ServiceNow End-to-End Customer Lifecycle
Services are the backbone of every Communication Service Provider's (CSP's) business. They drive the need for CSPs to evolve their network infrastructure, tools, and processes, enabling a complete end-to-end digital transformation. While digital transformation is often seen as a recurring process, it remains at the core of streamlining operational efficiencies. This requires re-architecting systems from the ground up, always with a focus on enhancing end customer satisfaction.
ServiceNow plays a critical role in enabling CSPs to achieve their digital transformation goals by providing service automation capabilities and end-to-end Customer Lifecycle Management. From onboarding to design and build, and through service assurance within operations and E2E service management, ServiceNow helps CSPs remain competitive while ensuring service reliability. At the core of the ServiceNow platform is a unified Configuration Management Database (CMDB), which ensures accurate customer information is available across all applications—guaranteeing a seamless and reliable customer experience.
The diagram below provides an overview of the comprehensive end-to-end capabilities provided by ServiceNow.
High Level Overview
ServiceNow provides a seamless implementation of instantiating a service order from SOMT and ensuring that the decomposed order tasks trigger a change request in Network Inventory that will store the order characteristics within the CMDB. Below is a depiction of the automation workflow that provides this seamless end-to-end service order to network inventory implementation. A description of the following steps is highlighted below:
- A customer order/Service order is created
- This order then triggers the initial workflow that creates an addition order task for design and assign implementation in Network Inventory
- The Design and Assign order task then will trigger a Change Request within Network Inventory to store the order characteristics within CIs in the CMDB
- Once the Change Request is completed, it is then closed, and information of the closure is sent back to SOMT.
- SOMT closes the corresponding Order task for Design and Assign and then continues with the rest of the task processing, including Material Ordering, Test and Turn Up.
Below is a depiction of the workflows between SOMT and Network Inventory.
SOMT and Network Inventory workflows allow the initiation of a change request directly from an Order Management task and sends product specification characteristics to the change request.
For feature enablement, each order task undergoes validation through a decision table to determine if a change request should be triggered. Feature activation requires the decision table to be configured for the required order task. Additionally, the corresponding TNI record producer and change model must also be pre-configured. Details of these configurations are described in the following sections.
Please find additional details in the link below:
Workflow Overview - Demo Flow
Service and Order Management for Telecom (SOMT) from Quote & Product Order to Network Inventory (NI) and Service Assurance
In this example, a fiber quote is entered. Once the quote is closed an order is generated with SOMT which then drives down to a change flow within Network Inventory as mentioned in the previous sections. This change flow within Network Inventory will automatically create the CIs for all the circuits, ONTs, along with all the required equipment that needs to be stored within inventory. Once completed the result is forwarded back to SOMT that is then related to the install base.
The example provided will run a Service Order that will be decomposed into line items and have its own characteristics within SOMT. As a result, an order for a Fiber Broadband has been placed. The service order automatically creates two order line items seen below.
Starting with quote, we will first drive down through the entire end-to-end process followed by an in-depth behind the scenes and detail the record producer, subflows and decision tables in the later sections.
- In the CSM/FSM configurable workspace, select the > Quote > All from the list view followed by selecting on New in the top right-hand corner.
- A pop window will appear for creating a new quote.
- Complete the account Name followed by selecting Add line items
- Click on the Catalog related list tab once the new quote is created
- Start by Selecting a location from the drop-down menu.
- Afterwards select All Catalogs from the Catalog drop down selection.
- Select Broadband Connectivity Services from the drop-down menu.
- Once the Fiber Broadband Offer appears, Select Customize
- After the product offer selections are made, click on Add followed by SAVE
- Click on Submit for approval
- Select the Details tab and change the state to Closed followed by clicking on Save
- Once the Quote is saved and in closed status, the Create Order UI action appears. Please click on the Create order.
- An order is successfully created. Please click on the order number to bring you to the newly created order.
- Click on the Order Line Items related list.
- Here the order line Items are available. Select Review & Submit once the order is reviewed.
- Click on Submit
- A pop-up window will appear to ensure this is the correct action you would like to take. Please select Submit one more time.
- When the order is submitted, it is time to approve the order. Please select Approve.
- Once the order is approved, the order line-item state will be in progress.
- Click on Order Line Items
- As part of the over fiber broadband order is then decomposed into the following:
- A Fiber Broadband order and
- A Fiber Broadband Design and Assign order.
- In this case the Fiber Broadband Design and Assign task will be mapped to a change request that will automatically generate a Change request within Network Inventory.
- Click on the Order associated with A Fiber Broadband Design and Assign
- Once in the order click on Order Tasks
- One of the order tasks created is: Allocate and Assign Broadband Connection
- This is the order task sent to Network Inventory.
