As ServiceNow environments grow, organizations often end up with dozens or even hundreds of catalog items that require different approval groups. A common approach is to create separate flows or workflows for each catalog item, which quickly becomes difficult to maintain and scale.
While reviewing a customer implementation that used custom approval fields on catalog items, similar to the Out-of-Box Fulfillment Group pattern, I identified a simpler and more scalable solution using Decision Tables.
By externalizing approval routing logic into a Decision Table, we can maintain a single reusable Flow Designer process while allowing approval assignments to be managed through configuration rather than workflow development.
The Traditional Approach
Many organizations implement approval routing like this:
- Catalog Item A → Workflow A → Approval Group A
- Catalog Item B → Workflow B → Approval Group B
- Catalog Item C → Workflow C → Approval Group C
The Decision Table Approach
Instead of creating multiple workflows, we can use a single reusable flow and let a Decision Table determine the correct approval group.
How It Works
Step 1: Pass the Catalog Item
The catalog item is passed as an input to the Decision Table.
Example Input:
| Input |
|---|
| Catalog Item Name |
Step 2: Evaluate the Decision Table
The Decision Table contains mappings between catalog items and approval groups.
| Catalog Item | Approval Group |
|---|---|
| VPN Access | Network Security |
| Active Directory Access | Identity Management |
| Database Access | DBA Team |
| Production Deployment | CAB Approval |
Step 3: Return the Result
The Decision Table returns the appropriate approval group.
Step 4: Generate Approval
The common flow uses the returned value to create approval tasks.
Going Beyond a Single Approval Group
One of the most powerful features of Decision Tables is the ability to return multiple outputs.
For example:
| Catalog Item | Approval Group 1 | Approval Group 2 | Fulfillment Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| VPN Access | Security Team | Manager Approval | Network Team |
| Database Access | DBA Lead | Security Review | DBA Operations |
| Production Deployment | CAB | Application Owner | Release Team |
A single Decision Table can drive multiple routing decisions simultaneously.
Benefits
1. Reduced Flow Complexity
Instead of maintaining dozens of flows, organizations can maintain one reusable process.
2. Configuration Over Customization
Business owners can update routing rules without modifying flow logic.
3. Improved Scalability
Adding a new catalog item requires:
Add a Decision Table row
Instead of:
Clone a workflow
Modify logic
Retest routing
When Should You Use This Pattern?
This pattern works particularly well when:
- Approval routing is based on catalog item
- Approval groups change frequently
- Multiple catalog items share common process logic
- You want to reduce workflow proliferation
- Business teams maintain approval mappings
It may be less beneficial when approval logic depends on highly complex contextual conditions that require extensive branching.
Final Thoughts
Decision Tables are often viewed as a business rules engine, but they can also be a powerful architectural tool for simplifying ServiceNow process design.
By moving approval routing logic out of flows and into configurable Decision Tables, organizations can:
- Reduce workflow sprawl
- Simplify maintenance
- Improve scalability
- Enable configuration-driven routing
- Create reusable Flow Designer solutions
The result is a cleaner architecture that is easier to support, easier to govern, and far more adaptable as the catalog grows.
Have you used Decision Tables to simplify approvals, fulfillment routing, assignment groups, or other process decisions? Share your use cases in the comments.
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Happy automating!
Bharath Manne
