--- sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-service-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia IT Service Management ft:clusterId : - itsm bundleId : - itsm workflow : - Technology --- # Conflict detection # Conflict detection {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 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) and their planned start and end dates. It checks for conflicts involving related blackout or maintenance schedules and other active change requests. This process is essential to prevent overlapping changes, ensure changes occur within approved maintenance windows, and avoid scheduling during blackout periods. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Conflict Identification Criteria:** Detects conflicts when CIs or their parent/child CIs are already scheduled, outside maintenance windows, within blackout windows, or assigned to personnel with conflicting schedules. * **Execution Options:** Conflict detection can run automatically upon entering or updating CI, start, and end date fields or when the change request state changes. * **System Property Configuration:** The `change.conflict.useprogressworker` system property controls the conflict detection method: * `false` (default) uses the Change Management Worker table and the Change - Conflict Detection flow running as a System user. * `true` uses Progress Workers as previously implemented. * **Manual Conflict Detection:** Users can manually trigger conflict detection and review detailed conflict information on the change request form. * **Conflict Calendar:** Provides a graphical view of scheduling conflicts including active changes, blackout periods, and maintenance window violations. * **Blackout and Maintenance Schedules:** Allows definition of blackout windows (periods when changes should not be scheduled) and maintenance windows (approved periods for changes), helping enforce organizational change policies. * **Change Management Conflict Analysis Properties:** Configure these properties to calculate conflicts and guide change schedule adjustments. * **Scheduling Assistant:** Helps resolve conflicts identified in the conflict calendar. * **Automatic Detection:** Conflict detection can be automated to run at set intervals or when change requests are updated for immediate conflict review. ## Practical Benefits and Usage By leveraging conflict detection, ServiceNow customers can proactively identify and resolve scheduling conflicts in change requests, ensuring changes occur within approved maintenance windows and avoid blackout periods. The system property configuration provides flexibility in managing detection execution. The conflict calendar and scheduling assistant enhance visibility and resolution of conflicts, improving change management efficiency and reducing risks associated with overlapping or untimely changes. Manual detection and detailed conflict reviews allow fine-tuned control when needed. 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/uWeywcJWCXG8NmbgNukTaw#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/I7dfJU_iBpGgC_duVHTFBg "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/HQtY4pGQb30K3L5cH7hUYg#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/Gyeat1enp08Zj9DzXEzZrA)** 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. * **[Configure a change request to monitor outside maintenance schedule conflicts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/4qha2Y2yPoZUitLS4JxHtg)** 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/I7dfJU_iBpGgC_duVHTFBg)** 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/WhxTMacVOFwKSVhGIs9how)** 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/uWeywcJWCXG8NmbgNukTaw#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.