- Click on the order task number for the design and assign broadband task
- In the activity section, the change request created by Network Inventory is opened and closed, indicating that the required CIs have been stored within Network Inventory.
- Click on the Order Task Characteristics to confirm the items have been successfully stored within Network Inventory. The order tasks are mapped to the Network Inventory change flow.
- Below are the characteristics for the design and assign CIs stored within Network Inventory.
The following sections will review how to implement Decision Builder, Flow Designer and Record Producer needed to develop the autonomous implementation of storing specific CIs within the CMDB via Network Inventory for a Service Order.
Network Inventory Workspace
The change request that was automatically created will be explored in this section. For this, click on > Workspaces > Network Inventory.
- Click on the lines on the left-hand side and scroll to Lists
- Once in Lists, click on > Changes >All and then search for the change request that was tied to the original Order Task and then click on that change request
- Click on Change Tasks – here all the tasks that were created as part of the workflow for Broadband Services can be seen below.
- Click on Affected CIs (see below)
- This is a list of the CIs that have been created in CMDB.
- Select the VLAN path to view the logical connection. Here you can see the A End of the circuit as the initial address selected in the quote followed by the Z End which is the the location of the Central Office
- Click on the Top right hand side UI action of View Connection to see the circuit created in inventory.
- The Workflow described in the previous section is the same workflow executed if the Network Inventory change is completed Manually
- Click on >Change>New
- Here is a list of out of the box workflows available to create manual changes.
- By clicking on GPON Broadband Service Below, the same workflow will be executed
- This is done autonomously from an order task but providing the manual option as well.
- Click on >Change>New
- Once the Inventory agent has evaluated the Circuit (both physical and logical) which was created and everything is satisfactory, the change task can now be closed.
- Select the Successful close code from the drop-down menu (scroll to the bottom of the form).
- Followed by adding the Close Notes.
- Click on Save and then Close.
- By Closing the Inventory change request, Order Management is informed with two additional order line-item tasks indicating that the Broadband connection is now active, and testing completed. Below are the tasks that are closed within SOMT
Behind the Scenes: High-Level Overview of the Record Producer, Flow Designer Workflows and Decision Tables
Below is a high-level list and overview of the new record producer, decision tables and associated subflows that are running in the background to enable seamless execution of the demo. Each of the following will be described in greater detail in the following sections.
Flow Designer – Flows and Sub Flows associated with SOMT-NI Implementation
- Flow with Design Assign of Fiber Broadband
- This flow contains the Allocate & Assign Broadband Connection which is the order task that will be mapped in the Service Order Fulfillment Policy Decision Table.
- This Flow creates the order task
- Broadband Service
- Creates the logic, CIs, VLAN logical connection etc. for the Network Inventory Design and Assign Change Request
- Modify Broadband service
- This flow is triggered when a change is required in the already active broadband service.
- Change (Design & Assign)
- Change Request Created or Updated where (Model is GPON Broadband Service, or Model is GPON Broadband Modification Service; and Assignment group is not empty)
- TNI then triggers the TNI change workflow for Broadband Service.
- If a Change Request is created with this specific Change Model, it will trigger the above Flow which as you see will then trigger the Subflow 'Broadband Service'
Decision Tables:
- Service Order Fulfillment Policy
- Table associates the Fiber Broadband Service Order to a specific flow which is the Flow with Design and Assign of Fiber Broadband
- This flow is mapping an order task to a change flow within Network Inventory
- This procedure does not map a service specification but rather only one of the tasks created by the service specification is mapped to Flow with Design and Assign of Fiber Broadband
- TNI Record Producer and Change Model Policy
- This record producer maps the SOMT Order Task Decomposition to the corresponding Network Inventory Change Flow (GPON Broadband Service)
- TNI Record Producer Variable Policy
- This record producer maps the order characteristics to specific values within the SOMT order to the specific values within Network Inventory. Below is the process followed to view the specific decision table.
- The Record Producer then kicks start the specific change model within Network Inventory with the same set of characteristics.
Record Producers:
- GPON Broadband
- The Record Producer will create a change request in Network Inventory that maps the order task characteristics to CIs within the CMDB. The Network Inventory Change request will jumpstart the change model highlighted above and referenced in the decision tables.
Below provides a visual flow diagram indicating where and when the specific flows, subflows and record producers are triggered.
Decision Builder for Network Inventory Workflow Implementation
- In the main search window type in > All > Decision Builder and click on it
- Click on Service Order Fulfillment Policy
- In this case there will be a decision table entry for Fiber Broadband
- The table associates the Fiber Broadband Service Order to a specific flow which is the Flow with Design and Assign of Fiber Broadband
- This flow is mapping an order task to a change flow within Network Inventory
- This procedure does not map a service specification but rather only one of the tasks created by the service specification is mapped to Flow with Design and Assign of Fiber Broadband
- SOMT standard decomposition procedures apply
Deeper Dive into Flow Designer
To see the flow designer, from the main window type >ALL> Flower Designer and then click on it.
