--- sourceDocument: Yokohama Strategic Portfolio Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/it-business-management Release : - yokohama ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Yokohama Strategic Portfolio Management ft:clusterId : - itbm bundleId : - itbm workflow : - Technology --- # Explore # Exploring Collaborative Work Management {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Yokohama Updated July 31, 2025 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Exploring Collaborative Work Management Collaborative Work Management (CWM) is a centralized work management tool designed to unify tasks, documentation, and planning within a single workspace called Spaces. It is built to support knowledge workers, project managers, and agile teams by eliminating the need to switch between multiple tools, thereby reducing duplicated effort and loss of context. Each Space contains Boards for task and project tracking and Docs for collaborative documentation, enabling all related work to remain connected and accessible. Show full answer Show less CWM supports customizable workflows for general task management as well as comprehensive Agile capabilities including sprint planning, scrum task management, and cross-team dependency tracking. Boards are user-configurable without requiring administrative assistance, and generative AI features help automate task creation, formula building, and content generation. Integration with the broader ServiceNow AI Platform allows teams to connect execution work with organizational goals and other ServiceNow applications. ## Key Features * **Spaces:** Centralized areas organizing Boards and Docs to keep all team work and documentation together. Users also have personal My Space areas to manage their own tasks. * **Boards:** Highly configurable task management boards supporting custom workflows, multiple views (List, Gantt, Kanban), and the ability to create custom fields, work item types, and assign multiple users. * **Docs:** Collaborative document creation with rich text, action items, and real-time multi-user editing, keeping documentation directly linked to work. * **Templates:** Predefined templates for Spaces, Boards, and Docs to standardize and speed up setup across teams. * **Agile Sprint Planning:** End-to-end sprint management including backlog management, sprint tracking, retrospectives, and automatic scrum task generation using Now Assist. * **Task Dependencies:** Directly link tasks as prerequisites or dependents within CWM to visualize and manage work sequencing and bottlenecks without external tools. * **Board Views:** Multiple visualization options with the ability to save personalized or shared views for consistent team usage. * **Automations:** Automate repetitive task-related actions such as notifications and status updates without requiring admin intervention. * **Connected Work Integration:** Aggregate work from other ServiceNow AI Platform applications onto CWM Boards for seamless cross-functional planning. * **Strategic Alignment:** Link team-level work in CWM to organizational strategy by surfacing Boards in Strategic or Portfolio Planning for prioritization and roadmapping. * **Collaborative Documentation:** Reference live ServiceNow records (Incidents, Risks, Issues) in Docs with automatic updates to maintain accuracy. * **Export Capabilities:** Export Boards as CSV or Excel for offline analysis and Docs as PDF for sharing with external stakeholders. ## Who Benefits * **Knowledge Workers/Team Members:** Manage and collaborate on tasks and documentation with AI assistance to reduce manual effort. * **Project Managers:** Organize and track work across teams, automate workflows, and align execution with business goals. * **Agile Practitioners:** Plan and run sprints, manage backlogs, generate and assign scrum tasks, and track dependencies within a single environment. ## Next Steps ServiceNow customers interested in deploying or optimizing Collaborative Work Management can explore detailed configuration and usage guides to tailor CWM to their teams' specific workflows and requirements. Collaborative Work Management (CWM) is a work management tool that centralizes tasks, documentation, and planning in a single workspace. It helps knowledge workers, project managers, and agile teams manage work without switching between applications. ## Collaborative Work Management overview {#exploring-cwm__section_rry_fs5_rzb} Teams managing work across disconnected tools often lose context, duplicate effort, and struggle to maintain a clear picture of progress. Tasks live in one tool, documentation in another, and sprint planning in a third, with dependencies tracked in spreadsheets and status updates shared over email or chat. CWM solves this by bringing tasks, documentation, and planning into a single workspace organized around Spaces. Each Space contains Boards for task and project management and Docs for documentation, so everything related to a team's