---
sourceDocument: Xanadu Employee Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/xanadu/employee-service-management

 Release :

    - xanadu

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Xanadu Employee Service Management

ft:clusterId :

    - emplsm

bundleId :

    - emplsm

workflow :

    - Employee


---

# Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) for HR Service Delivery Agent Workspace overview

# Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) for HR Service Delivery
Agent Workspace overview {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Xanadu
* 
* Updated August 1, 2024
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 5 minutes to read

Use the ServiceNow Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) for HR Service Delivery
Agent Workspace to automatically assign a work item to agents based on their
availability, capacity, and skills.

## Plugins {#awa-hr-overview__section_tkt_l5s_4jb}

Activate the Advanced Work Assignment for HRSD \[com.sn_hr_awa\] plugin if you have the HR admin role. Activating this plugin also activates:

* Advanced Work Assignment \[com.glide.awa\]When activated, the Advanced Work
  Assignment for HRSD \[com.sn_hr_awa\] plugin supports the AWA routing with historical affinity for chat and cases
  when the Advanced Work Assignment - Agent Affinity \[com.glide.awa.agent_affinity\]
  plugin is activated.

* Agent Chat \[com.glide.interaction.awa\]
* Human Resources Scoped App: Core \[com.sn_hr_core\]
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_nzy_lws_4jb}  
You can also activate:

* Skills Management \[com.snc.skills_management\]
  * Activated by default when the Human Resources Core \[com.sn_hr_core\] plugin is activated.
  * Only activate when you are using skill determination rules to map a skill to an HR case.
  {#awa-hr-overview__ul_v15_brp_plb}
* Skill Determination \[com.snc.skill_determination\]Activate when using skill determination rules.
  .

* Interactions Management \[com.glide.interaction\]
* Human Resources Scoped App: Virtual Agent Conversations \[com.sn_hr_virtual_agent\]Only activate when using Virtual Agent. For
  more information, see [Virtual Agent for HR Service Delivery](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/lPr~qJB5JTf1a3pJYyUwrw#hr-virtual-agent-conversations "HR Service Delivery and Virtual Agent provide an automated chat with an employee requesting HR services. You can program Virtual Agent to understand the intent of an employee to handle repeatable requests.").

{#awa-hr-overview__ul_mbm_rd3_3mb}

## Chat setup {#awa-hr-overview__section_wgq_hh4_rlb}

Ensure the HR Fulfiller UI field is set to Agent Workspace. For more information, see [Configure Agent Chat for HR Service Delivery Agent Workspace](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6Ik_xr~afF6K1x5O12AjTA "Use Agent Chat Settings to configure Agent Chat for HR Service Delivery Agent Workspace.").

## HR case {#awa-hr-overview__section_u2j_wbp_plb}

AWA is an alternative to using:

* HR templates (based on the HR service)
* HR assignment rules
* HR matching rules
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_vrh_h3n_plb}  
AWA automatically routes HR cases, chats, or interactions based on:

* Availability
* Capacity
* Capacity and Skills
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_irv_z3n_plb}

AWA pushes cases to qualified HR agents using work item
queues, routing conditions, and assignment criteria that you define. HR agents see their
assignments in their inbox. You can set the capacity for an agent, which is the number of
work items on a particular service channel that an agent may actively work on. You can set
assignment rules to determine how AWA routes work items to a group of agents. If an agent
rejects a work item, the item is rerouted to another agent.

For more information, see [Advanced Work Assignment](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=awa-overview&version=xanadu&pubname=xanadu-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US).  
Note:  
To use AWA, you must ensure your:

* HR templates do not identify assignment groups or skills.
* Deactivate your existing HR Assignment Rules and HR Matching Rules.
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_flr_254_plb} Agent Inbox:

Using AWA you can automatically assign an HR
case and have it appear in an agent's inbox.
For more information, see [Agent Inbox controls](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=agent-experience&version=xanadu&pubname=xanadu-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US). The inbox layouts determine what appears on work item cards in an agent's inbox. For more information, see [Inbox layout](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=awa-inbox-layout&version=xanadu&pubname=xanadu-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US).

## Skill Determination Rules {#awa-hr-overview__section_j4h_gtn_plb}

Use Skill Determination Rules as an alternative way to map skills to an HR case.

