Catalog Item Workflows Not Triggering When Submitted via Order Guide

[Nipan1]

Hello everyone,

I’m encountering an issue in my ServiceNow instance involving an Order Guide and the workflows attached to the catalog items within it.

What I Have:

• An Order Guide that drives its own workflow successfully when submitted.

• Several catalog items included in the Order Guide, each connected to its own unique workflow. When submitted directly through the Service Portal, these catalog item workflows execute as expected.

The Issue:

• When the same catalog items are submitted via the Order Guide:

  • The Order Guide’s workflow runs as intended.

  • However, the workflow associated with each catalog item (RITM-level) does not trigger—it seems to be skipped or removed entirely.

Troubleshooting Steps Taken:

• Confirmed that the catalog item workflows run correctly when submitted standalone.

• Verified that no alternate flows are interfering with or preempting the catalog item workflows.

• Observed that the RITMs created via the Order Guide are not picking up or executing their assigned workflows.

Questions: 

1. Has anyone else experienced a scenario where catalog item workflows failed to trigger when initiated from an Order Guide?

2. Are there known configuration steps or requirements to ensure that RITM-level workflows run when catalog items are ordered within an Order Guide? Please let me know if there's any solution.

Thanks,

Nipan

[G Ponsekar]

Hi @Nipan1 ,

Please check below:

• Missing or Incorrect Workflow/Flow Linkage:

  • Verify that each catalog item included in the Order Guide has a workflow or flow explicitly linked in its "Process Engine" section. Ensure that only one process engine (either Workflow or Flow) is selected, not both.
• Request Approval Workflow Configuration:

  • The out-of-the-box "Cascade Request Approval to Request Item" Business Rule relies on the parent Request being approved to trigger RITM workflows. If a custom Request approval workflow is in use, ensure it correctly approves the Request (sc\_request table) to enable the RITM workflows to initiate.
• Timing Issues with Business Rules:

  • In scenarios involving multiple catalog items within an Order Guide, or complex Order Guide workflows, a slight delay might be needed for the system to process all related business rules and trigger the RITM workflows. Consider adding a short timer activity (e.g., 5 seconds) within the Order Guide's workflow after the "Create Request Item" activity to allow the system to fully process the RITM creation and workflow initiation.
• Workflow Conditions or Stages:

  • Review the conditions defined within the RITM workflows themselves. Ensure that these conditions are met when the RITM is created via the Order Guide. Also, check the workflow stages and transitions to ensure they are configured to advance the workflow appropriately.
• Workflow Context or Errors:

  • Examine the workflow context for the affected RITMs to see if any errors or cancellations are recorded. This can provide clues about why the workflow is not starting or is being terminated prematurely.
• Customizations or Business Rules on sc_req_item:

  • Investigate any custom Business Rules or scripts running on the sc_req_item table that might be interfering with the default workflow initiation process. These could be inadvertently preventing the workflow from attaching or starting

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  Thanks, GP

[kaushal_snow]

Hi @Nipan1 ,

To resolve this, you can adjust the RITM stage upon creation, typically via a business rule to ensure it’s set to request_approved, enabling the workflow to run.

Please go through the below articles:

https://www.servicenow.com/community/itsm-forum/flow-assigned-to-catalog-item-is-not-triggered-when-...

https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-forum/workflow-issue-with-order-guide/m-p/1614625

https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-forum/why-is-my-flow-not-triggered-when-the-catalog-i...

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