ServiceNow ITSM Core Modules – Incident, Problem, Change, and Request Management

Master ServiceNow ITSM core modules required for jobs. Learn Incident, Problem, Change, and Request Management with real-world workflows, SLAs, approvals, and hands-on configuration.

Incident Management

Overview

Incident Management is used to restore normal service operations as quickly as possible and minimize business impact.

Incident Lifecycle

Typical incident flow:

  1. New
  2. In Progress
  3. On Hold
  4. Resolved
  5. Closed

Each state represents a stage in incident handling.

Assignment Groups

Assignment groups define which team is responsible for resolving the incident.

Examples:

  1. Service Desk
  2. Network Team
  3. Linux Support
  4. Application Support

Assignment can be manual or automatic using rules.

Priorities and SLAs

Priority is calculated based on:

  1. Impact
  2. Urgency

SLA (Service Level Agreement) defines:

  1. Response time
  2. Resolution time

Example:

High priority incidents must be resolved within 4 hours.

Incident States

Common states:

  1. New
  2. In Progress
  3. On Hold
  4. Resolved
  5. Closed

State transitions control workflow behavior.

Major Incident Process

Major Incidents are high-impact incidents affecting critical business services.

Key features:

  1. Dedicated major incident manager
  2. Faster approvals
  3. War-room communication
  4. Post-incident review

Hands-On: Create Incidents

  1. Navigate to Incident → Create New
  2. Fill in caller, category, impact, urgency
  3. Save and observe auto-generated incident number

Hands-On: Configure Auto-Assignment

  1. Navigate to System Policy → Assignment Rules
  2. Create a new assignment rule
  3. Define conditions (for example: Category = Network)
  4. Assign to the correct group
  5. Test by creating a new incident

Hands-On: Test SLA Breach Scenarios

  1. Navigate to Service Level Management → SLAs
  2. Review incident SLAs
  3. Create a high-priority incident
  4. Delay resolution intentionally
  5. Observe SLA countdown and breach behavior

Problem Management

Incident vs Problem

  1. Incident: A single service interruption
  2. Problem: The underlying root cause of one or more incidents

Example:

Multiple email incidents caused by a mail server failure indicate a problem.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

RCA is used to identify the real cause of issues.

Common methods:

  1. 5 Whys
  2. Fishbone diagram
  3. Fault tree analysis

Known Error Database (KEDB)

A Known Error is a documented problem with a confirmed root cause and workaround.

Benefits:

  1. Faster incident resolution
  2. Knowledge reuse

Hands-On: Create Problems from Incidents

  1. Open an existing incident
  2. Use the Create Problem option
  3. Link related incidents
  4. Save the problem record

Hands-On: Link Root Cause and Known Errors

  1. Update problem record with root cause details
  2. Mark the problem as Known Error
  3. Link workaround documentation
  4. Verify KEDB entry

SECTION 3: Change Management

Types of Changes

  1. Normal Change: Requires approval and risk assessment
  2. Standard Change: Pre-approved, low-risk
  3. Emergency Change: Urgent fixes requiring fast approval

Change Lifecycle

Typical change flow:

  1. New
  2. Assess
  3. Authorize
  4. Implement
  5. Review
  6. Closed

Approval Workflows

Approvals can include:

  1. Manager approval
  2. CAB approval
  3. Risk-based approval

Approval logic is controlled using workflows or Flow Designer.

CAB Process

Change Advisory Board reviews and approves changes based on:

  1. Risk
  2. Impact
  3. Business priority

Risk Calculation

Risk is calculated using:

  1. Impact
  2. Urgency
  3. Change type

Higher risk changes require additional approvals.

Hands-On: Create Change Records

  1. Navigate to Change → Create New
  2. Select change type
  3. Fill required fields
  4. Save and submit for approval

Hands-On: Configure Approvals

  1. Navigate to Flow Designer or Workflow Editor
  2. Open change approval flow
  3. Add approval conditions
  4. Test approval behavior

SECTION 4: Request Management (Service Catalog)

Service Catalog Overview

The Service Catalog provides a user-friendly way to request services.

Examples:

  1. Laptop request
  2. Software installation
  3. Access requests

Catalog Items

Catalog items define what users can request.

Each item includes:

  1. Variables
  2. Pricing (optional)
  3. Approval logic
  4. Fulfillment tasks

Record Producers

Record Producers create records directly in tables using catalog forms.

Example:

Creating an incident from a catalog item.

Request, RITM, and Task

ServiceNow creates multiple records:

  1. Request (REQ): Parent request
  2. Requested Item (RITM): Individual items
  3. Catalog Task (TASK): Fulfillment work

Approval Workflows

Approvals can be:

  1. User manager
  2. Group-based
  3. Multi-level approvals

Hands-On: Create a Catalog Item

  1. Navigate to Service Catalog → Catalog Definitions → Maintain Items
  2. Create a new catalog item
  3. Add variables
  4. Assign category
  5. Save and publish

Hands-On: Build an Approval Process

  1. Open the catalog item
  2. Define approval conditions
  3. Add approval flow using Flow Designer
  4. Submit a request and test approval

Chapter 2 Completion Outcome

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. Manage incidents using real ITSM processes
  2. Configure SLAs and assignment rules
  3. Perform problem management and RCA
  4. Handle different change types and approvals
  5. Build service catalog items and workflows
  6. Work confidently in ITSM production environments