- Click on Subflows
- In the Search window type in > Flow with Design and Assign Fiber Broadband
- Click Enter
- Click on the name when it appears > Flow with Design and Assign Fiber Broadband
- The Flow will then appear as depicted below
- Deep diving into the flow, there is a create order task for the Allocate and Assign Broadband Connection
- This is the order task that will be mapped through the previous decision table
- Within the flow designer, there is also the mapping of this workflow back to the Order task initially created.
The Introduction of New Decision Tables
TNI Record Producer and Change Model Policy
The TNI Record Producer and Change Model Policy maps the specific Order tasks within SOMT to the Change Workflow within Network Inventory. Below is the process followed to view the specific decision table.
The new decision table created for this workflow will now be examined. In the main window type in > ALL > Decision Builder and then click on it.
- Click on the three dots and type into the filter TNI Record Producer Change Model Policy followed by clicking Apply
- Only one record will appear and then click on TNI Record Producer Change Model Policy
- Within this decision table, the first part is the order task which is part of SOMT order decomposition
- This maps to a Record Producer (GPON Broadband) and a Change Model (GPON Broadband Service) with Network Inventory
- This Record Producer maps the Specific Order Task within SOMT to the Change flow within Network Inventory.
TNI Record Producer Variable Policy
The TNI Record Producer Variable Policy decision table maps the order characteristics to specific values within the SOMT order to the specific values within Network Inventory. Below is the process followed to view the specific decision table.
- Click on the three dots and type into the filter TNI Record Producer Variable Policy followed by clicking Apply
- Only one record will appear and then click on TNI Record Producer Variable Policy
- Below is the decision table for TNI Record Producer Variable Policy
- This table is where the order characteristics in SOMT – for instance Network Site, Customer Site, IP Version, Number of IP Address, and Start IP Address are mapped to the Network Inventory. The SOMT order characteristics which were either provided with the order or can be provided as part of the order decomposition, are characteristics that are associated to a particular task (shown below in the original order).
- The Record Producer below is a bridge between how a set of attributes or order task characteristics get mapped to a Record Producer. The Record Producer then kicks start the specific change model within Network Inventory with the same set of characteristics. (Note in this example the SOMT Task Characteristics are the same name as the Network Inventory characteristics, but they can be different.)
- Going back to the original order and clicking on the Order Characteristics, from the below order characteristics, you can see that they map directly to the Network Inventory Values.
The below decision tables are the tables needed:
- TNI Record Producer and Change Model Policy
- This decision table will ensure that a SOMT Order task will initiate a change order in Network Inventory
- TNI Record Producer Variable Policy
- This decision table will ensure that all characteristics provided as part of the order are then mapped via the record producer
Deep Dive into the Record Producer
The Record Producer that is referenced in both the Decision Tables in the previous section will be explored in this section.
- In the Main window > All > Record Producer
- Type in GPON Broadband in the Name search window
- Then hit Enter
- Followed by clicking on the GPON Broadband record producer when it appears in the list
- Below is the GPON Broadband Record Producer
- The record producer provides a mapping for the order task characteristics that is instantiated with the correct variables and tied to the above change model that was referenced in the decision tables.
Network Inventory Change Request
This next section will explore the Network Inventory workflow that is available to instantiate and execute a Change Request.
- From the main window type >ALL> Flower Designer and then click on it.
The first flow will be the Change (Design & Assign) Flow. This is a flow and not a subflow. As mentioned previously, when a Change Request is Created or Updated where (Model is GPON Broadband Service, or Model is GPON Broadband Modification Service; and Assignment group is not empty) - TNI triggers the TNI change workflow for Broadband Service.
If a Change Request is created with this specific Change Model, it will trigger the below Flow which then triggers the Subflow 'Broadband Service'
Below provides an overview of the Broadband Service subflow.
- Click on Subflows
- In the Search window type in > Broadband Service
- Click Enter
- Once the Broadband Service appears on the list, click the actual Broadband Service Workflow as seen below.
- Below is the Workflow for the Network Inventory Broadband Service change request which creates the logic for the Network Inventory Design and Assign Change Request.
Appendix 1: Creating a Product Catalog
A product’s technical capabilities are defined as Specifications which are then bundled into product offerings. This drives sales and order fulfillment. Below is a detailed overview of how to create a product catalogue for a Fiber Broadband service.
Configuration Process of a Product Catalogue
Configure a resource specification
In the below step, a Product Model category will be created that will be used when generating a specification.
- Navigate to All > Product Catalog > Product Model > Model Categories and select New.
