Essential functions, mission critical functions, essential business functions. No matter what you call them, they’re a crucial part of any emergency or continuity plan. Why? Essential functions are the responsibilities, or tasks, that your organization must complete to be considered operational. These can range from general accounting and HR to emergency/9-1-1 call response, and virtually anything and everything in between. To help you identify and prioritize your organization’s essential functions, BOLDplanning suggests you ask yourself the following ten questions (many of which will be covered during today’s Best Practices Webinar, Essential Functions & Business Impact Analysis, at 2 PM CDT).

  1. What functions do we perform and which ones are most important?
  2. What’s the frequency of the function(s) that must be conducted – daily, weekly, monthly, etc.?
  3. What resources (people, equipment, facilities, specialized resources) are required to complete these function(s)?
  4. Are certain functions dependent upon successful completion of another (finish-to-start), and