External routing overview

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of External Routing Overview

    External routing in ServiceNow enables work items to be directed to a queue based on the service channel and specified queue conditions, utilizing an external solution to assign these items to agents. This process ensures that work items are efficiently managed and assigned without requiring manual intervention.

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    Key Features

    • Work items are initially queued but remain unassigned until processed by the external solution.
    • Expiration of work items can occur if the maximum timeout is reached.
    • External solution accesses work items through the Work Item Table API and checks agent availability via the AWA Agent API before assignment.
    • The agent receives an inbox card with an accept button for pending assignments, with no option to reject.
    • Queues do not require Assignment Eligibility Groups, simplifying configuration.
    • Several related lists are hidden on the Queues screen to streamline the interface.

    Key Outcomes

    By implementing external routing, ServiceNow customers can enhance their work assignment efficiency, ensuring that work items are promptly and accurately assigned to available agents. This configuration minimizes the need for complex assignment rules and optimizes the agent's workload management, leading to improved service delivery and responsiveness.

    External routing enables work to be routed to a queue based on the service channel and queue conditions, then uses an external solution to assign the queued work item to an agent.

    Process flow

    This is how the work items are processed when using external routing:
    1. Work items are routed to the queue in a queued state but are unassigned. Work items will expire if the Max timeout is set.
    2. External solution lookups work items in queue state by Work Item Table API.
    3. External solution lookups agent availability in AWA Agent API before assigning to agent.
    4. External solution uses AWA Assignment API to assign work item to the agent.
    5. The agent will see an inbox card with an accept button (pending accept state) with no rejection options.
    When Advanced Work Assignment is configured to use external routing:
    • Queues do not need to have Assignment Eligibility Groups defined.
    • Work items remain in the queue with a "queued" status until the external system routes the work item or the maximum wait time elapses.
    • Related lists do not display at the bottom of the Queues screen.
    These APIs are required for external routing:
    • REST API to support the external routing system. For information on REST API, see AWA Assignment API .
    • Work item table API (awa_work_item) to look up the queued work items waiting for assignment. For information on table API, see Table API.
    • AWA Agent API if the external solution requires validation of agent availability within Workspace before assignment. For information on AWA Agent API, see AWA Agent API.

    Functionality of AWA components

    When external routing is enabled, this is the functionality of AWA components:

    Agent
    • Components utilized
      • Accept button
      • Agent capacity in use (Service channel capacity) increases but is not utilized against the max capacity of service channel
      • Agent universal capacity in use increases but is not utilized against the max universal capacity
    • Components not utilized
      • Agent availability
      • Reject button with rejection reasons
      • Max agent capacity
      • Max universal capacity
    Service channel
    • Components utilized
      • Channel advanced condition
      • Inbox layouts
      • Queue order
    • Components not utilized
      • Assign to and assignment group fields
      • Capacity and utilization features
      • Agent capacity overrides
      • Work item override
    Queue
    • Components utilized
      • Max wait time will expire work items if set on queue
      • Work item routing conditions
      • Queue order
    • Components not utilized
      • Queue agents' presence checks
      • Work items remain in the queue with a status of "queued" until the external system routes the work item
      • Queue schedules
      • The following related lists are hidden on the queue since they are not utilized:
        • Assignment eligibility and rules
        • Work item sort order
        • Agent Affinity
        • Agent assignments
        • Group queue priorities
        • Work items