Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

A business impact analysis (BIA) is a systematic process of evaluating and documenting critical information systems, operations and resources to quantify the impact or loss resulting from unexpected disruptions.

How BIA Relates to Managed IT:

– Helps identify and prioritize the most essential applications, infrastructure, data sources and technical workflows in an organization.
– Quantifies potential financial, productivity and reputational loss implications based on system/process criticality.
– Inputs feed into IT resilience planning, risk assessments, backup priorities and disaster recovery objectives.

Example:

An education firm performs BIAs on learning software, connectivity tools and student data repositories to shape strategic IT investments that minimize educational disruption.

Key Takeaways:

– Evaluates informational, operational and technical processes and assigns business value.
– Results set resilience and protection priorities across infrastructure and apps.
– Essential activity for institutions in education, banking, industrial and healthcare sectors.
– Managed service providers use BIAs to craft client continuity and risk management plans.