Stop Struggling with Reporting: Master ServiceNow Performance Analytics in 3 Simple Steps

Reporting in ServiceNow can be a pain. Spreadsheets, custom scripts, and endless clicking… It’s enough to make anyone want to pull their hair out! But what if I told you there’s a better way? A way to visualize your data, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and make data-driven decisions without the headache? That’s where ServiceNow Performance Analytics (PA) comes in.

This tutorial breaks down mastering ServiceNow PA into three simple steps, perfect for beginners. No coding experience required!

Step 1: Understanding the Basics: Indicators, Breakdowns, and Dashboards

Before diving into implementation, let’s grasp the core components of ServiceNow Performance Analytics. Think of it like building with LEGO bricks – understanding the bricks helps you build anything!

• Indicators: These are the what you want to measure. Indicators are metrics that track a specific aspect of your business process. Think of them as the questions you want answered.

  • Example: Number of open incidents, average resolution time, number of resolved change requests.

  • How they work: PA collects data based on pre-defined criteria. You’ll tell PA which table to look at (e.g., incident), which field to count (e.g., number field for the number of incidents), and which conditions to apply (e.g., state is open).

• Breakdowns: These are the how you want to slice and dice your data. Breakdowns provide context and allow you to analyze your indicators across different categories. They answer why behind the what.

  • Example: Break down open incidents by assignment group, priority, or category. Break down average resolution time by location.

  • How they work: Breakdowns link your indicator source to a breakdown source. For example, an indicator source based on the incident table can be linked to a breakdown source based on the sys_user_group table (for assignment groups).

• Dashboards: These are the where you visualize your indicators and breakdowns. Dashboards provide a central location to monitor your KPIs and identify trends. Think of them as your mission control.

  • Example: A dashboard displaying the total number of open incidents, broken down by priority, along with a trend chart showing the average resolution time over the past month.

  • How they work: Dashboards contain widgets. These widgets can display single scores, time series charts, breakdowns, and other visualizations of your PA data.

Practical Example 1: Visualizing Open Incidents by Priority

Let’s create a simple example to solidify these concepts: Visualize the number of open incidents, broken down by priority, on a dashboard.

1. Create an Indicator Source:

   • Navigate to Performance Analytics > Indicator Sources.
   • Click New.
   • Name: Open Incidents
   • Table: Incident [incident]
   • Conditions: Active is true (This ensures only open incidents are counted)
   • Click Submit.

2. Create a Breakdown Source:

   • Navigate to Performance Analytics > Breakdown Sources.
   • Click New.
   • Name: Incident Priority
   • Table: Incident [incident]
   • Field: Priority
   • Click Submit.

3. Create an Indicator:

   • Navigate to Performance Analytics > Indicators.
   • Click New.
   • Name: Number of Open Incidents
   • Source: Open Incidents (the one you just created)
   • Unit: Count
   • Direction: Higher is worse (This helps with trend analysis)
   • Data Collection: (Under the ‘Data Collection’ tab)
     • “Collect records”: Checked
   • Click Submit.

4. Associate Breakdown to the Indicator:

   • Open the Number of Open Incidents indicator you just created.
   • Navigate to the Breakdowns related list (you may need to configure the form layout to show it).
   • Click New.
   • Breakdown Source: Incident Priority (the one you just created)
   • Click Submit.

5. Run the Data Collection Job:

   • Navigate to Performance Analytics > Data Collector.
   • Find the Performance Analytics Daily Data Collection Job.
   • Right-click and select Execute Now. This gathers the initial data.

6. Create a Dashboard:

   • Navigate to Self-Service > Dashboards.
   • Click New.
   • Name: Incident Management Dashboard.
   • Click Submit.

7. Add a Widget to the Dashboard:

   • Open the Incident Management Dashboard you just created.
   • Click Add Content.
   • Search for “Single Score”.
   • Add a Single Score widget to the dashboard.
   • Configure the widget:
     • Indicator: Number of Open Incidents
   • Add another Widget. This time, search for “Breakdown”.
   • Add a Breakdown widget to the dashboard.
   • Configure the widget:
     • Indicator: Number of Open Incidents
     • Breakdown: Incident Priority

Now, refresh your dashboard! You should see a single score showing the total number of open incidents and a breakdown widget showing how many incidents are in each priority level (e.g., Critical, High, Moderate, Low).

Step 2: Diving Deeper: Automatic Data Collection & Scoring

Manually running data collection jobs is tedious. Let’s automate the process and explore scoring to track progress.

• Scheduling Data Collection: ServiceNow provides scheduled jobs that automatically collect data for your indicators. The “Performance Analytics Daily Data Collection” is a good starting point. Make sure it’s active! You can find it under Performance Analytics > Data Collector. You can also create your own schedules if you need data collected more or less frequently.

• Scoring: Scoring defines how a certain score impacts the overall key performance.

  • Targets: Define target values for your indicators. This helps visualize whether you are meeting your goals.
  • Direction: Specify whether a higher or lower score is desirable. (You defined this in step 1, but it’s crucial for accurate analysis.)
  • Example: For the “Number of Open Incidents” indicator, set a target of 50. If the actual value is above 50, it’s considered “off track.”

Practical Example 2: Setting a Target for Open Incidents

1. Open the Number of Open Incidents indicator.
2. Navigate to the Targets related list (you may need to configure the form layout).
3. Click New.
4. Target Value: 50
5. Target Start Date: Today (or the date you want the target to be effective).
6. Click Submit.

Now, when you view the indicator details or a dashboard widget displaying this indicator, you’ll see a visual representation of whether you’re meeting the target.

Step 3: Visualizing Trends and Sharing Insights

Performance Analytics is only useful if you can understand the data and share it with others.

• Time Series Charts: These charts display trends over time, allowing you to identify patterns and potential issues. Use the “Time Series” widget type in your dashboards.

• Interactive Analysis: ServiceNow allows you to drill down into your data for more granular analysis. Clicking on a breakdown element in a widget can filter the entire dashboard based on that selection.

• Sharing Dashboards: Share your dashboards with relevant stakeholders to promote transparency and collaboration. Control access through roles and groups.

Practical Example 3: Adding a Time Series Chart to Your Dashboard

1. Open your Incident Management Dashboard.
2. Click Add Content.
3. Search for “Time Series”.
4. Add a Time Series widget to the dashboard.
5. Configure the widget:
   • Indicator: Number of Open Incidents

Now, your dashboard will show how the number of open incidents has changed over time, helping you identify trends and potential problems.

Conclusion

Mastering ServiceNow Performance Analytics doesn’t have to be daunting. By understanding the basics of indicators, breakdowns, and dashboards, automating data collection, and leveraging visualizations, you can transform your reporting process and make data-driven decisions with confidence. These three simple steps will get you started on the path to becoming a ServiceNow PA pro! Remember to experiment, explore different configurations, and leverage the ServiceNow documentation for further learning. Happy analyzing!