A new framework for business impact analysis in business continuity management (with a case study)

•Developing a novel framework to conduct BIA in organizations.•Proposing a hybrid MADM model to select key products and critical functions.•Developing a novel MTPD algorithm.•Demonstrating the benefits of the proposed framework using a real case study. Resumption of critical processes/functions after occurrence of any disruptive event is essential from the business continuity (BC) viewpoint. Business impact analysis (BIA) is a key part of a business continuity management system (BCMS) in which an organization’s key products/services along with the critical functions and their BC related indices, i.e., the maximum tolerable period of disruption (MTPD) and the minimum business continuity objective (MBCO) are determined. This study proposes a novel framework to conduct the BIA in organizations in a more systematic and comprehensive way mostly by relying on some effective multi attribute decision making (MADM) techniques. A case study in an auto part manufacturer is also provided to validate the proposed framework whose results demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of the proposed approach.