Structured workflows for Crisis events

Manage crisis events using structured workflows in the Business Continuity Workspace (also known as BCM Configurable Workspace).

Business Continuity Management (BCM) program managers create crisis events to coordinate response efforts. They associate relevant assets, business continuity plans, and recovery strategies with each event, then assign and submit event tasks to appropriate teams for execution.

• For more information on reporting a crisis event, see Start a crisis event.
• For more information on adding an asset and plan to the crisis event, see Track impacted assets and add related plans.
• For more information on adding an event task to the crisis event, see Add a task to the crisis event.
• For more information on submitting the event task, see Request an approval and approve the crisis event.
• You can add event tasks in bulk by applying task template groups or individual task templates from the Event tasks tab. For details, see Add a task to the crisis event and Event task creation progress in exercise and crisis events.

Bulk editing of tasks from the Event tasks related list

Starting with version 6.1.x of the Business Continuity Management application, users with editing access to event records can perform bulk edits from the Event tasks related list. This feature is beneficial for users who manage multiple event tasks simultaneously.

In the recovery tasks list, users with the necessary edit permissions can modify these fields simultaneously:

• State
• Assigned to
• Actual start
• Actual end
• Assigned group

Once an event is initiated, these users can also modify the state of an event task either from the list view or the form view. The process for updating the state of an event task from the list view is demonstrated in the example. If a state transition is not allowed, an error message is displayed to indicate that the update is invalid.

The table details the permitted state transitions for an event task.

Table 1. Permitted state transitions for an event task

Transition from state	Pending state	Open state	Work In Progress state	Closed Complete state	Closed Incomplete state	Closed Skipped state	Closed Failed state
Pending	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
Open	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Work In Progress	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Closed Complete	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Closed Incomplete	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Closed Skipped	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Closed failed	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No

Note:

All changes to state transitions and updates to the start or end dates are listed in the Task activity log.

Consider these key details about the state transitions of an event task.

1. The event task can only be opened from the Closed complete state.
2. Once the event task moves to the Open state, users of the event task can edit it further.
3. The task can then be moved from the Open state to the Closed Skipped state.
4. Only users with access to the event can reopen the event task. While recovery task members can change the status of the event task, they cannot reopen it.

The table summarizes the UI actions available for an event task and their corresponding states:

Table 2. UI actions and the associated states of the event tasks

UI action	State of the event task	Notes
Trigger	Pending	This condition is applicable only when an event has been started.
Skip task	Pending, Open, Work in progress	-
Work in progress	Open	-
Closed complete	Work in progress	-
Closed incomplete	Work in progress	-
Closed failed	Work in progress	-
Re-trigger as a manual task	Closed	-
Re-trigger automation	Work in progress, Closed	This condition is applicable for an automated task only.

If a task is mistakenly closed, users of the event task can reopen it to make the required edits, ensuring the recovery process remains accurate and complete.

Updating the event task as a recovery task member

Generally, recovery task members update the status of event tasks. Although they do not have access to the event page or workspace, they can navigate to My Recovery Tasks in the instance to access the recovery task. By modifying the UI action, they can change the status of the event task, as demonstrated in the example.

For instance, when members of the recovery task mark the task as Closed complete, all fields on the form become locked. This implies that while members of the recovery task cannot modify the fields, they are still able to add activity notes. Only users who have access to the event task can edit the fields on the form.

For information on importing the automated task in an event, see Import automated tasks and start an event.

• For information on reporting a crisis event from the Home page, see Home page view.
• For information on managing threats, feeds, and alerts in the Crisis map interface, see Crisis map interface.
• For information on performing administrative tasks in the Crisis map interface, see Setup for Crisis map.

• Start a crisis event
  Report a crisis event in the BCM Configurable Workspace. A crisis event is any significant disruption that threatens business operations. The BCM Configurable Workspace enables you to create crisis records, classify severity levels, set priorities, assign response teams, and document initial actions.
• Using nested plans
  Configure a system property to control activated plan levels in an event. The system automatically creates nested plans within an event, reducing the manual effort of adding plans and improving system performance. You can also add dependencies between multiple activated plans by updating the Dependencies field in the event tasks.
• Track impacted assets and add related plans
  Track the impacted assets and add a related plan during a crisis event. You can monitor the assets and plans for the crisis event in BCM UIB Workspace. You can then recover your assets in the planning stage.
• Add a task to the crisis event
  Add a task to the crisis event in BCM UIB Workspace. You can then monitor and complete the required actions to respond to the crisis event.
• Import automated tasks and start an event
  Import the automated task from the business continuity plan in an actual event. Utilizing automated tasks during an actual event enhances efficiency and reduces response time for users.
• Creating action items in crisis events
  Starting with BCM release 9.0.x, crisis managers can create action tasks for recovery members or teams anytime during open crisis events or exercises. Crisis managers can create these tasks on the fly without mapping them to event assets or recovery plans. These action tasks are also not included in the event recovery timeline.
• Create a similar tasks group in a crisis
  Identify and group similar or duplicate tasks related to a crisis event using the Similar tasks groups tab. Grouping similar tasks helps you to optimize event task management and minimize redundant work.
• Request an approval and approve the crisis event
  Approve the crisis event in BCM UIB Workspace.