- Management Reference Guide
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Strategic Management
- Establishing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
- Aligning IT Goals with Corporate Business Goals
- Utilizing Effective Planning Techniques
- Developing Worthwhile Mission Statements
- Developing Worthwhile Vision Statements
- Instituting Practical Corporate Values
- Budgeting Considerations in an IT Environment
- Introduction to Conducting an Effective SWOT Analysis
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part One
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part Two
- Customer Management
- Identifying Key External Customers
- Identifying Key Internal Customers
- Negotiating with Customers and Suppliers—Part 1: An Introduction
- Negotiating With Customers and Suppliers—Part 2: Reaching Agreement
- Negotiating and Managing Realistic Customer Expectations
- Service Management
- Identifying Key Services for Business Users
- Service-Level Agreements That Really Work
- How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
- FAQs About Systems Management (SM)
- FAQs About Availability (AV)
- FAQs About Performance and Tuning (PT)
- FAQs About Service Desk (SD)
- FAQs About Change Management (CM)
- FAQs About Configuration Management (CF)
- FAQs About Capacity Planning (CP)
- FAQs About Network Management
- FAQs About Storage Management (SM)
- FAQs About Production Acceptance (PA)
- FAQs About Release Management (RM)
- FAQs About Disaster Recovery (DR)
- FAQs About Business Continuity (BC)
- FAQs About Security (SE)
- FAQs About Service Level Management (SL)
- FAQs About Financial Management (FN)
- FAQs About Problem Management (PM)
- FAQs About Facilities Management (FM)
- Process Management
- Developing Robust Processes
- Establishing Mutually Beneficial Process Metrics
- Change Management—Part 1
- Change Management—Part 2
- Change Management—Part 3
- Audit Reconnaissance: Releasing Resources Through the IT Audit
- Problem Management
- Problem Management–Part 2: Process Design
- Problem Management–Part 3: Process Implementation
- Business Continuity Emergency Communications Plan
- Capacity Planning – Part One: Why It is Seldom Done Well
- Capacity Planning – Part Two: Developing a Capacity Planning Process
- Capacity Planning — Part Three: Benefits and Helpful Tips
- Capacity Planning – Part Four: Hidden Upgrade Costs and
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 1
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 2
- 20 Major Elements of Facilities Management
- Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
- Evaluating the Physical Environment
- Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process – Part Two
- Automating a Robust Infrastructure Process
- Improving High Availability — Part One: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Two: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Three: The Seven R's of High Availability
- Improving High Availability — Part Four: Assessing an Availability Process
- Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
- Introduction to Disk Storage Management — Part One
- Storage Management—Part Two: Performance
- Storage Management—Part Three: Reliability
- Storage Management—Part Four: Recoverability
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part One
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part Two
- Meeting Today's Cooling Challenges of Data Centers
- Strategic Security, Part One: Assessment
- Strategic Security, Part Two: Development
- Strategic Security, Part Three: Implementation
- Strategic Security, Part Four: ITIL Implications
- Production Acceptance Part One – Definition and Benefits
- Production Acceptance Part Two – Initial Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Three – Middle Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Four – Ongoing Steps
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part One – Objectives
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part Two – SWOT
- Case Study: Implementing an ITIL Service Desk – Part One
- Case Study: Implementing a Service Desk Part Two – Tool Selection
- Ethics, Scandals and Legislation
- Outsourcing in Response to Legislation
- Supplier Management
- Identifying Key External Suppliers
- Identifying Key Internal Suppliers
- Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
- Enhancing the Customer/Supplier Matrix
- Voice Over IP, Part One — What VoIP Is, and Is Not
- Voice Over IP, Part Two — Benefits, Cost Savings and Features of VoIP
- Application Management
- Production Acceptance
- Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
- Assessing a Production Acceptance Process
- Effective Use of a Software Development Life Cycle
- The Role of Project Management in SDLC— Part 2
- Communication in Project Management – Part One: Barriers to Effective Communication
- Communication in Project Management – Part Two: Examples of Effective Communication
- Safeguarding Personal Information in the Workplace: A Case Study
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 1: Building a Manageable Schedule
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 2: Tracking and Reporting Availability
- References
- Developing an ITIL Feasibility Analysis
- Organization and Personnel Management
- Optimizing IT Organizational Structures
- Factors That Influence Restructuring Decisions
- Alternative Locations for the Help Desk
- Alternative Locations for Database Administration
- Alternative Locations for Network Operations
- Alternative Locations for Web Design
- Alternative Locations for Risk Management
- Alternative Locations for Systems Management
- Practical Tips To Retaining Key Personnel
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Using IT Consultants and Contractors
- Deciding Between the Use of Contractors versus Consultants
- Managing Employee Skill Sets and Skill Levels
- Assessing Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
- Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
- Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
- 7 Tips for Managing the Use of Mobile Devices
- Useful Websites for IT Managers
- References
- Automating Robust Processes
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part One: Quality and Value
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part Two: Benefits and Use of a Quality-Value Matrix
- When Should You Integrate or Segregate Service Desks?
