Getting Started with ServiceNow Flow Designer for Your Service Catalog

ServiceNow's Flow Designer is a powerful tool that empowers you to automate workflows without writing complex code. If you're working with the Service Catalog and looking for a more streamlined way to manage requests, Flow Designer is an excellent place to start. This article will walk you through the fundamentals of using Flow Designer in conjunction with your ServiceNow Service Catalog, addressing common questions for newcomers to this automation capability. By the end, you'll understand how to initiate flows when catalog items are submitted and how the data captured through catalog variables becomes available for further processing.

Let's dive into the core aspects of using Flow Designer to automate your Service Catalog processes.

Initiating Flows Upon Service Catalog Item Submission

The first step in automating any process is defining what triggers it. In Flow Designer, you can easily set up a trigger that responds to the submission of a Service Catalog item.

1. Ensure Plugins are Active: Before you begin, confirm that both the "Flow Designer" and "Service Catalog" plugins are activated within your ServiceNow instance. These plugins provide the necessary functionalities for this integration.

2. Create a New Flow: Navigate to the Flow Designer interface within ServiceNow and click the "New" button to create a new flow.

3. Add a Trigger and Select Service Catalog: In the Flow Designer canvas, you'll see an option to "Add a trigger." Click on it, and in the subsequent panel, under the "ServiceNow Core" section, choose "Service Catalog." This specific trigger is designed to start your flow whenever a designated catalog item is submitted.

4. Save Your Flow: Give your newly created flow a meaningful name that reflects its purpose and click the "Save" button.

Connecting Your Flow to a Specific Catalog Item

Once your flow is created with the Service Catalog trigger, you need to tell ServiceNow which catalog item should initiate this flow when submitted.

1. Locate Your Catalog Item: Open your Service Catalog and find the specific catalog item that you want to automate using the flow you just created.

2. Add the "Flow" Field to the Catalog Item Form: If you don't see a field labeled "Flow" on your Catalog Item form, you'll need to add it. You can do this by configuring the form layout. Right-click on the form header, navigate to "Configure," and then select "Form Design." In the Form Designer, find the "Flow" field in the "Available" section and drag it onto your form in the desired location. Click "Save."

3. Select Your Flow in the Catalog Item: On the Catalog Item form, make sure that the "Workflow" and "Execution Plan" fields are empty. Then, in the "Flow" field you just added, select the name of the flow you created earlier.

4. Update the Catalog Item: Click the "Update" button on the Catalog Item form to save these changes.

Now, every time a user submits this particular catalog item through the Service Portal, the flow you configured will automatically start its execution.

Accessing Variables from Your Catalog Item in Flow Designer

The information users provide when submitting a catalog item is captured in variables. Flow Designer makes it easy to access these variables within your automated flow.

1. Add the "Get Catalog Variables" Action: In your Flow Designer canvas, after your "Service Catalog" trigger, click the "+" icon to add a new action.

2. Choose "Service Catalog" and then "Get Catalog Variables": In the "Actions" panel that appears, under the "ServiceNow Core" section, select "Service Catalog." From the list of available actions, choose "Get Catalog Variables."

3. Configure the Action: In the "Inputs" section of this action, you'll need to specify the "Template Catalog Item." Click the dropdown and select the same catalog item that triggers this flow. Once you select the catalog item, the action will automatically display a list of all the variables associated with that item. You can then select the specific variables you want to use in the subsequent steps of your flow.

After this configuration, the values submitted by the user for these catalog variables will be accessible within the "Data" section of your flow, allowing you to use them in various actions like creating tasks, sending notifications, or updating records.

Automatic Availability of Variables on the Request Item (RITM)

One of the great features of the ServiceNow Service Catalog is how seamlessly the variables from a submitted catalog item are transferred to the resulting Request Item (RITM). ServiceNow handles this automatically as part of its standard functionality. When a user submits a catalog item, all the variables and the values they entered are inherently linked to the generated RITM. You will find these variables and their values readily available in the "Variables" editor on the RITM form. This automatic transfer occurs regardless of whether you are using Flow Designer, traditional Workflows, or Execution Plans to manage the fulfillment process. Therefore, you typically don't need any additional configuration to ensure these variables are present on the RITM.

Conclusion

Integrating ServiceNow Flow Designer with the Service Catalog opens up a world of possibilities for automating service request fulfillment. By understanding how to trigger flows upon catalog item submission and how to access the crucial data captured in variables, you can create efficient and tailored automation processes. Remember that ServiceNow's platform automatically ensures that the submitted catalog variables are readily available on the associated Request Item. As a next step, explore the wide range of actions available within Flow Designer to further enhance your Service Catalog automation capabilities, such as implementing approval processes, generating fulfillment tasks, and sending customized notifications based on the specifics of each request.