Part 1: Identification of Business Functions DR AIA
Part 2: Identification of Business Functions
Business Function (Col 2)
Business Function is referred to as the business process carried out by the Business Unit.
- Name of business function.
- State a name or identifier (of up to 3 words).
- Note (1): Usually, the number of business functions should average around 5 functions and should not be expected to exceed 15.
- Note (2): “Nice to have”/”convenient business functions” should be omitted during the final submission in the Business Impact Analysis Strategy phase.
- Note (3): Minor business functions that could be accurately grouped into a single bigger function are strongly encouraged.
- Note (4): Refer to the example of business functions found below
Function Code (Col 3)
The function code will be allocated to the Business Function. E.g. Human Resources – Payroll Processing will be HR-01, and Human Resources – Recruitment will be HR-02; Finance – Accounts Payable will be FIN-01, Finance – Accounts Receivable will be FIN-02.
- The acronym for each business function and its serial number.
- This function number is used as a shorter form of unique identification of each business function within the entire BIA exercise and also as a cross-reference to the rest of the document.
- For example, “HR” is the acronym for Human Resource Department and say, the function is "Payroll". The function number “HR-01” is CBF Number 01 (first of the series of business functions) for the HR Department.
Description (Col 4)
A short description (less than 20 words) of the Business Function.
- A business function is defined for the purpose of this exercise as an activity, or a group of activities, which delivers a product or discrete service.
- Highlight only the end result and not details of all the processes which enable the business function to be completed.
- Use only one line to describe each business function.
- Start the description with an action verb e.g. Grant limits, Administer loans, Monitor outstanding transactions.
Instruction to BL-DR-3/5 M2 Participant
The approach for this assignment is to enable IT DR professionals to understand how critical business functions are identified from a business perspective. Once management has approved the prioritisation of the business functions, the Business Impact Analysis conducted by the BCM team will also identify the list of critical applications and IT services supporting the critical business functions. The IT DR professional will be able to accurately develop an IT application based on the approval of management
Refer to the text of each of the sections within this page which are highlighted in italics for further explanation when attempting the Module 2 assignment.
These are some examples describing the business functions. It is useful to understand that not all employees in an organisation know precisely what your specific function is? Hence, the need for this simple explanatory note.
Examples of "Business Functions" (Col 2) - "Description" (Col 4)
- Staff Training - Provide appropriate training to sales staff
- Inventory Management - Ensure sufficient inventory for sales, and are up to date and minimize stock out situation
- Workplace/ Store Safety - Ensure safety at all times external or internal to store
- Sales Audit - Check of daily cash receipts from stores
- Order Picking - Process orders and takedown products for deliveries
- Promotion - Ensure retail strategy and promotion are executed timely
