Working with the Task table
Summarize
Summary of Working with the Task table
The Tasks [task] table is a fundamental component of the ServiceNow system, providing standard fields utilized by various extended tables like Incident [incident] and Problem [problem]. It facilitates task creation, completion, and workflow management through child tables, enhancing task-specific functionality.
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Key Features
- Task Creation: Tasks are not created directly on the Tasks table but on its child tables. Access the Tasks table via
task.listin the navigation filter to create new tasks. - Approval Management: Approvals can be generated manually or automatically based on rules, applicable to both task and non-task tables.
- Assignment Rules: Automated assignment of tasks to users or groups ensures efficient task management.
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Track task duration to ensure timely completions.
- Inactivity Monitors: Notifications are sent for tasks that have not been updated within a set timeframe.
- Workflow Automation: Use Workflow Studio to create automated processes triggered by task conditions.
- Field Modifications: Changes to the Tasks table affect all child tables, with careful consideration needed for field additions or deletions.
- Task Relationships: Establish parent/child relationships between tasks for better organization, such as linking Problems to related Incidents.
- Time Card Management: Allows task assignees to report and track time spent on tasks.
Key Outcomes
Utilizing the Tasks table and its features enables ServiceNow customers to streamline task management, enforce SLAs, automate workflows, and enhance collaboration through effective task assignment and approval processes. This results in improved efficiency and accountability within task handling across various teams and projects.
The Tasks [task] table is one of the core tables provided with the base system.
The Tasks [task] table provides a series of standard fields used on each of the tables that extend it, such as the Incident [incident] and Problem [problem] tables. In addition, any table that extends the Tasks [task] table can take advantage of task-specific functionality for driving tasks.
The Planned Task plugin provides the Planned Task [planned_task] table, which extends the Tasks [task] table to provide more fields for tasks to measure duration and effort.
Creating tasks
The Tasks [task] table provides means for creating and completing tasks, as well as tracking their workflow in your instance.
Tasks aren't created directly on the Tasks [task] table. Instead, tasks are created on task child tables. To create a record in a task child table, access the Tasks [task] table by entering task.list in the navigation filter, and then select New. In the Task Interceptor, select the desired task child table.
Tools for completing tasks
These tools can be run on any table which extends Task.
- Approvals
Approvals can be generated to a list of Approvers, either manually or automatically, according to Approval Rules. Approvals can be incorporated into workflows or can stand alone. For more information, see Process approvals.
Approvals can be used on tables that do not extend Task.
- Assignments
Assignment rules can automatically assign tasks to users or groups, ensuring that the most appropriate team members handle the tasks. For more information, see Defining Assignment Rules.
- Service levels
Service level agreements can track the amount of time that a task has been open, to ensure that tasks are completed within an allotted time.
- Inactivity monitors
Inactivity monitors ensure that tasks do not fall by the wayside by notifying users when tasks have been untouched for a predefined period of time. For more information, see Set an inactivity monitor.
- Workflow Studio
A process owner can design a flow for tasks that meet certain conditions. After a task is created that meets the conditions, the flow applies an automated process to the task. The process is defined in Workflow Studio. For more information, see Flow Designer.
Modifying the Task table
Modifications made to the Tasks [task} table are applied to all child tables.
Be sure that changes are appropriate for all the child tables. Adding fields is a low-impact change, because you can hide fields on tables that don't need them. However, if the fields are being used across tables, deleting fields may cause unwanted data loss.
You can use dictionary overrides to change some parts of a field definition in a way that does not to not apply to all child tables.
Tasks workflow
An administrator can specify a specific workflow process to apply to tasks that meet certain conditions.
Once a task is created that meets the conditions, the workflow applies the process to the task, asking for approvals, notifying users, generating other tasks, running scripts, and so on.