This is an example of a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) for a fictional company called TechNova Solutions. Feel free to use it as a template when creating your own BIA. Probable areas of editing are wrapped in brackets.

Company Overview

[COMPANY NAME: TechNova Solutions] is a mid-sized software development company specializing in cloud-based enterprise solutions. Founded in [YEAR: 2010], the company has [NUMBER: 250] employees and serves [NUMBER: 500+] clients across [REGIONS: North America and Europe].

Critical Business Functions

1. Software Development and Maintenance

  • Description: Core product development and ongoing maintenance of existing software solutions.
  • Impact of Disruption: High
    • Financial: $[AMOUNT: 100,000] per day in lost productivity
    • Operational: Delays in product releases, potential breach of client contracts
    • Reputational: Decreased client trust, potential loss of market share
  • Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD): [TIME: 24 hours]
  • Recovery Time Objective (RTO): [TIME: 4 hours]
  • Recovery Point Objective (RPO): [TIME: 1 hour]

2. Customer Support

  • Description: 24/7 technical support for clients using our software solutions.
  • Impact of Disruption: High
    • Financial: $[AMOUNT: 50,000] per day in potential contract penalties
    • Operational: Backlog of support tickets, decreased client satisfaction
    • Reputational: Negative reviews, potential client churn
  • Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD): [TIME: 4 hours]
  • Recovery Time Objective (RTO): [TIME: 1 hour]
  • Recovery Point Objective (RPO): [TIME: 15 minutes]

3. Sales and Marketing

  • Description: Client acquisition, contract negotiations, and marketing campaigns.
  • Impact of Disruption: Medium
    • Financial: $[AMOUNT: 75,000] per week in potential lost sales
    • Operational: Delays in the sales cycle, ineffective marketing campaigns
    • Reputational: Missed opportunities, potential market share loss
  • Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD): [TIME: 72 hours]
  • Recovery Time Objective (RTO): [TIME: 24 hours]
  • Recovery Point Objective (RPO): [TIME: 24 hours]

4. Human Resources

  • Description: Employee management, payroll, and benefits administration.
  • Impact of Disruption: Medium
    • Financial: Minimal direct impact
    • Operational: Delays in hiring, potential compliance issues
    • Reputational: Decreased employee satisfaction
  • Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD): [TIME: 1 week]
  • Recovery Time Objective (RTO): [TIME: 48 hours]
  • Recovery Point Objective (RPO): [TIME: 24 hours]

5. Finance and Accounting

  • Description: Financial management, invoicing, and expense tracking.
  • Impact of Disruption: Medium-High
    • Financial: Potential cash flow issues, delayed invoicing
    • Operational: Inability to process payments or expenses
    • Reputational: Decreased trust from vendors and partners
  • Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD): [TIME: 48 hours]
  • Recovery Time Objective (RTO): [TIME: 12 hours]
  • Recovery Point Objective (RPO): [TIME: 4 hours]

Critical Resources

1. IT Infrastructure

  • Cloud Servers (AWS): Hosts all company software and data
  • Development Environments: Local and cloud-based tools for software development
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System: Manages all client data and interactions
  • Voice over IP (VoIP) Phone System: Used for customer support and sales calls

2. Personnel

  • Software Developers: [NUMBER: 100] employees
  • Customer Support Representatives: [NUMBER: 50] employees
  • Sales and Marketing Team: [NUMBER: 30] employees
  • Human Resources Staff: [NUMBER: 10] employees
  • Finance and Accounting Staff: [NUMBER: 15] employees

3. Physical Assets

  • Main Office: [LOCATION: San Francisco, CA]
  • Satellite Offices: [LOCATIONS: New York, NY; London, UK]
  • Data Center: [LOCATION: Dallas, TX]

Potential Threats and Vulnerabilities

  1. Cybersecurity Incidents
    • Data breaches
    • Ransomware attacks
    • Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
  2. Natural Disasters
    • Earthquakes (San Francisco office)
    • Hurricanes (New York office)
    • Floods (London office)
  3. Technology Failures
    • Cloud service provider outages
    • Network connectivity issues
    • Hardware failures
  4. Human Factors
    • Employee errors
    • Insider threats
    • Key personnel unavailability
  5. External Factors
    • Power outages
    • Supply chain disruptions
    • Regulatory changes

Interdependencies

  1. Software Development depends on:
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Development Environments
    • Software Developers
  2. Customer Support depends on:
    • CRM System
    • VoIP Phone System
    • Customer Support Representatives
    • Software Development (for bug fixes and updates)
  3. Sales and Marketing depend on:
    • CRM System
    • VoIP Phone System
    • IT Infrastructure
  4. Human Resources depends on:
    • IT Infrastructure
    • HR Management Software
  5. Finance and Accounting depend on:
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Accounting Software
    • Banking Systems

Conclusion

This Business Impact Analysis highlights the critical functions, resources, and potential vulnerabilities of [COMPANY NAME: TechNova Solutions]. It serves as a foundation for developing a comprehensive Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan. Regular reviews and updates of this analysis are crucial to maintain its relevance and effectiveness.

[NAME: Jane Doe]
[TITLE: Chief Information Officer]
[DATE: September 12, 2024]

Last Update: September 18, 2024