work stays connected and accessible from one place. Teams can choose how they work within CWM. Use a custom workflow for general task management, or run sprints end-to-end using the built-in Agile capabilities, including sprint planning, scrum tasks, and cross-team dependencies. Boards are highly configurable without admin involvement, and generative AI features help reduce manual overhead on task creation, formula building, and content generation. CWM integrates with the broader ServiceNow AI Platform, connecting to other ServiceNow applications, records, and the Strategic Planning workspace so that team-level execution stays aligned with organizational goals. ## Collaborative Work Management users {#exploring-cwm__cf-exploring-parent-users} {#exploring-cwm__table_cwm_users__entry__2} | User | Description | |-|-| | Knowledge worker/Team member | Creates and manages tasks on Boards, collaborates on Docs, and tracks personal work in My Space. Uses [ServiceNow Otto for Collaborative Work Management (CWM) (CWM)](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/7RtIA5eZpdVaNBnkOw~UHA "The ServiceNow Otto for CWM application uses generative AI skills to improve time to value for the tasks you perform in the CWM workspace.") to reduce manual overhead in task creation and formula building. | | Project manager | Organizes work into Spaces and Boards, tracks progress across teams, and connects work to business goals and the Strategic Planning workspace. | | Agile practitioner | Plans and runs sprints, manages backlogs, generates scrum tasks from user stories, and tracks cross-team dependencies. | [Table 1. Users] {#exploring-cwm__table_cwm_users} ## Collaborative Work Management benefits {#exploring-cwm__section_vry_fs5_rzb} {#exploring-cwm__table_wry_fs5_rzb__entry__3} | Benefit | Feature | Users | |-|-|-| | Keep all team work in one place by organizing Boards and Docs into shared Spaces. Your team gets a single location to find tasks, documentation, and status without switching between tools. Use My Space as a personal space to manage any work assigned to you. | [Spaces](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/sBpsYMEChh5wPJQv5vlvyw "Create collaborative Spaces for teams to work together on projects, goals, or assignments.") | All users | | Get up and running without admin involvement by configuring your own workflow and organizing work the way your team needs it. * Create custom fields for task records. * Switch between List, Gantt, and Kanban views. * Create custom work item types. * Add a list of additional assignees to a task. {#exploring-cwm__ul_bzd_z5v_rzb} | [Boards](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/_8mn6eUd7h_1HkkbZiOh2g "Use Boards in Collaborative Work Management to define and organize tasks. With views such as List, Kanban, and Gantt, configure your workspace based on the way you and your team work.") | All users | | Create and collaborate on meeting notes, technical specifications, or feature requirements directly within your workspace, keeping documentation connected to the work it supports. * Create rich text docs and add action items to users from within and outside the team. * Collaborate on docs in real time with multiple concurrent editors. {#exploring-cwm__ul_wp2_5vv_rzb} | [Docs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Q4NBdUhpkzn90crSRur2vw "Manage all kinds of documentation for work such as meeting notes, project requirements, or technical specifications using rich text Docs with real-time collaboration.") | Knowledge worker/Team member | | Reduce repetitive setup and ensure consistency across your team by starting from predefined templates for Spaces, Boards, and Docs. | [Templates for Spaces, Boards, and Docs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/e7_Yq51laFvNCBgSDfMQkA "By enabling creation of Boards and Docs from predefined or custom templates, Collaborative Work Management (CWM) helps improve efficiency, save time, and reduce inconsistencies in format.") | All users | | Run sprints end-to-end in CWM without switching to a separate Agile tool. Plan work into sprints, manage backlogs, track progress through the sprint lifecycle, and conduct retrospectives, all within your Board. | [Sprint planning in CWM](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/7fXCTEJ4ao3EZGIRhlPZeQ "Plan, track, and manage work for your teams in the Agile methodology using Sprint planning in Collaborative Work Management.") | Agile practitioner | | Break user stories into granular scrum tasks to improve sprint execution and estimation. Assign tasks to team members and track daily progress through a sprint. Generate an initial set of scrum tasks automatically using Now Assist, or add them manually from the story form. | [Scrum tasks](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/9J~QGk193MJX6GO~rZuAMg "Extend your agile workflow in CWM by breaking user stories into scrum tasks. This gives your team the granularity needed to estimate