question Re: RITM state and stage in ITOM forum

RITM state and stage

bhakti2 — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:29:33 GMT

Is there any official ServiceNow documentation that defines the standard State and Stage combinations for Requests (REQ) and Requested Items (RITM) when multiple Catalog Tasks (SCTASK) are associated with a single RITM?

Re: RITM state and stage

KanteS — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:08:49 GMT

Hi,

There is no official ServiceNow documentation that defines standard State and Stage combinations for REQ or RITM when multiple SCTASKs are involved. REQ, RITM, and SCTASK states are not automatically synchronized unless explicitly configured

For additional reference, the following community discussion explains the OOTB behavior and best practices around REQ/RITM state handling:
https://www.servicenow.com/community/sysadmin-forum/what-is-the-best-practice-or-guidance-on-the-state-field-for-req/m-p/3290360

If this helps, please give a like and mark it as a solution

Thank you

Re: RITM state and stage

Saiprasad_V — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:40:09 GMT

I looked into this and wanted to share a quick clarification on how State and Stage work for REQ, RITM, and SCTASK in ServiceNow.

There isn’t a strict standard or official mapping for how State and Stage should behave when multiple catalog tasks are tied to a single RITM. It mainly depends on how the flow or workflow is designed.

In general, the way it works is pretty straightforward:

The actual work is done at the Catalog Task(SCTASK) level
The RITM stays open until all its tasks are completed
Once all tasks are done, the RITM gets closed (complete or incomplete depending on the outcome)
And finally, the Request (REQ) closes after all RITMs under it are completed

The Stage field is mostly used just to show progress (like Approval, Fulfillment, Complete), and it can be customized based on the implementation.

So overall, it’s more about the flow logic driving everything rather than a fixed state/stage structure.

Re: RITM state and stage

AndersBGS — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:49:13 GMT

Hi @bhakti2

No, there is no defined standard, as state and stages are configurable according to your setup and according to the single company processes.

Re: RITM state and stage

Tanushree Maiti — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:43:02 GMT

Hi @bhakti2

There’s no predefined standard for the State and Stage of RITM, SCTASK, and REQ.

It’s important to define a project-level standard; otherwise, excessive custom entries and unnecessary customization will accumulate in the system.

Rule of thumb:

Keep State limited and controlled
Use Stage for customization instead of adding new states

Without a defined model:

Teams start adding custom states/stages
Duplicate meanings appear (e.g., “In Progress”, “Work in Progress”, “Ongoing”)
Reporting becomes inconsistent
Maintenance becomes difficult

You can refer: Request Management States and Stages Best Practice?

https://www.servicenow.com/community/sysadmin-forum/what-is-the-best-practice-or-guidance-on-the-state-field-for-req/m-p/3290360