Assess the criticality of your IT systems consistently instead of going by gut feeling. We show you a simple yet proven method so that your assessment no longer falls short.
When it comes to Disaster Recovery plans, one of the most important questions is: how business-critical is an IT system, and how quickly does it need to be available again in an emergency? How do I assess the criticality of my systems?
In practice, such decisions are often made by gut feeling. This leads to inconsistencies and is hard for others to follow. While one department classifies a system as indispensable, elsewhere it is considered secondary. That is why it is all the more important to have a structured and traceable assessment of IT systems – as the basis for the Disaster Recovery strategy.
Choosing an assessment method
There are different approaches to assessing the criticality of IT systems. The choice of method depends on how in-depth the assessment should be and how closely it is integrated into existing processes. Here are some common options:
1. Qualitative assessment by business units
Systems are classified as “critical”, “important” or “not relevant” based on experience. This method is quick but not very consistent and often hard to follow.
2. Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
Part of the classic IT risk management methods. Here, the potential impact of outages is analysed in detail – financial, legal, operational. The BIA is precise but laborious.
3. Points system based on questions
A pragmatic middle ground: targeted questions (e.g. impact, recovery time, number of users affected) produce a score that leads to the classification. This method is traceable, consistent and easy to implement for smaller organisations too.
Criticality assessment with our online calculator
With our online calculator, we deliberately rely on the third method. It is clearly structured, easy to understand and can be applied across teams – without special tools or long workshops.
Answer a few targeted questions and receive a clear classification of your system – from not relevant to business-critical. This lays the groundwork for prioritised recovery objectives and helps you avoid wrong decisions when protecting your infrastructure.
What happens after the assessment?
The result of the criticality assessment shows how relevant an IT system is to business operations – from not relevant to business-critical. This classification is the starting point for the next steps in emergency planning (Disaster Recovery). Read our practical whitepaper for more information on the topic.
The Netstream Workload Availablity Service is a proven way to make business-critical systems available again quickly in an emergency.
If you need support with the assessment or implementation, we will be happy to help.
