Operational Resilience: Mapping Interconnections and Interdependencies

Mapping of the Interconnections and Interdependencies

For an organisation to achieve a higher level of operational resilience, it must understand its business services and identify dependencies and connections, including the critical resources to learn its weaknesses.

Only when weaknesses have been identified and understood can potential risks be determined together with each risk's associated likelihood and impact.

An organisation can identify and determine its potential risks by understanding the interconnections and interdependencies within its operations. It can also determine each risk's associated likelihood and impact.

The operational resilience mapping process involves identifying dependencies and connections between people, processes, information, technology, facilities, and third-party service providers required to deliver each critical business service.

OR Mapping Interconnections and Interdependencies BCMPedia

Think of mapping as the process by which an organisation develops a holistic view of the systems and processes that support its business services, including those systems and processes that it does not control directly.

This blog will discuss how interconnections and interdependencies are mapped, including the detailed steps involved in the process.

Step	Detailed Steps Involved in the Process
1	Define the Scope of the Mapping Exercise
	Identify the business processes, services, applications, and systems critical to the organization's operations. Identify the stakeholders involved in the exercise and establish a clear timeline for completion.
2	Identify the Data Sources
	Include information from IT systems, business process documentation, and stakeholder interviews. Ensure that the data sources are comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date.
3	Create a Mapping Framework
	Create a mapping framework that will be used to visualize the interconnections and interdependencies. Include as part of the mapping framework the critical business processes, services, applications, and systems identified in Step 1 the dependencies between them. Data flows, system interfaces, and other interactions. Establish mapping framework
4	Gather Data and Populate the Mapping Framework
	Gather data and populate the framework. Collect information from the data sources identified in Step 2 and input it into the mapping framework. Involve manual data entry or automated tools to extract data from IT systems. Populate mapping framework.
5	Validate the Mapping Framework
	Validate the accuracy and completeness of the mapping. Review data sources and interview stakeholders to ensure that all interconnections and interdependencies are identified and accurately represented in the framework. Validate mapping
6	Analyze the Mapping Results
	Start to analyze the results. Involve identifying critical dependencies and assessing the potential impact of disruptions on the organization's operations. Note the importance of prioritizing actions based on the criticality of the dependencies. Establish business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis management, and incident management plans to address potential disruptions.
7	Update the Mapping Framework
	Update the mapping framework continuously to reflect changes in the organization's operations. Incorporate new business processes, services, applications, and systems and update their dependencies.

Conclusion ...

Mapping interconnections and interdependencies is a critical component of operational resilience.

Following the steps outlined in this blog, organizations can comprehensively understand their operations and identify potential disruptions.

There are several pointers to remember when mapping:

Do not attempt to map all processes simultaneously or at a too-detailed level.
Start by Identifying and agreeing upon what are the critical processes to map
Ensure that ownership of the business services and processes is assigned.
Have a pre-defined template before the start of the mapping of the processes.
Maintain robust version control of the map; it may be updated by multiple parties or outdated with process changes.

This information can be used to prioritize actions and establish business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis management, and incident management plans to ensure the organization's ability to withstand, adapt to, and quickly recover from disruptive events.

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