Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

AnandKumar1 · ‎12-25-2019

Hi Team,

I would like to understand the dfference between Catalog item and record producer. And advantages,

thanks,

Anand Kumar.

AbhishekGardade · ‎12-25-2019

Hello Anand,

1. Catalog Item will end up in opening a request and reqeust item and attaches a workflow and catalog task, approvals Where as a Record producer simply insert a record in the selected table.

2. With catalog item, You can add multiple items to cart and generate request and multiple RITM's. where as a record producer it only creates a single record on target table

3. Primarily, the difference is which type of record is created upon submission. I would use a catalog item when you want to generate a request, complete with a workflow, approvals, tasks, etc, and a record producer when you want to gather some information using a form (variables) but create some other type of record (incident, change, enhancement, etc.) as a result.

4.A record producer vs a catalog item will appear nearly the same for your end users, so I'd say it's mostly a process decision in terms of how you'd like to handle them once they're submitted.

5. Record Producer gives a non-itil user the ability to create things like an Incident, Change, basically anything but a Request from a custom front end you deliver via the Service Catalog/Portal.

Please mark as Correct Answer and Helpful, if applicable.
Thank You!
Abhishek Gardade

Thank you,
Abhishek Gardade

View solution in original post

flob · ‎01-31-2025

Hello Anand,

The difference between Record Producers and Catalog Items in ServiceNow comes down to their intended use and the way they interact with records in the system:

Record Producer

A type of catalog item specifically designed to create records in tables outside of the standard Request table (sc_request).
Typically used for creating records in task-based tables like incident, problem, change, or even custom tables.
When a user submits a record producer, it bypasses the request fulfillment process (i.e., no sc_request, sc_task, or sc_req_item records are created). Instead, it directly creates a record in the target table.
Ideal for scenarios where you want users to submit a request or create a record without a structured approval or fulfillment process.

Example Use Case: A "Report an Issue" record producer that creates an Incident record directly in the incident table.

Catalog Item

A standard Service Catalog offering used in request fulfillment.
When a catalog item is ordered, it generates:
- A Request (sc_request)
- One or more Requested Items (sc_req_item)
- One or more Catalog Tasks (sc_task)
These items typically involve workflow automation, approvals, and fulfillment processes before completion.
Commonly used for ordering hardware, software, access requests, or any structured service request.

Example Use Case: A "New Laptop Request" catalog item that triggers an approval workflow and fulfillment tasks before delivering the laptop.

Key Differences

Feature Record Producer Catalog Item

Purpose	Creates records in any table	Initiates a structured request fulfillment process
Creates Request (sc_request)?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Creates Requested Items (sc_req_item)?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Creates Tasks (sc_task)?	❌ No	✅ Often (if workflow is attached)
Approval Workflow	❌ Typically not used	✅ Can have approvals
Use Case	Direct record creation (e.g., submitting an issue)	Structured service request (e.g., ordering a laptop)

Please mark as Correct Answer and Helpful, if applicable.
Thank You!

Florin Benciu

SST Romania.