A large number of IT professionals seek information about ServiceNow. This innovative platform aims to streamline the processes associated with IT and management. ServiceNow is essentially a group of practices that ensures a blend of IT operations and development. However, understanding the concept of this cutting-edge platform is necessary.
Workflow is one such aspect you need to know about. So, what is workflow in ServiceNow? Let’s understand this point and the benefits thereon.
What is ServiceNow Workflow?
A workflow encompasses the interdependent people and processes needed to reach a result that cannot be achieved by a single participant. Even the most orderly workplace advocates for a complicated web of activities and people who come together to do particular things. The fundamental units of work include tasks, processes, and workflows.
A task is the building block of all work. Each task is performed by individuals. However, tasks can vary in complexity and time needed for completion. For example, pressing “send” to submit a file vs completing a draft of the file itself.
When you group tasks to attain a desired objective or result, they form a process. For example, when an employee needs help fixing an IT issue, he initiates a process comprising multiple tasks.
Submitting a help-desk ticket to IT is one aspect of a larger workflow that resolves the issue ultimately. Requests set the motion of processes in the IT department based on prioritization, assignment, and fulfillment. Each of the activities from the problem to the solution, and every individual involved, comprises a workflow.
Workflows can be easier to comprehend in reverse. For example, the help-desk request for an employee’s malfunctioning computer that needs to be fixed is a workflow.
ServiceNow Workflow Stages
The stages present the knowledge of the state and progress of the ticket (request) to the users easily. These are several useful building blocks while constructing a workflow. You need at least one block in the workflow stage. Also, the access levels of the users in the workflow and the actions to perform determine these stages.
ServiceNow Workflow indicates the progress of updating the field. The interface updates the specific Stage field in the workflow properties to get the info on workflow progress. Additionally, the field’s availability depends on the workflow’s usage of the table. If the field provides a list of choices, then those choices are seen as stage values. If it is a workflow field, it shows the workflow’s progress marked with an icon.
After you add stages to the workflow, they could be assigned to each workflow activity. If so, the field automatically sets to the Stage field in the workflows that use the Requested Item table. You cannot alter them. The workflow activities state forms the basis of the state of workflow that runs on the Requested Item table. When the activity runs, the result shows it is running.
For instance, if the activity is active, it will be displayed as In Progress. However, it will show Pending only if the activity is pending. Also, the workflow will not display any stage field if you cancel the activity.
Workflow Stage Value
There are several values for every stage. They are derived from various sources within the interface. Examples of the sources include
- Default stages of the table
- Stage values within existing records
- The choice for the stage column
- Workflow specific stages
When and Where to Use ServiceNow Workflows?
When you edit activity stages, the list shows these values of stages.
- Waiting for approval
- Delivery
- Fulfillment
- Completed
- Request canceled
Furthermore, users can add or alter stages by adding default stages for a given table. They can make a workflow stage field. Moreover, the workflow may indicate record deletion from fields. The activities are essentially performed smoothly using technical intelligence.
Where to Use ServiceNow Workflow?
Using ServiceNow Workflow extends to the following areas.
- Service catalog item/product request
- Routine modification
- While approving contracts
- Emergency modification
- While doing any procurement
- Service Level Agreements
- Allotting role to the group members or a user
When to Use ServiceNow Workflow?
You can use workflow while –
- Automating a particular or multi-step process that involves a lot of effort
- The logic applied to build various modules
- Repetitive processes automation
- Where a standard response is necessary for updating, building, inserting, removing, and recording a table
Benefits of Using ServiceNow Workflows
There are several perks of using SNow workflow. It lets you automate IT operations and modernizes them with usual updates. The platform runs IT at digital speed. Due to technology advancements and the activities thereon, the IT sector is switching over to digital platforms. Today, most services use digital media platforms, which help to grow technology. Digitization forms the basis of technological improvements. Also, the workflow improves the employee’s productivity with the latest developments.
The ServiceNow workflow carries several additional benefits. It makes a business better with tool integration. Automation tools streamline activities more smartly. Additionally, they are helpful for most business sectors where manpower requires more effort. This technological change improves the service quality of any business. And service quality is the base of any venture. It changes the future of businesses where users entrust them. Also, the cloud platform makes it easier to integrate and operate various workflows and their activities.
The digital workflow can change the work environment for both the management and employees. Most complex tasks get done using the digital platform. It reduces human errors and ensures timely functions by producing accurate results. Digital platforms make it easier to watch activities from any corner of the world.
The workflow does similar things with automation. For example, the digital workflow automates a venture’s closure of quarterly financial activities without more effort. Also, it minimizes the burden of accountants who would enter a massive amount of financial data into the ERP systems.
Workflow Activities
The workflow contains various activities and every activity has different tasks. They are script running, requesting approvals, sending notifications, and others. The above activities may fail or succeed in their operations depending on other activities. The core activities that workflow provides include
- Condition workflow activities
- Notify activities
- Approval and rollback
- Notification and sub-flow
- Also, there are tasks, utility, and timer activities.
Approval and Rollback Activities
They help to produce and manage various workflows but are unavailable or absent in some workflows. There are two exceptions for approval and rollback activities – Approval user and Approval Action.
They are only available when the workflow runs on a job-enhancing table.
