Install base characteristics
Summarize
Summary of Install base characteristics
Install base characteristics in ServiceNow's Customer Service Management (CSM) application allow customer service managers and administrators to create, capture, and track detailed attributes of install base items. These characteristics inform service requirements, enabling scheduled activities such as case management, field service management, planned maintenance, and reactive service. Some characteristics are configurable per product, while others come directly from the associated product model and are non-configurable.
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Roles and Permissions
- sncustomerservicemanager: Authorized to create configurable characteristics for install base items within the CSM application, making detailed item and service information accessible.
- Administrator: Can activate the Install base characteristics plugin ([com.snc.installbasecharacteristics]), capture both configurable and non-configurable characteristics, and view these on the Install base form. Administrators also track service associations made at purchase and provide product information to stakeholders.
Different granular roles exist to control user permissions for varying access levels to install base characteristics.
Data Model and Access
All install base characteristics are stored in the Install Base Characteristics table [sninstallbaseitemcharacteristic]. Both install base and product model characteristics are visible on the install base form in their respective related lists.
Users can search characteristics using text search on the Customer Service platform and portals. On portals such as Customer Service, Consumer Service, and Business Location Service Portal (BLSP), install base characteristics related to parent items are visible under the Support header, while characteristics of child items are not shown.
Practical Benefits
- Enables precise tracking of product specifications and service requirements for install base items.
- Supports timely maintenance and service activities through accurate characteristic data.
- Improves visibility of install base information across customer service agents, administrators, and customers via portals.
Your customer service managers can create the characteristics of the install base items, while your administrators can capture and track the characteristics of the install base items by using the Customer Service Management application. These characteristics can provide information about the service requirements and ensure timely maintenance services for the install base item.
Overview
Install base characteristics enable flows like case management, field service management, planned maintenance, and reactive service requirements to occur on a schedule. Some install base characteristics are configurable and vary from product to product. The product model characteristics are non-configurable and are directly taken from the product model that is associated with the install base item.
Only users with the sn_customerservice_manager role can create the characteristics for the install base items. Users with the administrator role can activate the Install base characteristics plugin [com.snc.install_base_characteristics] to capture and view all the install base characteristics on the Install base form. To activate the plugin, see Activate a plugin.
The Install base characteristics data model represents how the characteristics of an install base item are stored. To learn about the different fields and tables that they're stored in, see Data model for the Install base item characteristics.
Roles
With the admin role, you can track the characteristics to provide the required product information to administrators, agents, business stakeholders, and customers. You can also track the services that are associated to an install base item at the time of purchase. With this role, you can capture the configurable and non-configurable characteristics to view the configuration specifications for an install base item.
With the sn_customerservice_manager role, you can create a set of configurable characteristics for an install base item on the Customer Service Management (CSM) application so that you can view the details about the install base item and the services that are associated to it. After you create an install base characteristic, the characteristic appears in the related list on the install base item form. For more information, see Create the install base characteristics for an install base item.
There are different functional and granular roles to provide varying levels of permissions to users. For information on the different access levels, see Security roles for the install base characteristics.
Install Base characteristics
The install base characteristics are stored in the Install Base Characteristics table [sn_install_base_item_characteristic]. However, both the install base and product model characteristics are displayed in the Install base characteristics and product model related lists on the install base form. You can use the text search option on the Customer Service platform and portals to search for the characteristics on the Install Base characteristics table.
You can view the install base characteristics on the Customer Service, Consumer Service, and Business Location Service Portal (BLSP).
Under the Support header on the portals home page, you can view the information about the install base characteristics that are associated with the parent install base item. The characteristics that are associated to the child items are not visible on the portals. For more information about the install base items from the Customer Service Portal, see View install base information from the Customer Service Portal.