The base system provides a skill determination rule for each COE and is inactive by
default.

There is also a skill determination rule for interactions:

Skill determination rules for Interactions \[Human Resources\]. Defines what skills are
required in chat and when creating an interaction. The script defines the mappings. By
default, this skill determination rule is inactive.

## Service channels {#awa-hr-overview__section_f5t_mzs_4jb}

Service channels help assign specific types of chats or HR cases to the correct agents. For
more information, see [Service channels](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=awa-service-channels&version=xanadu&pubname=xanadu-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US).  
There are two service channels provided with the base system:

* Chat
* HR Case
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_ctb_4zs_4jb}  
Each service channel has eight (8) queues.

* Each queue corresponds to a COE and HR table.
* HR cases route to a corresponding queue.
* Each queue defines an assignment group.
* AWA logic reviews the assignment group and routes to the appropriate agent.
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_jhp_5xn_plb}

AWA uses service channels to organize incoming requests from chats, cases, and incidents.
AWA routes these work items to specific queues. For more information about AWA, see Agent Workspace Advanced Work Assignment (AWA).

## Business rules {#awa-hr-overview__section_tvc_hbv_plb}

There are three (3) business rules. Activate only one:

* Skill determination for HR CasesUse this business rule when you are using skill
  determination rules to map a skill to an HR case.

* Copy skills to task_m2m_skill tableUse this business rule when you are using HR
  templates to map a skill to an HR case.

  Note:  
  These business rules make entries in the Task Skill \[task_m2m_skill\] table. AWA uses this table to determine final mapping between a task and a skill.
* Skill determination for Interaction\[HR\]
  * Only activate this business rule when using chat assignment by skill.
  * Works with the Skill determination rules for interactions \[Human Resources\] to populate the Interaction Skill \[interaction_m2m_skill\] table.
  * AWA uses this table to check the mapping between interaction and skill.
  * Interaction records are automatically created when an employee initiates a chat.
  {#awa-hr-overview__ul_dh2_ptg_rlb}
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_i1p_lfv_plb}

## AWA Assignment Rules {#awa-hr-overview__section_bs2_1w4_plb}

The base system provides two (2) AWA assignment rules. For more information, see [Configure agent assignment
rules](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=awa-create-assignment-rule&version=xanadu&pubname=xanadu-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US).

* Capacity based assignment for HR work items assignment ruleConsiders agents with
  the greatest availability for handling the work.

* Capacity and skill-based assignment for HR work items assignment rule
  * Considers agents with the greatest availability and their assigned skills for handling the work. Assigned skills can optionally be made mandatory.
  * When skills are considered mandatory, only considers routing work items to agents that have the skills.  
    Note:  
    When agents with the correct skills are not available or their capacity is full, it does not route to other agents but will wait until one is available.
  {#awa-hr-overview__ul_a1j_21p_plb}
{#awa-hr-overview__ul_knq_kw4_plb}

## Workspace Agent Chat {#awa-hr-overview__section_edv_nlx_nlb}

Workspace Agent Chat is the real-time messaging system you use in HR Service Delivery
Agent Workspace.

Similar to HR case, there is a service channel for chat with eight (8) queues.

## Virtual Agent {#awa-hr-overview__section_hxz_jc1_nsb}

When Virtual Agent is active, the chat window shows Virtual Agent topics. Under the Chat service channel under AWA, there is a
script that maps the additional Virtual Agent topics to the queue.  
When Virtual Agent is not active, the chat window shows the Employee Service Center (ESC) pre-chat categories. Under the Chat service channel under AWA, there is a script that maps the additional Virtual Agent topics to the queue.  
Note:  
You can distinguish the queues by the ESC pre-chat categories and Virtual Agent topics.
For more information, see [Virtual Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=virtual-agent-landing-page&version=xanadu&pubname=xanadu-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US). If you are migrating from Connect Support, use AWA to create the chat queues for routing chat work items to
agents and the Chat Setup form to configure Agent Chat. For more information,
see [Migrate from Connect Support to
Advanced Work Assignment and Agent Chat](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=migrate-from-connect-support&version=xanadu&pubname=xanadu-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US).

For more information on Workspace Agent Chat, see Workspace Agent Chat.