This article is a supplement to the ServiceNow documentation. For full documentation please refer ServiceNow official website
Checkout our NEW Video Channel you can like and subscribe too!

Introduction:

Basically when there is an issue, user will raise an incident/problem request.But when a user wants to have access to a particular application, create new ids for them or request for a laptop then user have to use Service Catalogs.

Here we will discuss about 3 users.

  1. Who will raise the request End User
  2. Who will work on the request ITIL User
  3. Who build the catalog items Admin

End User

  1. Let enter the process by Impersonating an end user 101.PNG
  2. We will select Joe who is an end user, he has access to 3 applications sc_102.PNG
  3. Under Self-service there is service catalog. Service Catalog is like a shopping cart. sc_103.PNG
  4. Service Catalog is like a shopping cart. sc_104.PNG
  5. Joe wants a new Desktop and a new Laptop.
  6. So atfirst he select a desktop(We can give specification like memory, hdd etc) and click on add to cart sc_105.PNG
  7. Then he will select laptop and click on add to cart sc_106.PNG
  8. So Joe employee checks out the cart and have 1 request 7.PNG
  9. There is 1 request number and 2 request items (RITM)

1 RITM for Desktop and other is for Laptop

ITIL User

  1. Let us now login as ITIL user. This are the people who work on RITMs 9.PNG
  2. For him he has application menu as service catalog and under service catalog he have a menu called items sc_107.PNG
  3. In the right pane the ITIL user can see the 2 Request Items raised by Joe(end user) sc_108.PNG For 1 Request there can be multiple RITM (requested Items)
  4. Now if we view details of one of the RITM we can see the details sc_109.PNG
  5. At the bottom there are Catalog tasks, Approvers, we will discuss this later sc_110.PNG

Admin

  1. Now let’s see the admin view, what he can see in the catalog items Admin can see more modules than ITIL user can see sc_111.PNG
  2. Main thing that we need look into here are
    • Maintain catalogs
    • Maintain categories
    • Maintain Items
  3. Let see the catalogs view sc_112.PNG
  4. Open the service catalog now sc_113.PNG
  5. In the related list we have catalog items, categories. sc_114.PNG

There are 140 catalog items which are under 35 categories

On top categories we have catalog .So, catalog >> Categories >> Catalog items

How to create a new category?

  1. Navigate to Service Catalog > Catalog Definition > Maintain Categories 1.PNG
  2. Click New or select the category to edit and Fill in the fields on the form, as appropriate.

How to create catalog item?

  1. Navigate to Service Catalog > Catalog Definition > Maintain Items. 2.PNG
  2. Click New. 3.PNG
  3. Enter the catalog item details and click on Submit 4.PNG 5.PNG
  4. Then we can see Related Lists 6.PNG

Variable:

If we remember when the end user was ordering the catalog item, the end user was filling up some answers to some questions like ram size, had size , process type. Those variables are created/controlled in this variable tabs.Service catalog variables capture and pass on information about choices a customer makes when ordering a catalog item.

Variables help define the structure of a catalog item form that is displayed to the customer.

8.PNG

How to create Variable?

  1. Navigate to Service Catalog > Catalog Definitions > Maintain Items.
  2. Select the catalog item that you want to create a variable for.
  3. In the Variables related list, click New. 19.PNG
  4. Select the variable type. Only the applicable fields for the variable type are then displayed.Fill in the fields.

Annotation:

10.PNG 11.PNG

Default Value:

12.PNG 13.PNG

For the variable type Select box, if in the Variable Attributes field we can mention is_searchable_choice=true then we will get one search on the form

Below is the screenshot:

Here we didn’t mention is_searchable_choice=true in the field Variable Attributes 14.PNG

Here we have mentioned is_searchable_choice=true in the field Variable Attributes 15.PNG

Click Submit.

Variable sets:

Variable sets are set of variables that can be reused to N number of catalog items.

Create a set of variables and add them to multiple catalog items and order guides for reuse. 16.PNG

  1. Navigate to Service Catalog > Catalog Variables > Variable Sets.
  2. Click New.
  3. The Variable Set Creation page is displayed. 17.PNG 18.PNG
  4. Enter details.
  5. Right-click and select Save.
  6. Create the variables to use in that set.
  7. Click Submit.

Available For

This is for restricting user to view Catalog items with some certain condition like User is from X company and Y location.

Workflow

A workflow is a virtual representation of activities consisting of connected steps planned out in a sequential manner.

When should I use Workflow?

  • To automate a repeatable process
  • When a standard response is needed for every record insert, delete, update and create.

Workflow use condition and table association to determine when to start, execute, continue and end. Workflow have automation blocks called Activities that are connected by transition(Line) that establish possible processing paths. Workflow version is the currently published model that is available to the instance. Workflow context is the instantiation of the version that is executing for a given record , showing the processing path executed. An activity is a workflow block that organizes the individual actions the workflow performs as it runs. Each activity has conditions that route processing.

Core Activities: Approvals, Conditions, Notifications, Service Catalog, timer, Tasks.

Conditions are used to transition, to move from Activity to Activity, you can add condition. Common condition includes: skip, Error.You can add a condition to an Activity by right clicking the activity header

Workflow Stages: Stages show Workflow progress. Workflow can provide a summary of workflow progress by updating any field designated as a Stage field.

Workflow States:

  1. Published
  2. Unpublished
  3. Checkout.

Use the Graphical Workflow Editor to modify the default workflows or to create additional service catalog workflows. Service catalog workflows support domain separation. 20.PNG

Let us create the new work flow

Note that whenever we create a work flow for catalog item, the table that we have to select should be Requested item always 21.PNG

After this we click on submit 22.PNG

Begin and End are always present in the workflow

Now let’s create an activity inside this workflow 23.PNG

We drag the catalog task inside the pane 24.PNG

Now we fill up the Catalog Task activity 25.PNG

We also fill up the task variable 26.PNG

Let submit this activity 27.PNG

Now we need to publish the workflow 28.PNG

Once published we will not be able to edit the WF. To make changes again we have checkout the WF

Now attach this WF to the catalog item.done

Conclusion

Here we understood how to create a catalog item, what are the various users associated and how to attach a workflow to the catalog item.

    Content