CSA 03 - Self-Service and Process Automation¶

The Service Catalog, Flow Designer, and the automation artifacts that move work along without human intervention.

Service Catalog¶

• Service Catalog - the storefront where users request goods and services.
• Catalog item - a single requestable thing, with variables collecting the requester's input.
• Record producer - a catalog-style form that creates a record on any table, commonly used to raise an Incident through a friendly interface. Distinguishing it from a catalog item is a standard exam question: a catalog item generates a request, a record producer creates a record directly.
• Order guide - bundles several catalog items into one ordering experience, for example new-hire onboarding.
• Category - organizes items within a catalog.
• Variable - a field on a catalog item: single line text, select box, reference, checkbox, multiple choice, and others.
• Variable set - a reusable group of variables shared across items.
• Catalog client script - runs in the browser on catalog forms, for dynamic behavior.
• Catalog UI policy - declaratively makes catalog variables mandatory, read-only, or visible.

The request lifecycle

1. REQ (Request) - the overall order.
2. RITM (Requested Item) - one item within the order; workflow runs here.
3. SCTASK (Catalog Task) - the individual unit of fulfilment work.

Learning that REQ contains RITMs which spawn SCTASKs is essential, because questions routinely ask which record a given activity attaches to.

Service Portal¶

• Service Portal - the end-user-facing interface, built from pages, containers, rows, columns, and widgets.
• Widget - a reusable component rendering part of a page.
• Portal versus platform UI - end users experience the portal; fulfillers typically work in the platform or a workspace.

Knowledge Management¶

• Knowledge base - a container of articles, with its own access controls.
• Article - the content, moving through a lifecycle of draft, review, published, and retired.
• User criteria - controls who can read or contribute to a knowledge base. This is the mechanism for knowledge access, and it is separate from ACLs.
• Article versioning and feedback - track changes and usefulness.

Flow Designer¶

The current automation tool, replacing legacy Workflow for new work.

• Flow - a sequence of triggers, actions, and conditions, built in a no-code interface.
• Trigger - what starts the flow: record created or updated, a schedule, an inbound email, or an application-specific event.
• Action - a step performing work, for example create a record, ask for approval, or send a notification.
• Subflow - a reusable flow called from another flow, with inputs and outputs.
• Data pill - a reference to data produced by an earlier step, used to pass values between steps.
• Flow versus legacy Workflow - Flow Designer is the strategic tool; the Workflow editor still exists for older content. New automation should use Flow Designer.

Process automation artifacts¶

• Business rule - server-side JavaScript that runs when a record is queried, inserted, updated, or deleted. Timing options are before, after, async, and display.
• Before - runs before the record is written; used to modify field values on the record being saved.
• After - runs after the write; used to update related records.
• Async - runs in the background via the scheduler; used for work that should not delay the user.
• Display - runs before the form loads, and is how you populate the g_scratchpad for client scripts.
• Client script - runs in the browser. Types: onLoad, onChange, onSubmit, and onCellEdit (for list editing).
• UI policy - declaratively sets fields mandatory, read-only, or visible on a form, based on conditions. Preferred over a client script for these tasks because it is configuration rather than code, and it runs later so it wins over conflicting client scripts.
• Data policy - enforces mandatory and read-only rules at the data layer, so they apply to imports and web services as well as forms. A UI policy protects the form; a data policy protects the data.
• UI action - a button, link, or context menu item, running client-side, server-side, or both.
• Script include - reusable server-side JavaScript, called from business rules and other scripts.
• Scheduled job (scheduled script execution) - runs on a schedule.
• Event - a named signal recorded in the event queue, typically consumed by notifications.

When to use which is the recurring exam question:

Prefer configuration over code: UI policy over client script, Flow Designer over scripted workflow. That preference is both ServiceNow's guidance and the exam's expected answer.

Approvals and SLAs¶

• Approval - a decision record assigned to a user or group, generated by a flow or workflow.
• Approval rules and delegation - a user can delegate approvals during absence.
• SLA definition - defines the target duration with start, pause, and stop conditions.
• Task SLA - the running instance attached to a specific task, tracking elapsed and remaining time.
• Retroactive start - allows an SLA to count from a time earlier than attachment.

Exam pointers¶

• Catalog item produces a request; record producer creates a record on a table directly.
• REQ contains RITM, which spawns SCTASK.
• UI policy for form behavior, data policy for data-layer enforcement including imports.
• Before business rules modify the current record; after business rules touch related records.
• Display business rules populate g_scratchpad for client-side use.
• User criteria control knowledge base access, not ACLs.
• Flow Designer is the current standard for new automation.

Official documentation¶

📖 Flow Designer - triggers, actions, subflows 📖 Service Catalog - items, variables, order guides 📖 Now Learning CSA path - official curriculum