- Five Instructive Ideas for Interviewing
- Eight Surefire Tips to Use When Being Interviewed
- 12 Helpful Hints To Make Meetings More Productive
- Eight Uncommon Tips To Improve Your Writing
- Ten Helpful Tips To Improve Fire Drills
- Sorting Out Today’s Various Training Options
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 1
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 2
- 12 Tips for More Effective Emails
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part One
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Two
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Three
- Asset Management
- Managing Hardware Inventories
- Introduction to Hardware Inventories
- Processes To Manage Hardware Inventories
- Use of a Hardware Inventory Database
- References
- Managing Software Inventories
- Business Continuity Management
- Ten Lessons Learned from Real-Life Disasters
- Ten Lessons Learned From Real-Life Disasters, Part 2
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 1
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 2
- 15 Common Terms and Definitions of Business Continuity
- The Federal Government’s Role in Disaster Recovery
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 1
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 2
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 3
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 4
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 1
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 2
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 3
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 4
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part One
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Two
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Three
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Four
- The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- The Origins of ITIL
- The Foundation of ITIL: Service Management
- Five Reasons for Revising ITIL
- The Relationship of Service Delivery and Service Support to All of ITIL
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part One
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part Two
- Characteristics of ITIL Version 3
- Ten Benefits of itSMF and its IIL Pocket Guide
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Delivery Processes
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Support Processes
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part One: Service Delivery Processes
- Case Study: Recovery Reactions to a Renegade Rodent
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part Two: Service Support
- Case Studies
- Case Study — Preparing for Hurricane Charley
- Case Study — The Linux Decision
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at an Aerospace Firm
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at a Defense Contractor
- Case Study — Evaluating Mainframe Processes
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part One: Quantitative Comparisons/Natural Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Two: Quantitative Comparisons/Man-made Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Three: Qualitative Comparisons
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Four: Take-Aways
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part One: Planning
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Two: Planning and Walk-Through
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Three: Execution
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Four: Follow-Up
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part One: Qualitative Measures
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part Two: Quantitative Measures
- Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part One: What Did the Team Do Well
- (d) Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part Two
This four-part series identifies the 13 cardinal steps needed to initiate and maintain a business continuity program. I base these steps on my experiences of implementing or refining business continuity programs at a large number of diverse companies. The order in which I present the steps are the prescribed sequence for implementation. Figure 1 summarizes these 13 steps.
Smaller companies may not have a dedicated business continuity function and may elect to combine some of these steps into a single function. For example, steps 3, 4 and 5 that involve threat analysis, vulnerability analysis and risk assessment, are all part of risk management and could be consolidated into one activity.
The lack of a dedicated business continuity function is not always due to the size of a company. One of my recent clients was a mortgage company that had a very well developed business continuity program. The firm's parent company was much larger but very little in the way of business continuity.
In Part One I cover the first four of these steps, and in Part Two I discuss steps five, six, seven and eight. Part Three describes steps nine through eleven, and Part Four concludes this series with a thorough discussion of the twelfth step on conducting an operational exercise.
