--- sourceDocument: Brazil IT Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-service-management Release : - brazil ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Brazil IT Service Management ft:clusterId : - itsm bundleId : - itsm workflow : - Technology --- # Conflict detection # Conflict detection {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Brazil Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Conflict detection Conflict detection in Change Management identifies potential scheduling conflicts for change requests based on configuration items (CIs), planned start and end dates, and related blackout or maintenance schedules. It ensures that changes do not overlap with other active changes, blackout periods, or maintenance windows, helping to avoid scheduling issues and service disruptions. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Conflict Identification:** Detects conflicts when CIs or their parent/child CIs are scheduled at overlapping times, outside maintenance windows, or during blackout periods. It also checks if assigned personnel are double-booked. * **Conflict Detection Execution:** By default, uses the Change Management Worker table and the Change - Conflict Detection flow running as a System user. Alternatively, it can use Progress Workers if the `change.conflict.useprogressworker` system property is set to true. * **Automatic and Manual Detection:** Conflict detection runs automatically when CI, start, or end dates are entered or updated, or when the change request state changes. Manual conflict detection is also supported for on-demand analysis. * **Conflict Calendar:** Provides a graphical view of conflicts including active change requests, blackout windows, and maintenance schedules, aiding in visual conflict resolution. * **Blackout and Maintenance Schedules:** Supports defining blackout windows (periods when changes should not be scheduled) and maintenance windows (preferred times for changes) to guide scheduling decisions. * **Schedule Types and Monitoring:** Uses maintenance, blackout, and informational schedules to evaluate change timing and can flag when changes are planned outside maintenance windows. * **Scheduling Assistant:** Helps resolve detected scheduling conflicts using calendar and workflow tools integrated with conflict detection. ## Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers ServiceNow customers can leverage conflict detection to proactively identify and manage scheduling conflicts in change requests, ensuring changes are planned during appropriate maintenance windows and avoiding blackout periods. This reduces risks of service interruptions caused by overlapping changes or resource conflicts. Automated detection triggered by field updates or state changes keeps conflict information current, while manual detection enables detailed analysis as needed. Using the conflict calendar and scheduling assistant, customers gain a clear, visual approach to resolving conflicts. Defining blackout and maintenance schedules allows aligning change activities with organizational policies and operational constraints, improving change success rates and minimizing downtime. Conflict detection identifies potential scheduling conflicts for a change request based on the configuration items, and planned start and end date or the change. If a scheduling conflict exists, conflict detection also checks any related blackout or maintenance schedules and other active change requests to determine the scheduling conflict. Conflict detection identifies conflicts for any of the following reasons: * The configuration items (CIs) are already scheduled at the given date and time. * A parent or child of the CI is already scheduled at the given date and time. * The CI is not in the maintenance window. * A parent or child of the CI is not in the maintenance window. * The CI is in a blackout window. * A parent or child of the CI is in a blackout window. * The CI is assigned to a person already scheduled at the given date and time. {#c_ConflictDetection__ul_fgx_ghd_3fb} Using the change.conflict.useprogressworker system property, the conflict detection process can now be managed in two ways. By default, the value of this property is set as false, and conflict detection is executed using the Change Management Worker table and the Change - Conflict Detection flow (that runs as a System user). If you set the value of this property as true, conflict detection uses Progress Workers instead, as it used previously. You can also manually execute conflict detection. For more information, see [Detect conflicts manually and review conflict details](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/CLXg6Qv~xGrV9JUUsilpuw#t_RunManualConflictDetection "Run conflict detection manually for a change request. Review the conflicts detected either automatically or manually and resolve them by changing the schedules."). ## Conflict detection process {#c_ConflictDetection__section_plb_1vr_zfc} Conflict detection can run automatically when you provide values for the Configuration item, planned start and end date fields in the change form. It can also run when the values in any one of these fields are updated, or when values for these fields are available and the state of the change request is updated. When Conflicts are identified, the conflict status and conflict last run fields are updated to reflect the outcome. Conflicts can be reviewed in the Conflict section of the change request form. ## Conflict detection process using flows {#c_ConflictDetection__section_cn4_kkl_yhc} When the value in the change.conflict.useprogressworker system property is set to false, the Change Management Worker (chg_mgt_worker) table and the Change - Conflict Detection flow (that runs as a System user) can be used to track the execution of conflict detection for a change request. You can view the associated Change - Conflict Detection flow by selecting Show Flows on the change form. ## Conflict Calendar {#c_ConflictDetection__section_e5r_frp_yhb} You can choose to display a conflict calendar to view identified scheduling conflicts. For more information, see [Conflict calendar](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zhtZjMA1jKN~OHPH9zUmcg "The conflict calendar graphically represents the potential scheduling conflicts for a change request. Conflicts are identified as active change requests, blackout schedules, and changes scheduled outside maintenance schedules. Use the Scheduling Assistant to resolve any schedule conflicts.") * **[Detect change conflicts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/B2HpucwNAJGAFMvbGWRhAQ#configure-conflict-properties)** Detect change conflicts by setting Change Management conflict analysis properties. Use the resulting information to calculate conflicts for change requests and review and modify the change to eliminate conflicts. * **[Create blackout and maintenance schedules in Change Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ZVVWIn98hUszJFgbY1QDvQ)** Use the Blackout and Maintenance windows to schedule a change. Blackout windows specify times during which normal change activity should not be scheduled. Maintenance windows specify times during which change requests should be scheduled. For example, create a blackout schedule for code freezes at the end of the year. * **[Schedule types in conflict detection](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/B_0H4tP7Mxow4pE~qutmmw)** Conflict detection uses maintenance, blackout, and information schedules to evaluate when change requests can be implemented. Each schedule type supports a category and optional ownership fields. * **[Configure a change request to monitor outside maintenance schedule conflicts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/us737biPDMUAsNMcFSNrug)** When a change request is configured to display the conflicts that are outside the maintenance schedule, conflict detection indicates whether the planned start and end dates occur outside the maintenance window or not. By reviewing the conflicts that are detected, you can modify the change schedule. * **[Conflict calendar](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zhtZjMA1jKN~OHPH9zUmcg)** The conflict calendar graphically represents the potential scheduling conflicts for a change request. Conflicts are identified as active change requests, blackout schedules, and changes scheduled outside maintenance schedules. Use the Scheduling Assistant to resolve any schedule conflicts. * **[Enable automatic change conflict detection](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/4PzHP7bDuWMAJgUkodyBxw)** Automate conflict detection to run at specific intervals or when a change request is updated to immediately review the conflicts when the schedule dates are updated. * **[Detect conflicts manually and review conflict details](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/CLXg6Qv~xGrV9JUUsilpuw#t_RunManualConflictDetection)** Run conflict detection manually for a change request. Review the conflicts detected either automatically or manually and resolve them by changing the schedules.