Why I Created This AI Prompt Spreadsheet for Business Impact Analysis

Over the last two years, I’ve been slightly on the fence about whether or not to use AI to help write my documents. I suspect a lot of us feel this way. There’s the fear that you’re losing autonomy, the material you ‘generate’ will be sub-par, and your skills as a writer will erode. Again, all of these are valid points.

However, I’m far from a luddite and know that AI must have its place in the writing workflow, especially for technical and specific business documents.

So, with that in mind, I’ve started to dip my toes in the water and began to see where and how AI, such as Google Gemini, could help me – without my losing control of the overall process.

Central to this has been developing an understanding of how prompts work. Klariti has several primers on how to write prompts here and here.

Like I said, in terms of business continuity, I was initially skeptical about using AI for critical tasks such as Business Impact Analysis (BIA). I worried about generic outputs and the loss of nuanced, organization-specific insights. But after experimenting with well-structured prompts (read this Klariti Primer on Crafting Prompts), I realized AI could be a very helpful—if guided properly.

I’ve now gathered most of the prompts I’ve used on a recent BIA project and saved them to this spreadsheet. It includes Simple, Advanced, and Complex prompts to help you use AI’s efficiency while also maintaining precision. I think you’ll find it helpful.

How to Use These Prompts

1. Simple Prompts (Quick Starts)

Example: “List the primary business functions critical for [Organization Name].”

Use these when you need a baseline—ideal for drafting initial lists or validating existing data. Learn how.

2. Advanced Prompts (Detailed Analysis)

Example: “Describe how RTOs for critical processes are determined, including financial and regulatory factors.”

These go deeper, so you can explore dependencies, justify priorities, or align with frameworks like ISO 22301.

3. Complex Prompts (Strategic Insights)

Example: “Analyze cascading effects of IT system failures on operations, including financial and reputational impacts.”

Use these for risk scenario modeling or executive-level reporting, where cross-functional impacts matter.

Why This Works

Like I said, previously, I struggled with ChatGPT generating vague or irrelevant content. But with ‘tailored’ prompts, I now get:

• Faster drafts (Simple prompts streamline documentation).
• Richer insights (Advanced prompts uncover hidden dependencies).
• Strategic foresight (Complex prompts simulate disruptions and their ripple effects).

This spreadsheet isn’t about replacing your human expertise—rather, it’s about augmenting it.

By tweaking these prompts for your organization’s context (e.g., adding your industry’s compliance requirements), you’ll create BIAs that are both rigorous and adaptable.

Tip: Start with Simple prompts to build your draft, then use Advanced/Complex prompts to refine and pressure-test your analysis.

ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude won’t write your BIA for you—but with the right prompts, it will help you write better, faster, and more comprehensively. Give it a try, and see if it makes a difference.

Download the AI Prompts and the Business Impact Analysis Templates here