Now Assist for Field Service Management (FSM) release notes

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated March 19, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Now Assist for Field Service Management (FSM) Yokohama Release Notes

    The Now Assist for Field Service Management (FSM) application integrates generative AI capabilities into FSM workflows, enhancing technician productivity and support. The Yokohama release introduces significant updates, including new AI model providers, enhanced customization, and improved virtual assistant features accessible via the mobile app.

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    Key Features

    • AI Model Provider Options: Now Assist supports Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude on AWS, alongside Now LLM Service and Azure OpenAI, expanding AI capabilities for skills and agents.
    • Skill Cloning and Customization: Administrators can clone existing skills such as Knowledge Base (KB) article generation and work order task summarization, then customize input fields and prompts through the Now Assist skill kit.
    • Virtual Assistant for Technicians: Technicians can access a virtual assistant directly from the mobile app, enabling quick interaction from work order tasks or My Tasks tab. This assistant provides task summaries and supports conversational search.
    • Conversational Search: Technicians can ask natural language questions with responses sourced solely from the Knowledge Base. The assistant offers context-aware follow-ups, including related parts or procedural steps.
    • Usage Measurement Update: Starting Yokohama Patch 5, Now Assist usage measurement shifted to a 365-day burn-down model resetting on contract anniversaries, improving tracking accuracy.
    • Default Skill Activation: New installations automatically enable designated Now Assist skills. For upgrades, previously unconfigured skills turn on by default, while skills manually deactivated remain off.
    • Access Control Configuration: ACLs can be configured for AI agents and agentic workflows to control discovery and triggering, specify user behavior (dynamic or AI user), and determine user accessibility scope (authenticated or public).
    • Prompt Customization Enhancements: Removed prompt headers in the work order summarization skill to better support third-party LLMs, with prompt editing now accessible via hyperlinks in the skill kit.

    Activation and Requirements

    Now Assist features require activation of the Now Assist for FSM plugin and depend on Field Service Management being installed. Related tools include the Now Assist Admin console for setup and monitoring, and various Now Assist skills designed to improve workflow efficiency through generative AI.

    The ServiceNow® Now Assist for FSM application brings generative AI to Field Service Management. Now Assist for FSM was enhanced and updated in the Yokohama release.

    Now Assist for FSM highlights for the Yokohama release

    Yokohama Patch 11
    • Review changes to Now Assist usage measurement.
    • Some Now Assist skills, agents, and agentic workflows are on by default.
    • Additional role configuration is required for agentic workflows and AI agents included with Now Assist applications.
    Yokohama Patch 6
    • Use Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude on AWS as AI model providers for Now Assist skills and AI agents in addition to Now LLM Service and Azure OpenAI.
    • Clone and customize skills.
    • Edit prompts using the Now Assist skill kit.
    Yokohama Patch 3

    • Enable Field Service technicians to access a virtual assistant from the mobile application with Now Assist in Virtual Agent.

    • Use Now Assist in Virtual Agent for mobile to summarize work order tasks.
    • Explore conversational search in the Now Assist panel with results from Knowledge Base articles.

    See Now Assist for Field Service Management (FSM) for more information.

    Important:
    Now Assist for Field Service Management (FSM) is available in the ServiceNow Store. For details, see the "Activation information" section of these release notes.

    New in the Yokohama release

    Yokohama Patch 6
    New third-party AI model provider options available for all Now Assist applications
    Google Gemini and AWS Claude are available for Now Assist skills and AI agents in addition to Now LLM Service and Azure OpenAI.
    Custom template and custom prompt support
    As an admin, you can clone the KB generation skill and customize the input fields. You can also clone the Work order task summarization skill, then access the skill in the Now Assist skill kit, and update the prompts.
    Yokohama Patch 3
    Create an Assistant for Field Service Management to do the following:
    • Initiate the Now Assist panel from a work order task record or the My tasks tab.
    • Provide technicians with a consistent and intuitive interface for quick and effortless interaction.
    • Display a summary of work order tasks.
    Use conversational search for technician support to do the following:
    • Enable technicians to ask questions in natural language for quick and clear answers.
    • Enable technicians to receive accurate and reliable responses sourced exclusively from the Knowledge Base.
    • Provide technicians with context-aware follow-ups, including related parts or steps, for better support.

    Changed in this release

    Yokohama Patch 11
    Changes to Now Assist usage measurement
    Starting with Yokohama Patch 5, Now Assist usage measurement is transitioning from a 365-day look-back model to a 365-day burn-down model, with usage resetting at the contract anniversary date. For more information, refer to KB KB2704710: Now Assist Usage - Overview & New Measurement Logic.
    Some Now Assist skills are turned on by default
    The new default behavior works as follows:
    • New customers: When you install a Now Assist product, designated skills are turned on automatically.
    • Existing customers who are upgrading (starting with Yokohama Patch 11): Any previously unconfigured skill is turned on automatically (the skill was never configured and turned on, then turned off again). Previously configured skills that were turned on, then off, remain inactive.
    Configure ACLs for AI agents and agentic workflows
    Configure the access control lists for who can discover and trigger AI agents and agentic workflows in their guided setups in AI Agent Studio. You can determine whether an AI agent or agentic workflow behaves as a dynamic user or as an AI user. You can also specify if an AI agent or agentic workflow can be available to all authenticated users or publicly available.
    Yokohama Patch 6
    Removed prompt headers
    The prompt headers have been removed from the work order summarization skill to support third-party Large Language Models (LLMs). You can now customize prompts via a hyperlink to the Now Assist skill.

    Activation information

    Now Assist features are available with activation of the Now Assist for FSM plugin. For more information, see Install Now Assist plugins.

    Additional requirements

    The Now Assist for FSM application requires Field Service Management.

    Related ServiceNow applications and features

    Now Assist
    Improve the productivity and efficiency in your organization, deliver better self-service, recommend actions, provide answers, and empower your users to search more effectively.
    Now Assist Admin console
    Use the Now Assist Admin console to provide you with quick and effortless access to the important information that you need to set up, configure, and monitor Now Assist applications and features.
    Now Assist skills
    Use the Now Assist products to provide generative AI skills to meet the needs of users in different workflows, including work order task summarization and Knowledge Base article generation.