At a minimum, the Business Impact Analysis (BIA) management report should include the criticality ranking of business processes and associated systems/applications that have been derived from the study. Â However, there are additional key elements a company may choose to include in preparing a final BIA report:
- Internal and external dependencies
- Vital records
- Service level agreements
- System and application Recovery Point Objectives
- Level of reliance on internal and external systems and applications
- Specialized equipment required
- Backlog information
- Workaround procedures
- Critical staffing by offices
- New systems, legal requirements, partnerships, etc. in the next 12 months
Some organizations are moving away from a traditional management report and opting simply for the criticality ranking of the business processes and associated computer systems and applications.  Whatever route you take, it’s critical that you get the final report and/or presentation formally approved so your team can identify recovery strategies and solutions based on the results of the report. Â