---
title: Business Continuity Management Workflows
slug: solutions/business-continuity-management-workflows
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-09-15T08:59:59.269Z
---

### Creating a New BIA

When creating a Business Impact Assessment (BIA), Swimlane guides the user through a **two-stage process**:

**Initial Mapping and Pre-Screening**

1. **Define Business Entity Under Review** – specify name, type, description, owners.
2. **Map Resources and Dependencies** – link resources critical to this entity as well as interdependencies.
3. **Validate Threat Scenarios** – identify applicable threat scenarios.
4. **Perform Pre-Screening** – score impacts across Operational, Economic, Regulatory, and Reputational categories.

**Outcome:**

- **Critical** → full BIA fields unlock; status = *Work in Progress/Under Review*.
- **Not Critical** → A Business Impact Assessment is not required for this business entity (e.g. Process); status = *Not Required.*

**Completing the BIA**

If the BIA is Critical, continue through the workflow:

1. Complete Impact Assessments.
2. Validate RTO and RPO.
3. Define MTPD.
4. Describe MBCO.
5. Identify Solutions.
6. Validate with Stakeholders and submit for Approval.

### Submitting a BIA for Approval

1. Open the BIA → **Approvals tab**.
2. Click **Submit for Approval**.
3. An Approval record is generated.
4. Once approved, the BIA status updates to **Approved**.
5. If denied, the BIA status updates to **Denied** and feedback is provided from the approver.
   1. The BIA can be re-submitted for approval at any time.

### Backing up a BIA

1. Open the BIA → **Reports tab**.
2. Click **Generate PDF Report**.
3. A PDF is generated and attached to the record.

### Executing a BIA Test

1. Open the BIA → **Tests tab**.
2. Click **Create Test**.
3. Solution and Task records are generated for continuity validation.

### Automating BIA Reviews

1. In the BIA → **Reports tab**, set the **Review Interval**.
2. When the interval expires, the BIA automatically moves to **Work in Progress/Under Review**.
3. Review and resubmit the BIA for approval.