The rollback and approval activities are further available only if the approval engines are shut for the table where they run. If they are not shut, the approval activities may remain unselected and turn grey.
Additionally, the Approval Action activity executes the action for the given tasks where the Approval User activity builds one or more than one approvals for users.
Manual Approvals also exist in the workflow activity. They observe and manage different approvals that users manually add outside the workflow.
Conditional Activities
They offer logical operations and conditional branching for the workflow. Some conditional workflow activities are performed as follows.
In the conditional w-flow, the “If” workflow activity is meant to verify a given condition. It decides whether to consider a “Yes or No” move into an account.
The “Switch” w-flow activity confirms whether the value of a passed variable or field is identical to one of the various case values.
The “Wait for condition” workflow activity objects the workflow to stay at this activity level. It waits until the existing record matches the stated condition.
The “Wait for -WF Event” workflow activity objects a flow to stay at this level until the event is fired.
Notification Activities
They handle the notifications, calls, messages, and SMS within the Notify.
Also, all “Notify workflows” that manage a phone call should run on the notify_call table. The call-based activities in the Notify flow only add to workflows when the Table field value becomes [notify_call].
Further, a user can locate if an outbound call was answered by an answering device or by a human from inside this workflow by checking the current.is_human variable. The telephone provider sets this variable while an outbound call is answered.
The “Reject” workflow activity within the Notify workflow dismisses/rejects an incoming Notify call.
The “Say” workflow activity allows users to put a message, through a text-to-speech, upon a Notify call.
Notification Workflow Activities and Sub-flow Activities
Here, the Notification workflow activity sends a message or an email to a user or group.
Notification Activity Input Variable
You have to enter fields for the input variables for Notification activity.
Examples include Addressees, To, Advanced, Message, Subject, and States. Here, the “state” workflow activity pushes the engine to perform the actions with the activity.
Notification activities state – Executing, Finished, and Cancelled fields while performing.
For Sub-flow activities, a ServiceNow Workflow could start another workflow as an activity to perform. Sub-flow workflow activities run and manage various workflows from the main workflow.
Parallel Flow Launcher – This type of activity initiates several sub-flows in parallel.
Task Activities
You can create a task record from data generated or gathered earlier. These activities help to provide controls over the workflow path and different tools. The utility workflow activity encompasses Branch workflow, lock, join, Log trace, log message, and REST message. Further, you have a turnstile, unlock, return value, set values, and run the script.
Timer Workflow Activities
The main benefit of timer activities is their ability to automate, avoiding human intervention in routine tasks. In a sense, they allow the execution of actions at the correct moments. This ensures enhanced accuracy in activity execution.
Workflow Properties
Here, you can configure settings such as start conditions, schedules, application scope, and inputs. You can also access details like workflow version, author, and history. When you create a new workflow, the below fields exist in the dialogue box:
- Table for the workflow to work with
- Name is the workflow identity
- If the condition matches, Workflow launches
- Condition property defines workflow conditions that invoke the behavior chosen if the condition matches the list.
- Description property specifies the purpose of the workflow.
How to Create a New Workflow?
The Editor opens up in a new browser window. Allow pop-up windows from your ServiceNow instance URL because it may cause issues when pop-up blockers are active.
- Press the New Workflow button
- ‘Fill up the form and save
- Name: You may use a distinct name for the workflow to distinguish it from others
- Table: Name of the table where you will apply the workflow
- If the condition matches: This property is used to define how and when the workflow will be executed. There are three options:
- Run the workflow: If you select this option, the workflow will execute when the condition field holds true.
- Run if no other workflows are matched yet: If you select this option, the workflow will execute when the condition field holds true and no other workflows are running.
- None: You can use this option to ignore the condition and use a script or sub-flow to execute the Workflow
You can use the workflow actions menu to perform different actions related to the current workflow. It can be used to delete, publish, or copy the workflow. You may also use it to validate the workflow and access its contexts that are currently associated with any record.
ServiceNow Workflow Examples
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are attached to the incident record only. Therefore, the SLA status changes automatically when you begin work on a particular time interval on a given event along with other SLA values. Using this example, you can build a specific SLA while attaching it to an SLA end-to-end cycle.
The same point has to be executed for approval fixed under the change incident, service request, or others. Besides, for a given workflow related to approver and approval activities, a specific SLA will run.
Similarly, various other examples exist in ServiceNow workflow activities.
Conclusion
The usage of ServiceNow Workflow benefits users and businesses well. It makes repetitive tasks easier with automation processes. This helps large industries to work better and save time. Its IT service management is also helpful for most tech companies. On top of that, understanding – what is Workflow in ServiceNow – creates wonders for the smooth operation/performance of business activities.
FAQs
1. What are the 3 basic components of workflow?
- Input refers to the raw materials, information, or data required to initiate the workflow.
- Process means the actions and steps taken to transform the input into an output.
- Output refers to the final deliverable or result of the workflow.
2. What is a flow and workflow in ServiceNow?
Flows can be broken into sub-flows. Sub-flows are looked after by other teams. So, each flow is much shorter than those written in the workflow. Workflow is a flow engine that you use in ServiceNow.
3. What is workflow used for?
Workflows help ensure that critical processes are accomplished the right way. For example, you may wish to define a process workflow for on-boarding new employees to ensure that they get the resources, information, and policies to do their jobs.