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Workflow Best Practices Introduction - Support and Troubleshooting
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KB0538524

Workflow Best Practices Introduction


26328 Views Last updated : Sep 21, 2024 public Copy Permalink English (Original)
  • English (Original)
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KB Summary by Now Assist

Issue

Goals

  • Define ServiceNow Workflow and its purpose
  • Take a tour of the Workflow Editor
  • Make a workflow!
  • Complete Labs that introduce you to the Workflow UI features 
  • Learn the difference between a Workflow Version and Workflow Context

What is a ServiceNow workflow?

Part of the ServiceNow platform that automates the multi-step process.

  • A Workflow is defined as a series of Activities that follow execution paths.
  • An Activity is a set of instructions that can include script, logging, approvals, record processing, timers, and wait time.
    • Activities can process inputs from other Activities 
    • Activities can provide output for other Activities to process
    • Processing continues as the Activity determines which execution path to follow upon completing its work
  • Workflows use conditions and their table associations to determine when to start, execute, continue, and end.    

Benefits of workflows

Part of the ServiceNow platform that automates the multi-step process.

  • Automation 
    • Workflows are reusable
    • Workflows can call other workflows (called subflows)
  • Expansion of Self-Service offerings 
  • Standardization of processes
  • Feedback to stakeholders in a timely fashion (stages, notifications)

Where are workflows used?

  • Service Catalog Item Request
  • Routine Change
  • Comprehensive Change
  • Emergency Change
  • Contract Approval
  • SLAs
  • Procurement Process
  • Grant Role to User
  • Delegate Roles to Group Members

When to use a workflow and when not to use a workflow

When to use a workflow: 

  • Automate a defined, multi-step process
  • Automate a repeatable process
  • When logic can be modularized
  • When a standard response is needed for every table Glide Record transaction insert, update, delete, and create

When not to use a workflow: 

  • If a response to every transaction cannot be standardized when set, workflows execute on every Glide Record transaction
  • For example, if a workflow is defined for the Request [sc_request] table, the workflow runs on every insert, update, delete, and create 
  • If end conditions are not defined. 

Workflow Best Practices Links

Click the following links to view each Workflow Best Practices section.

  • Workflow Overview
  • Overview: Workflow Versioning
  • Overview: Workflow Contexts
  • Workflow Logging Overview
  • Overview: Workflows in Applications
  • Simple Approvals in Workflow
  • Workflow: Roll Back Approvals
  • Overview: Simple Tasks in Workflow
  • Service Catalog and Workflow Overview
  • Intro to Stages in Workflow
  • Overview: Workflow Stage Sets
  • Overview: Custom Stage Column in Workflow
  • Overview: Stage Sets for Applications
  • Overview: Routing Workflows Using Switch
  • Overview: Other Routing Workflows
  • Workflow Engine Overview
  • Workflow Engine Ordering and Data

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