Continuity guide

Dependency mapping for business continuity

Dependency mapping shows what a priority activity needs in order to operate and which shared resources create hidden single points of failure.

DependenciesMapping

Editorial review: August 11, 2026 · Adrian M. Westbridge

People

Skills, approvals, staffing levels, succession and specialized knowledge may constrain recovery.

Technology and information

Applications, authentication, connectivity, data, communications and third-party platforms should be tied to business activities.

Facilities and equipment

Buildings, utilities, specialist machinery and physical access can be essential even for digitally enabled work.

Suppliers

A supplier's supplier, logistics provider or cloud platform can be a shared dependency across several activities.

Business continuity is organization-specific. Recovery priorities, legal duties, safety requirements, contracts, insurance terms and technical recovery methods should be validated by the responsible people in the organization.