Step 1: Acquire Executive Support
The first step in developing an effective business continuity plan is to acquire the support of executive management. Someone at this level needs to sponsor and champion the effort. Without this high level support, the program is doomed to failure. This is because resources need to be allocated, directions need to be set, policies need to be clarified, and priorities need to be established. High level executives such as Chief Risk Officers, Chief Security Officers, or Chief Information Officers are ideal candidates for this support because they have the authority, influence and visibility to garner the ongoing support of subordinates to make a business continuity program successful.
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Figure 1 The 13 Cardinal Steps of a Business Continuity Program
Step 2: Conduct a Business Impact Analysis
A business impact analysis (BIA) consists of a prioritized inventory of critical business processes within a company. The intent of a BIA is to determine how long a business process could be idled during a disastrous event before significant financial, operational and business impact is felt. Two key measures associated with BIAs are recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs). RTOs are the maximum desirable time a business process can be done before impact is felt; RPOs are the minimum desired amount of time of lost data. A prior section of this guide entitled 'The 12 Most Common Mistakes that cause BIAs to Fail' provides a more detailed explanation of how to conduct an effective BIA.
Step 3: Perform Threat Analysis
A threat analysis examines the likelihood and mitigation of business interruptions due to human malicious intent. Figure 2 shows a sample threat analysis matrix that I used a short time ago. While dozens of threats could be listed, these were the ten most common to the client in question. Obviously, you can tailor the matrix to fit your particular environment. The relative priority number (RPN) is the result of multiplying the numerical value of three criteria based on a 1-to-10 scale. The three criteria are the likelihood of occurrence (LO), the likelihood of non-detection (LN), and the overall potential impact to business operations (OI). Where applicable, footnotes (FN) describing noteworthy items are included. Following the matrix I list the footnotes I used at this client site.
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Figure 2 Sample Threat Analysis Matrix
Footnotes
- One bomb threat last year resulted in the evacuation of the building. Though the threat turned out to be a hoax, an evacuation like this can be disruptive and impact morale, productivity and customer service.
- Managers rated this a likelihood of a 3 due to past history and the location and brand of the company.
- There were two thefts of small office and computer equipment in the past year.
- Some pranksters have set off alarms.
- Relatively young workforce and high rate of turnover has resulted in some occurrences of disgruntled employees causing minor disruptions.
- One occurrence of an employee acquaintance coming into the workforce, threatening the employee and acting belligerent.
Step 4: Perform Vulnerability Analysis
A vulnerability analysis examines the likelihood and mitigation of interruptions due to natural or man-made disasters (but not with malicious intent) that could impact business operations. Figure 3 shows a sample vulnerability analysis matrix that I used in conjunction with the threat analysis mentioned previously. While dozens more could be listed, these are the 16 most common vulnerabilities likely to impact my client's environment. A scheme similar to that used for the threat analysis is used here in which three criteria for each vulnerability are rated on a 1-to-10 scale, and then multiplied to arrive at a relative priority number.
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Figure 3 Sample Vulnerability Matrix
Footnotes
- Likelihood of a blizzard is high but overall impact is low. One on occasion during the past year employees were not able to drive into work until mid-afternoon, causing minor business disruption.
- Overall impact is high, but only for extended power outages because a large supply of batteries supporting a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) can provide backup power for up to 20 hours.
- Problems with critical software applications occur two to three times month causing significant business disruptions.
- Ice storms are not uncommon but can normally be anticipated to minimize their impact.
- Occasional network software failures result in some business disruptions.
- Occasional software problems in the voice switch cause minor business disruptions. The voice network at the primary facility was successfully switched over to the backup facility during one of these incidents.
- Three air conditioning problems last Fall but did not cause any business disruptions. A new maintenance contract was put in place in December and there have been no additional incidents since that time.
This first installment of the four-part series on the 13 cardinal steps of a business continuity program discussed the first four steps of executive support, business impact analysis, and performing threat and vulnerability analyses. In part two I cover the next four steps of this series consisting of risk assessments, high-level and detailed recovery strategies, and the number and scope of business continuity plans.