Task Plan Templates are one of the most impactful features for streamlining case management in ServiceNow. As discussed in the below video, these templates allow process owners to predefine sets of tasks that can be applied to cases based on specific conditionsโsaving time, improving consistency, and enhancing visibility across workflows.
โ Benefits of Task Plan Templates:
- Accelerated case handling: Automatically apply relevant tasks based on case type or attributes.
- Improved visibility: Hierarchical task structures make it easier to track progress and dependencies.
- Scalability: Easily adapt to changing business rules without manual reconfiguration.
- Empowered process owners: Configure and manage task plans directly from the native workspace UIโwithout relying on admin-level intervention or backend changes.
๐ก Automating Task Plan Invocation with Business Rules
While Task Plan Templates can be triggered manually, many organizations prefer a systematic approach to ensure consistency and reduce manual effort. One effective method is to use a Business Rule to invoke the template automatically when certain conditions are met.
Example Scenario:
Youโve created a Task Plan Template for a specific FSO case type (e.g., Personal Auto Claim).
This task plan will be invoked when the Stage on a Personal Auto Claim case is โFNOLโ.
Once the condition has been met, four new tasks will get created for the given case.
To automate the creation of tasks when the case stage changes, you can create a Business Rule with the following configuration:
- Table: Personal Auto Claim (or your relevant case type)
- When to Run
- When: after
- Insert: True
- Update: True
- Filter Conditions: Stage (changes)
- Advanced
(function executeRule(current, previous /null when async/ ) {
var array = new sntaskplan.TaskPlanExecutionService().findMatchingTaskPlanTemplate(current);
var latestRecord = null;
var latestDate = null;
for (var i = 0; i < array.length; i++) {
var currentRecord = array[i];
var currentDate = new GlideDateTime(currentRecord.sysupdatedon);
if (latestDate === null || currentDate.getNumericValue() > latestDate.getNumericValue()) {
latestDate = currentDate;
latestRecord = currentRecord;
}
}
new sntaskplan.TaskPlanExecutionService().applyTaskTemplate(latestRecord.sys_id, current);
})(current, previous);
Once this is activated, the set of tasks defined in the Task Plan Template for this case type will now get systematically created as seen below.
๐ง Why This Matters
Automating Task Plan Templates means the system can intelligently generate and apply task plans based on criteria defined at the template levelโwithout requiring agents or admins to manually trigger them. This:
- Reduces manual effort and human error.
- Ensures consistent task execution across similar case types.
- Enables faster response times and better scalability.
๐ฌ Join the Conversation
Have you implemented Task Plan Templates in your organization? What automation strategies have worked best for you? Share your experience or questions below!
