Who is the best source of information for determining the criticality of application systems in a business impact analysis?

The best source of information for determining the criticality of application systems in a business impact analysis is the business process owners. These individuals have intimate knowledge of the operations, processes, and workflows that the application systems support. They understand how these systems impact business objectives, performance, and customer satisfaction.

Business process owners are in the best position to assess the consequences of a system failure or disruption, as they are aware of the dependencies and the specific requirements their processes have for various applications. Their insights help ensure that the analysis focuses on the most critical systems that could affect overall business continuity and performance, leading to more informed prioritization of recovery and continuity efforts.

While IT management may provide valuable insights about the technical aspects and overall infrastructure, they may lack the deep understanding of the business impacts that process owners possess. Senior business management can provide high-level priorities but may not be as versed in the nuances of particular applications. Industry experts can offer broader market insights but may not have a specific understanding of a company’s internal processes. Thus, business process owners stand out as the most critical source of information for this analysis.