Unlock ServiceNow Power: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your First Automated Workflow

ServiceNow is a powerful platform for automating IT service management and other business processes. One of its core strengths lies in its workflow capabilities. If you’re new to ServiceNow, the thought of creating workflows might seem daunting. But fear not! This guide will walk you through the process of building your first automated workflow, step-by-step, using a simple and practical example.

What is a ServiceNow Workflow?

A ServiceNow workflow is a sequence of activities designed to automate a specific business process. Think of it as a digital assembly line, where each activity performs a specific task, and the workflow orchestrates these tasks to achieve a desired outcome. Workflows can be used to automate a wide range of processes, such as incident management, change management, request fulfillment, and more.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have the following:

• Access to a ServiceNow instance: You’ll need a ServiceNow instance to build and test your workflow. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for a developer instance.
• Basic understanding of ServiceNow UI: Familiarize yourself with the ServiceNow user interface, including navigation, forms, and lists.
• Admin Role (Ideally): While many workflow tasks can be done with lower-level roles, certain activities might require admin-level privileges to configure correctly, especially in production environments.

Our Sample Workflow: Automating a New Employee Onboarding Task

For this guide, we’ll create a simple workflow that automates the creation of a “Welcome Aboard” task for a new employee when their user record is created. This task will remind the HR department to prepare a welcome package.

Step 1: Access the Workflow Editor

1. Navigate to Workflow Editor: In the ServiceNow application navigator, type “Workflow Editor” and click on the module under “Workflow.”
2. Create a New Workflow: Click the “New Workflow” button.

Step 2: Configure Workflow Properties

A pop-up window will appear, prompting you to define the workflow’s properties. Fill in the following:

• Name: Enter a descriptive name for your workflow, like “New Employee Onboarding Task.”
• Table: Select the table that triggers the workflow. In our case, choose “User [sys_user]”. This means the workflow will be triggered when a new user record is created.
• Run if: Select “Always.” This ensures the workflow runs every time a new user record is created. You can add more complex conditions later.
• Description: Provide a brief description of the workflow’s purpose.

Click “Submit” to create the workflow.

Step 3: Design the Workflow Canvas

You’ll now see the workflow editor canvas. This is where you’ll design the flow of your workflow.

a. Add the Begin and End Activities:

By default, ServiceNow automatically adds a “Begin” and “End” activity to the canvas. These mark the start and end points of your workflow.

b. Add a “Create Task” Activity:

This is the core of our workflow. This activity will create the “Welcome Aboard” task.

1. In the left-hand panel, find the “Core” tab and locate the “Create Task” activity.
2. Drag and drop the “Create Task” activity onto the canvas between the “Begin” and “End” activities.

c. Connect the Activities:

Connect the activities to define the flow.

1. Hover over the “Begin” activity until you see a small circle.
2. Click and drag the circle to the “Create Task” activity.
3. Repeat this process to connect the “Create Task” activity to the “End” activity.

Step 4: Configure the “Create Task” Activity

Now we need to configure the “Create Task” activity to specify the details of the task that will be created.

1. Open the Activity Properties: Double-click on the “Create Task” activity to open its properties panel.
2. General Tab:
   • Name: Give the task a descriptive name, such as “Prepare Welcome Package for New Employee”.
   • Table: Select the “Task [task]” table, as we are creating a generic task.
3. Task Tab: This is where you define the specific properties of the task that will be created.
   • Assignment Group: Select the appropriate assignment group, such as “Human Resources”.
   • Assigned To: You can leave this blank if you want the task to be available to anyone in the assignment group. Alternatively, you can assign it to a specific user.
   • Short Description: Add a brief description, such as “Prepare the welcome package for the new employee, including company swag and welcome letter.”
   • Description: Provide more detailed instructions. You can include information about the new employee, such as their name and department. Use variables to automatically populate this field. For example, add this to the Description field: “New Employee: ${user.first_name} ${user.last_name}, Department: ${user.department}”. The user variable refers to the record that triggered the workflow (the User record in this case)
   • Priority: Set the appropriate priority for the task.
   • State: Set the initial state to “Open”.
   • Due Date: Set the due date. The format is YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. You can also create a script to set the due date based on when the user account was created.

Click “Submit” to save the activity configuration.

Step 5: Publish the Workflow

Before your workflow can run, you need to publish it.

1. Click “Publish” in the workflow editor toolbar.

Step 6: Test the Workflow

Now it’s time to test your workflow!

1. Create a New User Record: Navigate to “User Administration” -> “Users” and click “New”.
2. Fill in the Required Fields: Enter the required information for the new user.
3. Save the User Record: Click “Submit”.
4. Verify the Task Creation: Navigate to “Task” -> “Assigned to my group” (or however you structured the assignments). You should see a new task with the name and properties you configured in the “Create Task” activity. The Description of the task should also be populated with the First Name, Last Name and Department of the user you just created.

If the task was created successfully, congratulations! You’ve successfully built and tested your first ServiceNow workflow.

Expanding Your Workflow

This is a very basic example, but it demonstrates the fundamental principles of workflow design in ServiceNow. You can expand this workflow to include more activities, such as:

• Approval Activities: Require approval from a manager before creating the task.
• Notification Activities: Send email notifications to relevant parties.
• Update Record Activities: Update fields on the user record.
• Script Activities: Execute custom scripts to perform more complex logic.
• Timer Activities: Add delays to the workflow flow.

Best Practices for Workflow Development

• Plan Your Workflow: Before you start building, plan out the steps involved in your process. Create a flowchart or diagram to visualize the workflow.
• Use Descriptive Names: Give your workflows and activities descriptive names that clearly indicate their purpose.
• Test Thoroughly: Test your workflows thoroughly to ensure they function as expected. Use test data and edge cases to identify potential issues.
• Use Comments: Add comments to your workflow to explain the purpose of each activity and any complex logic.
• Version Control: ServiceNow automatically versions your workflows, allowing you to revert to previous versions if needed. Make use of this feature!
• Keep it Simple: Start with a simple workflow and gradually add complexity as needed. Avoid creating overly complex workflows that are difficult to maintain.

Conclusion

This guide has provided a step-by-step introduction to building your first automated workflow in ServiceNow. By following these steps and best practices, you can unlock the power of ServiceNow to automate your business processes and improve efficiency. Remember to start small, test thoroughly, and gradually expand your workflows as your knowledge and experience grow. Happy automating!