ServiceNow Incident Management Tutorial and Task Administration

Summary

This video script from the 'ServiceNow Simple's CSA' training series introduces viewers to task management in ServiceNow, a platform designed to streamline work efficiency. Jeff Teist, a seasoned software developer and technical architect, guides viewers through understanding tasks, their attributes, and how they are managed within ServiceNow's hierarchical database design. The script covers task creation, assignment rules, collaboration tools, and visual task boards, aiming to help users prepare for the ServiceNow CSA certification exam or enhance their ServiceNow skills.

Takeaways

• 📝 ServiceNow was designed to make work tasks and processes as efficient as possible, with task management being a core function.
• 🔑 The task table in ServiceNow is central to managing work items, each represented as a record with attributes like description, status, due date, and assignee.
• 🌐 ServiceNow uses a hierarchical database design where specialized task types like change requests, incidents, and problems extend the basic task table.
• 🛠️ Tasks in ServiceNow are not created directly in the task table but through creating records in the tables that extend it, such as incident or change request.
• 📈 ServiceNow's task management capabilities help in defining and managing tasks efficiently, enabling repeatable processes and ensuring tasks are completed within set timeframes.
• 👤 Assignment of tasks to users or groups is a critical part of task management, facilitated by fields like 'assigned to' and 'assignment group'.
• 🤖 Assignment rules in ServiceNow automate the task assignment process based on predefined conditions, ensuring tasks are routed to the right people or groups.
• 🔍 Users can access tasks assigned to them or their groups through the Service Desk application, which lists 'my work' and 'my group's work'.
• 🤝 ServiceNow offers collaboration tools like user presence and real-time editing to facilitate teamwork and communication during task resolution.
• 📊 Visual task boards provide a graphical interface for managing tasks, helping identify bottlenecks and organize work visually through cards and lanes.

Q & A

What is the original vision of ServiceNow?

The original vision of ServiceNow was to build a platform that made doing work as efficient as possible.

What is the primary function of the task table in ServiceNow?

The task table is one of the core components of the ServiceNow platform, used to store records that represent work that needs to be done.

Who is Jeff Teist and what is his role in the ServiceNow Simple's CSA training series?

Jeff Teist is a software developer and technical architect with over 30 years of experience, most recently working with ServiceNow. He is the instructor for the ServiceNow Simple's CSA training series, where he shares his knowledge and notes from the ServiceNow fundamentals learning path.

How does ServiceNow's hierarchical database design work for tasks?

ServiceNow uses a hierarchical database design where tables like change request, incident, and problem are created as extensions or children of the task table, inheriting common attributes and adding their own as needed.

What are the three most commonly used types of tasks in ServiceNow?

The three most commonly used types of tasks in ServiceNow are change request, incident, and problem.

How does ServiceNow ensure tasks are assigned to the correct people?

ServiceNow uses assignment rules that automatically populate the 'assigned to' and 'assignment group' fields when tasks are created, based on predefined conditions.

What is the purpose of assignment rules in ServiceNow?

Assignment rules in ServiceNow are used to automatically assign tasks to users or groups based on specific conditions, streamlining the task assignment process.

How does ServiceNow facilitate collaboration and communication among stakeholders working on tasks?

ServiceNow provides collaboration tools such as user presence, real-time editing, and the activity stream to facilitate teamwork and communication among stakeholders.

What is the difference between a guided, flexible, and freeform visual task board in ServiceNow?

A guided visual task board uses predefined values for lanes and changes task values when cards are moved. A flexible task board allows custom lane headings but does not change task values when cards are moved. A freeform task board is personalized and not tied back to existing task records.

How can users access tasks assigned to them or their group in ServiceNow?

Users can access tasks assigned to them individually through the 'My Work' menu item in the Service Desk application, and tasks assigned to their group through the 'My Group's Work' menu item.

What is the business value of ServiceNow's task management capabilities?

ServiceNow's task management capabilities allow for the definition and management of tasks to build repeatable processes around common work, improving efficiency through assignment rules, approvals, service level agreements, inactivity monitors, and workflows.