effort, distribute work, and track daily progress through a sprint.") | Agile practitioner | | Link work items as prerequisites, dependents, or related to surface dependencies directly in CWM without tracking them in spreadsheets or notes. Blocked items are visible at a glance on the Kanban board to help teams spot bottlenecks and plan work in the right sequence. | [Task dependencies and relationships](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/AiNfixocrlMVMu2vie5m3Q "Increase visibility into how work is connected by linking work items directly in Collaborative Work Management (CWM), eliminating the need to track dependencies in spreadsheets or notes fields.") | Agile practitioner | | Switch between List, Gantt, and Kanban views to visualize work in the format that fits your team's workflow. Save personalized views or create shared views to give the whole team a consistent starting point. | [Board views](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/j8LYFQOi0BCP5PMe7m2kMw "Create, customize, and switch seamlessly between Board display preferences such as column display, sorting, and filtering based on the audience and purpose in Collaborative Work Management (CWM).") | All users | | Reduce manual overhead by automating repetitive processes such as sending notifications, reassigning tasks, or updating task priority when conditions are met, without involving an admin. | [Automations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/GRmHXP3LiztAwIjKdaorzw "Boost team efficiency by automating monotonous actions such as sending notifications and emails, monitoring key dates, or reassigning tasks based on the conditions that suit the team's workflow.") | Project manager | | Bring work from across your ServiceNow AI Platform applications onto a single CWM Board, giving your team one place to plan and manage cross-functional work without switching between applications. | [Connected work in CWM](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/0EC4FOfPb~pi8dXAmwM_aQ "Streamline task management for teams by bringing in various work items from across ServiceNow applications into Boards in Collaborative Work Management.") | Project manager | | Connect team execution to organizational strategy by surfacing CWM Boards in Strategic Planning portfolio plans, where work can be prioritized and roadmapped alongside other investments. | [Connecting CWM with Strategic Planning or Portfolio Planning](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/b5DVRVWdqw8K_sAZVlSVwQ#connect-cwm-spw "Configure Strategic Planning or Portfolio Planning to include CWM Boards so that you can plan, roadmap, and associate goals to Boards in a portfolio plan.") | Project manager | | Reference live ServiceNow AI Platform records such as Incidents, Risks, or Issues directly in CWM Docs. References update automatically to reflect the latest record data, keeping documentation accurate without manual updates. | [Collaborative documentation using CWM](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Q4NBdUhpkzn90crSRur2vw "Manage all kinds of documentation for work such as meeting notes, project requirements, or technical specifications using rich text Docs with real-time collaboration.") | Knowledge worker/Team member | | Share Board data with stakeholders outside CWM or prepare for offline analysis and presentations by exporting to CSV or Microsoft Excel. | [Export Board as CSV or Excel](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/llqJ~lXamOSFUrDDYNsSKQ "Export the list view of Collaborative Work Management (CWM) Boards to CSV or Microsoft Excel. Use the data to obtain insights, share with stakeholders, and prepare for analysis or presentations.") | Project manager | | Share Doc content with stakeholders who don't have access to CWM by exporting pages to PDF. | [Export Doc as PDF](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/rg8YKiToxWZj9WsFXdrjoA "Use the Docs offline, and share with teams or stakeholders outside Collaborative Work Management (CWM) by exporting Docs as PDF.") | Knowledge worker | [ ] {#exploring-cwm__table_wry_fs5_rzb} ## What to explore next {#exploring-cwm__cf-exploring-parent-links} To learn more about configuring and using Collaborative Work Management, see: * [Configuring Collaborative Work Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NNtIfEWrhInD2ticGunjRA "Plan and configure how your team can implement Collaborative Work Management.") * [Using Collaborative Work Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/WoTPUY9yY3Z1exQI8OlmpA "Use the different features of Collaborative Work Management (CWM) to collaborative with teams across your organizations and manage work in the way your teams want.") * [Collaborative Work Management reference](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qQWBjsj8Nu7HASj7NYLzhg "Reference topics provide details on the roles, tables, and properties installed with Collaborative Work Management (CWM).") {#exploring-cwm__ul_cwm_explore_links}