Operational Resilience Body of Knowledge (OR BoK) Series
Map Interconnections and Interdependencies
This blog explains the purpose and importance of Mapping Interconnections and Interdependencies as Stage 2 of the Implement phase of the Operational Resilience (OR) Planning Methodology.
It guides organisations in identifying and documenting the relationships and dependencies between critical business services and the people, processes, technology, information, facilities, and third-party providers that support their delivery.
The blog demonstrates how mapping these interconnections enables organisations to understand end-to-end service delivery, identify single points of failure, assess potential cascading impacts, and uncover vulnerabilities that could disrupt critical business services.
It also establishes the essential foundation for setting impact tolerances, conducting scenario testing, and implementing targeted resilience improvements.
For Operational Resilience practitioners and OR course participants, the blog provides a complete understanding of why comprehensive dependency mapping is a cornerstone of operational resilience, ensuring that resilience strategies are built on an accurate understanding of how critical business services are interconnected across the organisation and its external ecosystem.
Element
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Description
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Purpose
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- To create a detailed mapping of critical processes, supporting resources, and their interdependencies that enable the delivery of Critical Business Services (CBS).
- This ensures clarity on how each component contributes to resilience and provides a foundation for identifying vulnerabilities, dependencies, and potential failure points.
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| Objectives |
- Document and visualise end-to-end processes that underpin IBS.
- Identify and link resources (people, technology, facilities, third parties) that support these processes.
- Establish clear dependencies across internal functions, external vendors, and infrastructure.
- Enable impact analysis and prioritisation for resilience measures.
- Build a structured basis for scenario testing and disruption management.
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Inputs
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- Outcomes of P2-S1: Identify Critical Business Services (list and prioritisation of CBS).
- Existing process documentation, workflows, SOPs.
- Technology architecture maps and infrastructure diagrams.
- Resource inventories (human, physical, digital, third-party).
- Vendor and supply chain contracts/SLAs.
- Risk assessments and BIA data.
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Activities
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- Process Identification – Document end-to-end workflows supporting CBS delivery, and validate with owners.
- Resource Mapping – Catalogue people, technology, data, facilities, and third parties linked to each process.
- Dependency Analysis – Identify critical dependencies (internal/external), highlight single points of failure.
- Visualisation and Documentation – Develop flowcharts, dependency maps, and layered views.
- Validation and Sign-Off – Review with stakeholders and align with governance/compliance.
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Outputs
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- Process and resource maps for each CBS.
- Documented inventory of critical dependencies (internal and external).
- Identification of gaps, vulnerabilities, and single points of failure.
- Foundational dataset for resilience scenario testing, response planning, and impact tolerance assessments.
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Linkages
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- Upstream: P2-S1 (Identify Critical Business Services).
- Downstream: P2-S3 (Assess Vulnerabilities and Dependencies); P2-S4 (Implement Resilience Strategies); P3 (Sustain phase monitoring and assurance).
- Related BCMBoK: Risk Analysis & Review (BCMBoK 2), Business Impact Analysis (BCMBoK 3).
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"Implement" Phase of OR Planning Methodology
| Identify Critical Business Services |
Map Inter-connections and Inter-dependencies |
Set Impact Tolerance
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Conduct Scenario Testing |
Improve Lesson Learned |
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| Operational Resilience Body of Knowledge - Implement |
| BoK 6 S1 |
BoK 7 S2 |
BoK 8 S3 |
BoK 9 S4 |
BoK 10 S5 |
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More Information About Operational Resilience OR-5000 [BL-OR-5] or OR-300 [BL-OR-3] Course
To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the OR-3 Blended Learning OR-300 Operational Resilience Implementer course and the OR-5 Blended Learning OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer course.
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If you have any questions, click to contact us.
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