global basis and not by
business process