- Enter the following information:
- Name: Fiber Broadband
- Picture may also be added
- Click on Update
Below is needed to create the characteristics and the characteristic options which are needed for the product offerings.
2. Navigate to All > Product Catalog Management > Characteristics.
- Select New.
- On the form, fill in the fields with the below
- Name: Fiber Bandwidth
- Description: Fiber Bandwidth Options
- Then right click and hit the SAVE button for the related lists to appear. This allows you to create selectable options for the characteristic – for instance if you select Choice as part of the input field then you will be able to add characteristic options. Select New in the Characteristic Options Related List.
- Complete the first option as 50 Mb and select Submit
- Repeat for 500 Mb, 1Gb, 1.5 Gb
- All options will automatically be associated to the characteristic created (Fiber Broadband)
- On the Characteristics form, select Update.
- Specifications > Specification Category
- Select New
- Enter the required details, Example below:
- Name: Fiber Broadband Specification
- Model Category: Fiber Broadband
- Click on Save
4. From the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace navigate to the list view
Specifications > Resource Specification
Name: Fiber Broadband Resource Specification
Display Name: Fiber Broadband
Category: Fiber Broadband
Type: Physical
Start Date: <today’s data>
Description: Fiber Broadband
Click on Save.
- Enter in the Specification Characteristics for each Specification
- Characteristic: Fiber Bandwidth
- Characteristic Option: 50 Mb
- Order: 1
- Click on save and repeat for Characteristic Options: 500 Mb, 1Gp and 1.5 Gb – remember to keep incrementing the order number as well.
- The below is an example of the specification's characteristics added
- Repeat for additional specifications characteristics
- Return to the Fiber Broadband Details page and click on Publish once all the required catalog characteristics have been added.
- When the Pop Up comes up, please hit the OK button
Create the product Offering Category and Catalog
6. From the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace navigate to the list view
Offerings > Product Offering Categories and select NEW
Complete the form with the suggested details below:
Name: Consumer Fiber
Description: Product Category for Fiber Broadband
Leaf: Checked / <True>
Start Date: <today’s data>
Click on Save then Publish and select OK on the popup window.
7. From the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace navigate to the list view
Offerings > Product Offering Catalogs and select NEW
Complete the form with the suggested details below:
Name: Connectivity Services
Description: Connectivity Services
Start Date: <today’s data>
Click on Save followed by navigating to the ‘Categories’ tab (related list)
On the Categories tab, select New Category.
- Select the newly created Consumer Fiber
Create the product specification
8. From the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace, navigate to Specifications > Product Specification in the list view and select New
- Below are sample values for the product specification – Click on SAVE when completed
- Name: Fiber Broadband Product Offer
- Display Name: Fiber Broadband Product Offer
- Category: Fiber Broadband
- Start Data: <Today’s Date>
- Description: Fiber Broadband Product Offer
- Type: Service
- The next step is to add the Specification Characteristics to this Product Specification
- Navigate to the Specification Characteristics tab (related link)
- Click on New
- Set the Characteristics as follows:
- Characteristic: Fiber Bandwidth
- Characteristic Option: 50 Mbps (repeat to also add 500Mbps/1Gbps/1.5Gps)
- Click on Save
- Repeat for all the required characteristics
- The following step is to add the Specification Relationship – Navigate to the tab for Specification Relationship and click on NEW
- Enter the following suggested details:
- Source Specification: Fiber Broadband Offer
- Target Type: Resource Specification
- Relationship Type: Realized As
- Min/Default/Max Quantity: 1
- Order: 10
- Click on SAVE.
- Enter the following suggested details:
- The next step is to add the attribute mapping. Navigate to the Attribute Mapping related list (tab) and select NEW and complete the form as follows:
- Source Specification: Fiber Broadband Product Offer
- Source Characteristic: Network Site
- Target Specification: Fiber Broadband Design and Assign
- Target Characteristic: Customer Site
- Once completed, click on Save
- Repeat for additional characteristic options.
- Return to the main Fiber Broadband Product Offer page and click on Publish button
- Press “ok” on the pop up to complete the Publishing of the Product Specification.
Create the product offering
9. From the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace, navigate to Offerings > Product Offerings in the list view and select New
- Below are sample values for the Product Offering Specification – Click on SAVE when completed
- Name: Fiber Broadband Service
- Display Name: Fiber Broadband Service
- Offering Type: Product
- Product Specification: Fiber Broadband Product Offer
- Sellable: <True>/<Checked>
- Pricing Method: Recurring
- Periodicity: Monthly
- Description: Fiber Broadband
- Start Data: <Today’s Date>
- The Product Offering Characteristics from the product specification has been copied over to the Product Offering Characteristics tab (related list).
- View the Catalog Hierarchy by clicking on the Catalog Hierarchy tab.
- Select Publish followed by OK when the pop-up window publishes the product offer.
