Experienced outdoors people, whether they are campers, hikers, bicyclists or otherwise, know that the first rule of thumb is that you always need to know where you are so you can determine where you are headed. It is no different with business resiliency (BR) teams. You need a good sense of 
The best way to determine what is most important is by performing a business impact analysis (BIA). The BIA is an analytical method to determine what business processes are most critical to achieving your organization’s key objectives. This includes knowing which business processes produce key products or services, or what strategic objectives they support. The BIA also helps identify other related information like what dependencies exist between the business process and supporting IT applications and infrastructure, information assets, facilities, suppliers or key human resources. This information is important because that entire value chain must be planned for and preserved, especially if they are in support of core products or critical strategies.
RSA just launched an updated version of the Archer BIA use case as part of our June 2016 6.1 release. This BIA builds on our existing model and offers:
- An easy to follow questionnaire format
- Three new categories for strategic, information integrity and information confidentiality impacts
- Features from the new Archer 6.0 platform, like advanced workflow and enhanced reporting
The BIA is ready to use out-of-the-box for each of the participants in the BIA process – business process owners, the BR team and executive reviewers. The interface is easy to follow. The built-in workflow follows best practices and regulatory guidance. Reporting is thorough yet concise so BR teams can see where BIAs need to be performed and easily follow up.
Like those outdoorsy folks I talked about earlier whose first order of business is to know where they are at all times, the Archer BIA will help BR teams, business process owners and executives know at all times what the most important parts of their organizations are and to plan for and protect them. With limited resources and expensive recovery strategies, this BIA is a must-have to really hone in on what needs to be protected now. Click here for more information on the BIA Archer BIA 6.1. You can also reach me at Patrick.potter@rsa.com with questions or feedback.
