Centralize a comprehensive view of top recurring issues across cases in a single dashboard
Trending Topics Dashboard introduces a generative AI-powered, no-code experience that groups multiple KPIs to provide a comprehensive view of recurring and emerging issues across cases. It centralizes case data and key metrics such as total records, affected accounts, number of agents, and customer sentiment, surfacing top pain points and recurring patterns automatically. The feature uses LLM-based insights powered by the Group Action Framework (GAF) to cluster related cases, explain why issues are trending, highlight impacted accounts, and predict rising topics that require attention. Note that only cases are analyzed, including those created from interactions, but standalone interactions without associated cases are not included as of ZP4.
Key Capabilities
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Centralized KPI view: Displays the top 10 trending topics with attributes including topic description, total records, total record change, affected accounts, number of agents, and customer sentiment.
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GenAI-generated contextual insights: Automatically generates insights about most impacted accounts, products, assignment groups, and channels among the top 10 trends, with top insights for entities with the highest number of cases.
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Drill-down analysis capability: Enables clicking into specific topic descriptions to view in-depth trends over time with record trend charts, case status visualization, and trend breakdown by multiple categories.
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Interactive filtering and segmentation: Provides filters for Region, Assignment Group, Account, Agent, Category, Product, Channel, Priority, and State, with time period options including Last 7 days, Last 30 days, Last 3 months, Last 6 months, Last 12 months, and Custom range.
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Trend breakdown and regional insights: Analyzes trends segmented by multiple categories and provides affected regions trend insights showing average trend score and record count by trend bucket for each region.
Implementation
To configure and deploy Trending Topics Dashboard in your ServiceNow instance:
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Ensure admin role is assigned to the configuring user
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Navigate to All > Now Assist Admin > Skills
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Select the Customer workflow and CSM as the product
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Activate the Trending topics dashboard skill
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Follow the guided setup with multiple configuration steps marked with check symbols to indicate completion status
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Configure General details to edit name and description of the skill
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Review Cluster Input which pulls data from the Case table (sn_customerservice_case) using the Short description field. The clustering functionality is powered by the Group Action Framework (GAF) to group related cases by similarity. Note that any modifications to the names or labels of these fields can result in issues with trending topics in the dashboard.
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Select Record clustering to group records by similarity using GAF-powered clustering. This step enables adding the job to a queue, allowing you to leave the page while the task runs in the background with notification upon completion.
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Configure Define access to determine who can access this skill by selecting specific roles. The default role sn_customerservice_manager automatically appears if no changes are made.
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Toggle Select display to determine if trending topics dashboard appears in the in-product desktop and select roles for whom the dashboard is displayed
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Select Review and Activate to examine changes, then select Done to complete configuration
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Access the trending topics widget from the CSM/FSM configurable workspace home page
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Select View dashboard to navigate to the detailed dashboard page
- Configure Trending Topics Dashboard
Key Best Practices
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Use the Refresh icon in the widget to update data for the top 10 trends, ensuring you have the most current information available
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Monitor topics that have at least one open case and a minimum of two total records, as these are the topics displayed in the widget
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Leverage the drill-down capability by selecting topic descriptions to access pre-filtered topic details and examine record trend charts and case status over time
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Utilize the trend breakdown feature to segment analysis by Region, Assignment Group, Account, Agent, Category, Product, Channel, Priority, and State for targeted insights
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Review GenAI Insight Cards regularly to identify most impacted accounts, products, assignment groups, and channels, then select Related records to view corresponding cases
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Use affected regions trend insights to understand average trend scores and record count by trend bucket for each geographic area
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Establish appropriate access controls by configuring roles in both Define Access and Select Display steps to ensure the right users can view and interact with the dashboard
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Share trending insights with product, engineering, and operations teams to inform roadmap prioritization and proactive issue resolution
Formal Learning
Now Learning: AI Essentials Path
Now Learning: Introduction to Generative AI
Now Learning: Now Assist for CSM Essentials Path
Measured Success & Outcomes
| Outcome | How It Supports Leaders and Teams | Key Metric |
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Faster issue identification |
Managers identify recurring problems in minutes rather than hours of manual analysis using automated trend detection across case data |
Time to identify top trends |
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Proactive escalation prevention |
Teams address emerging issues before they impact large customer populations by monitoring topics with minimum two total records and at least one open case |
Reduction in escalated cases |
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Resource optimization |
Leaders allocate support resources based on data-driven insights showing affected accounts, number of agents, and customer sentiment trends |
Agent utilization rate by trend category |
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Enhanced visibility across dimensions |
Teams analyze trends broken down by Region, Assignment Group, Account, Agent, Category, Product, Channel, Priority, and State for targeted action planning |
Number of trends addressed by category |
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Improved customer satisfaction |
GenAI insights highlight most impacted accounts, products, assignment groups, and channels, enabling faster resolution of systemic issues |
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) for affected accounts |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should use the Trending Topics Dashboard?
Customer Service Managers, Operations Leaders, and Process Owners who monitor case volumes, team performance, and customer service trends across multiple accounts or teams. The default role is sn_customerservice_manager, though custom roles can be configured during setup.
What data sources does the dashboard analyze?
The dashboard analyzes data from the Case table (sn_customerservice_case), specifically using the Short description field to generate trending topics clusters.
Where do I access the Trending Topics Dashboard?
The trending topics widget can be accessed from the CSM/FSM configurable workspace home page. Select View dashboard from the widget to navigate to the detailed dashboard page with full filtering and insight capabilities.
What topics are displayed in the widget?
The widget displays topics that have at least one open case and a minimum of two total records, showing the top 10 trending topics based on these criteria.
Can I customize which metrics appear on the dashboard?
Yes. The dashboard includes filters for Region, Assignment Group, Account, Agent, Category, Product, Channel, Priority, and State. Administrators with admin or maint roles can customize the dashboard through UI Builder modifications to add new filters, change graph visualizations, or modify insights. Additionally, using Now Assist Skill Kit, you can duplicate skills and fine-tune them with custom prompting and tools to tailor the trending topics analysis to your specific needs.
How does the AI determine which topics are trending?
The skill uses record clustering powered by the Group Action Framework (GAF) to group records by similarity based on the Short description field. GenAI then analyzes these clusters to identify trends and generate insights about most impacted accounts, products, assignment groups, and channels.
Can I drill down into specific trends?
Yes. Selecting a topic description link opens an in-depth view with record trend charts showing total records on specific dates, record details charts examining case status over time, and trend breakdown by multiple categories including Region, Assignment Group, Account, Agent, Category, Product, Channel, Priority, and State.
What are GenAI Insight Cards?
GenAI Insight Cards automatically generate information about general trends including most impacted accounts, most impacted products, most impacted assignment groups, and most impacted channels among the top 10 trends. Each card displays top insights for entities with the highest number of cases and includes a Related records link to view corresponding cases.
How do I refresh the dashboard data?
Select the Refresh icon in the widget to manually update data for the top 10 trends on an ad hoc basis. When you refresh the entire page, dashboard data is automatically refreshed with the most current information.
What happens if I modify field names or labels?
Any modifications to the names or labels of the Short description field can result in issues with trending topics in the dashboard. It is recommended to preserve field naming to ensure proper functionality. If you do modify field names or labels, you may need to reconfigure settings in both Now Assist Skill Kit and UI Builder to restore full functionality.
