Exploring LEAP
Summarize
Summary of Exploring LEAP
LEAP (Learning Enhanced Automation Platform) is a ServiceNow solution designed to streamline incident and operational task management by leveraging AI and automation. It categorizes similar incidents into groups, called Automation Opportunities (AOs), and uses AI to generate resolution steps, problem records, knowledge base articles, and playbooks. These capabilities help accelerate incident resolution, promote automation, and support smoother IT operations.
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LEAP integrates with tools like Ansible Automation Platform, enabling customers to connect automation playbooks directly to resolution steps, enhancing orchestration and execution of automated tasks.
Key Features
- Incident Grouping and Clustering: LEAP uses the Group Action Framework (GAF), a machine learning-powered clustering engine, to analyze incident short descriptions and group incidents with similar patterns into Automation Opportunities. This approach focuses on recurring issues rather than isolated incidents, improving automation targeting.
- Configurable Analysis: Customers can configure which fields, tables, and columns GAF analyzes and adjust the schedule for clustering jobs, which run monthly by default.
- AI-Generated Artifacts: The LEAP AI agent, enabled by default, generates problem records, AI-enhanced knowledge base articles, and playbooks based on Automation Opportunities and user requests, helping automate knowledge creation and incident resolution.
- Integration with Ansible Automation Platform: LEAP’s homepage displays a banner prompting connection to Ansible, allowing customers to link Ansible playbooks with resolution steps for automated remediation.
- User Roles and Personas: LEAP defines roles such as LEAP Admin, Viewer, and Agent, each with specific access and capabilities. It supports personas including Automation Architects, IT Operators, and Business Goal Owners, fostering collaboration across IT operations and automation strategy.
Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
- Promotes an Automation Culture: LEAP helps customers identify and automate repetitive, high-impact incidents, reducing manual efforts and errors.
- Improves Incident Resolution: AI-generated playbooks and knowledge articles enable quicker, more consistent incident handling by L1 and L2 operators.
- Enhances Performance Measurement: LEAP provides insights to measure and optimize MTTR (Mean Time to Resolve) and overall IT operations efficiency.
- Optimizes Resource Allocation: By focusing on recurring issues and automation opportunities, LEAP helps prioritize IT resources effectively.
- Cost Predictability: LEAP offers a fixed pricing model for incident analysis operations, aiding in budgeting and cost management.
Practical Use and Next Steps
ServiceNow customers can begin by activating LEAP, configuring its settings including clustering parameters, and integrating automation platforms like Ansible. LEAP admins manage feature toggles, scheduled jobs, and artifact generation, while IT operators leverage AI-generated playbooks for incident resolution directly within the Service Operations Workspace.
To maximize LEAP’s value, organizations should align personas and roles to automate high-impact incident workflows, continuously refine automation scripts, and use LEAP’s insights to drive operational improvements.
LEAP categorizes similar incidents into groups and uses AI to generate resolution steps, problem records, AI-enhanced knowledge base articles, and playbooks.
LEAP overview
The landing page displays the number of records analyzed in the Automation opportunities section. The tooltip provides details about the duration considered for record analysis. https://player.vimeo.com/video/1203972930?h=a3a7ebd490&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479%22
When the LEAP homepage loads, it displays a banner that you can use to connect Ansible Automation Platform. The banner makes the Ansible automation integration discoverable so that you can connect the automation tool and map playbooks to resolution steps. Select Connect to open the LEAP settings page and configure the connection. To dismiss the banner, select Remind me later. The banner reappears when you refresh the homepage until a connection is configured. After you connect Ansible, the banner no longer appears on the homepage.
Grouping of automation opportunities in LEAP
GAF (Group Action Framework) is the clustering engine that LEAP uses to group incidents into Automation Opportunities (AOs). GAF analyzes incident records using the short description field and applies ML-powered clustering to group incidents that share similar problem patterns. LEAP surfaces recurring issue types as discrete automation opportunities (AOs) rather than treating every incident in isolation.
GAF runs on a scheduled job, by default monthly. The schedule is configured during LEAP skill activation through the installer. On the first run, GAF processes up to six months of historical incident data using the filter set in the installer.
Before clustering begins, GAF selects the top N incidents from the eligible incident pool, where N is configurable and can be set to a maximum of 50. This selection confirms that clustering focuses on the most relevant and recent incidents within the defined scope. You can configure the fields GAF considers during analysis such as tables and columns in the LEAP settings. You can also modify the schedule run frequency in the LEAP settings.
LEAP users
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| LEAP admin |
You have full control over LEAP capabilities, including the following:
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LEAP viewer |
You can access and view data related to LEAP, including tables, the workspace, and problems originating from AOs. |
|
LEAP agent |
You can access the LEAP menu from the Service Operations Workspace (SOW) and trigger LEAP executions directly from within SOW. |
These roles work together to create a streamlined and secure approach for managing automation, resolving incidents, and sharing knowledge across teams.
Personas in LEAP
LEAP supports different personas who can have different roles assigned to enhance IT Operations Management.
| Persona | Description | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Automation architect | An automation architect is a senior technical expert who designs and develops automation solutions, scaling them when required. They're a bridge between IT operations, business needs, and automation strategy. The automation architect streamlines manual, repetitive, and error-prone tasks. |
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| IT operator | An IT operator includes all L1 and L2 incident handlers who support day-to-day IT operations. |
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| Buyer, Business goal owner | A buyer or a business goal owner gains strategic and operational advantages using LEAP. |
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An automation architect can use LEAP to gather feedback and refine solutions. In a similar manner, IT operators will use LEAP to detect recurring issues and LEAP displays suggestions for preventive automation. This enables faster resolution and operators can resolve more incidents independently leading to improved efficiency and service quality.
LEAP benefits
| Benefit | Feature |
|---|---|
| Promotes automation culture | Interpret data and automate records |
| Drives incident resolution | Measure and enhance performance |
| Targets Outcomes for L1 Operators | Interpret data and automate records |
| Improves MTTR | Measure and enhance performance |
| Optimize Resource Allocation | Identify and prioritize high impact areas |
| Provides cost predictability | Fixed pricing model for incident analysis operations |
LEAP AI agent
The LEAP AI agent uses automation opportunities created by LEAP analysis to generate artifacts — problem records, knowledge base articles, or playbooks — based on user requests.
| AI agent | AI agent role |
|---|---|
| LEAP AI agent | Uses the automation opportunities created by LEAP analysis, and creates artifacts — problem records, AI-enhanced knowledge base articles, or playbooks — based on user requests. |