---
sourceDocument: Yokohama Governance, Risk, and Compliance
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/yokohama/governance-risk-compliance

 Release :

    - yokohama

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Yokohama Governance, Risk, and Compliance

ft:clusterId :

    - grc

bundleId :

    - grc

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Create a business continuity plan

# Create a business continuity plan from a plan template {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Yokohama
* 
* Updated July 31, 2025
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read

As a program manager you can create a plan for the respective business units that can
be used in times of business disruption. You can use a specific plan template for each plan
type to streamline the process of a plan creation.

## Before you begin

Role required: sn_bcm.program_manager, sn_bcm.planner

## About this task

You can create a plan using a pre-configured plan template that suits your
requirement. Using the plan template gives you a standard plan layout automatically
adding document sections, loss scenarios, and identifying primary elements that are
to be recovered. Plan templates help you to focus on the plan content, its tasks,
and the effective implementation of the plan.

Creating a plan helps an organization to identify processes, locations, and assets
that must be recovered as a priority when there is a disruption. Selecting a plan
type helps to identify the elements for recovery and the time by which it should be
done.

As a BCM program manager you can create a plan by clicking the
New button. When you select a template for the plan, all
the related information in the template is copied over to the plan after you
submit.

## Procedure

1. Navigate to Business ContinuityBusiness Continuity Workspace.
2. To create a plan from the Business Continuity Home page, click Create a Plan.
3. To view the list of existing plans in different states and to create a plan record, click the lists icon (![Lists icon]()).
   1. Click In Draft state in the Planning list.
   2. Click New.
   {#create-bcp-plan-template-workspace__substeps_xgb_1rr_dnb}
4. Enter plan details in the Create Plan modal form.
5. Enter a name for the plan and select a plan template.  
   Describe the plan name within 255 characters
   following a naming convention exclusively for your business teams.

   The details of the referenced template are copied over to the plan. Select
   the business unit, department, and the plan owner applicable to the
   plan.
6. Click Submit.  
   The plan that you created opens up in the record view. This view displays the
   details of the plan under the headers Business Unit,
   Department, Plan Owner,
   and State.  
   Note:  
   The tabs that are available in the Plan view depends on the value that you have selected in the Plan authoring type field of the [Configure a business continuity plan template](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/6mYF5LkbPNjPOKmd1_uo7g "Configure the business continuity plan (BCP) template to create and assign business continuity plans with standard object types. The object types can be business processes, applications, employees, hardware, software, and others.") that is used in this plan.  
   Figure 1. Plan authoring type values

   When you create a plan using a template, the plan documentations
   associated to the plan template are copied over to the documentation
   section of the plan that you created.
7. Review the plan details in the Overview tab.
8. Click the Details tab to update the plan details.
9. To save the plan and update its details later, click Save.
10. To save and submit it for review, click Submit for Review.  
    Note:  
    You can submit the plan for review only when it is In Draft stage.

    When you submit the plan for review, the plan moves to In Review state.  
    As a plan owner, you can add details to the plan and move it across different states to get it approved finally.  
    Note:  
    The State field is read only. It indicates the status of the plan. Hence, your action on the plan in the UI takes it through to its approved state.

    In Draft

    :   It is the state when your plan is under edit. Add documentation sections to the plan, identify recovery teams and set up recovery tasks for the owners, and submit the plan for review.To submit for review,
        confirm that a BCM Lead is assigned to the plan. Otherwise, you can submit the plan for approval.

        After the plan owner submits the plan for review, the state changes to In Review. The state of the plan changes to Submit for Approval for the plan owner.

    In Review
    :   The plan owner can review, edit, and submit the plan for
        approval.

    Pending Approval
    :   When you click Submit for Approval, the
        plan is set to Pending Approval state.
        The approval configurations, approval levels, and approval rules
        are evaluated against the plan to determine the approvers. If
        there are no approval records in the requested state for the
        plan, then as a BCM program manager you can either
        Reject or
        Approve the plan. The state of the
        plan and its related tables is read only.

    Returned
    :   When the plan is rejected, the state is set to
        Returned state.

    Approved
    :   When the plan is approved, it moves to
        Approved state.

        The plan and all its related tabs
        are read only. Your only option to change the status at this
        state is to move it to Archived
        state.

    Archived
    :   When you archive the plan, it becomes read only. All underlying
        tables from where the plan retrieves its data to populate in the
        plan assets, related asset dependencies, recovery strategy,
        documentation, recovery teams, loss scenarios, and recovery
        tasks tabs become read only. You cannot edit the information in
    these tabs anymore.  
    Note:  
    A scheduled job runs weekly to move the plans that have expired to Archived state.
11. To export the plan to different locations and make it available for people to execute the plan in a crisis situation, click Generate PDF.  
    Note:  
    You can generate a PDF if you are a plan contributor (sn_bcp.plan_contributor) or plan manager (sn_bcp.plan_manager).

    You can
    generate a PDF of the plan in all states except
    Approved and Archived
    states. If the plan is approved, then by default a PDF is generated and
    attached to the plan.

    The plan is exported in its entirety with its summary, recovery teams, loss
    scenarios, recovery tasks, and an appendix table listing the contact number
    of every member who is part of the recovery team.

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