Telecommunication Network Inventory workflows in Flow Designer

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Telecommunication Network Inventory workflows in Flow Designer

    The Telecommunication Network Inventory (TNI) workflows in Flow Designer enable ServiceNow customers to automate network inventory management, specifically the design and assignment of telecommunications assets. By leveraging the TNI function catalog and subflows, users can efficiently create, update, and retrieve configuration items (CIs) within their network inventory processes.

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    Key Features

    • Function Catalog: A comprehensive set of prebuilt functions categorized by their use, such as creating CIs from templates, establishing logical and physical connections, searching paths, and updating records. These functions facilitate automation of network inventory tasks like adding equipment and interface cards.
    • Workflow Studio Actions: The TNI functions are accessible as reusable actions within Workflow Studio under the Network Inventory Advanced option. This allows customers to automate repetitive operations within their workflows, for example, creating logical connections seamlessly.
    • Subflows: Predefined subflows in Workflow Studio support modular handling of specific inventory tasks, such as Logical Connection Creation and Physical Connection Creation. These subflows accept inputs and outputs to pass data dynamically during the Design and Assign process, with flexibility to add additional fields as needed.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Automate complex network inventory design and assignment processes, reducing manual effort and errors.
    • Reuse standard TNI functions and subflows to streamline workflow development and maintenance.
    • Gain precise control and visibility over telecommunication network components through integrated inventory operations.
    • Enhance consistency and efficiency in managing telecommunication configuration items and connections.

    By using the Telecommunications Network Inventory function catalog and subflows, you can access the functions that help you to automate the network inventory's design and assign process.

    Telecommunications Network Inventory function catalog

    You can use the Telecommunications Network Inventory functions to create, update, and retrieve a configuration item (CI) while you’re performing the Design and Assign process. For example, you can do the following actions:
    • Create telco equipment
    • Add an interface card
    The following table lists the Telecommunications Network Inventory functions that are categorized by their functionality.
    Table 1. Telecommunications Network Inventory functions
    Function Type Function Name
    Create
    • TNI Create CI From Template
    • Create Logical Connection
    • Create Logical Interface
    • Create Physical Connection
    • Path Search
    Read
    • Allocate Free Number
    • Get Interface Summery
    • Lookup Next Hub
    Update Cascade Update
    Helper function
    • Split String
    • Get Index From Array

    To learn more about the network inventory functions, see Telecommunications Network Inventory function catalog.

    The following example shows the functions that are available in the Workflow Studio action library under the Network Inventory Advanced option. You can use these functions to perform the inventory-related data operations.
    Figure 1. Network Inventory Function Catalog Location
    Infographic displaying all default options of Network Inventory Advanced.

    You can also use these functions as Workflow Studio actions in the Telecommunications Network Inventory workflow because the Design and Assign is a series of actions. The reusable Workflow Studio actions can automate repetitive work, such as creating a logical connection in the workflow. To learn more about Workflow Studio actions, see Flow Designer.

    Telecommunications Network Inventory subflows

    In Workflow Studio, you can give the inputs and outputs to pass the data to and from the subflow while you’re performing the Design and Assign process. If necessary, you can add more fields in the subflows. To learn more about working with the subflows, see Building subflows. To learn more about the Workflow Studio, see Flow Designer.

    The Telecommunications Network Inventory application has the following subflows:
    Logical Connection Creation
    Creates a logical connection record in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application based on the input that you receive when you instantiate an inventory. To learn more, see Logical Connection Creation subflow.
    Physical Connection Creation
    Creates a physical connection record in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application based on the input that you receive when you instantiate an inventory. To learn more, see Physical connection creation subflow.
    The following example shows the subflows that are available in the Workflow Studio action library under the Network Inventory Advanced option. You can use these functions to perform the inventory-related data operations.
    Figure 2. Network Inventory Subflow Location

    Infographic displaying all default options of network inventory subflows in the Flow Designer action library.