IT Service Management AI agent collection explain SLA agentic workflow

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of IT Service Management AI Agent Collection: Explain SLA Agentic Workflow

    The explain SLA agentic workflow is designed to analyze Service Level Agreements (SLAs) related to tasks like incidents, problems, cases, or change requests. It helps users understand SLA assignment, task ownership, and pause/resume events during the SLA duration. The workflow identifies the most critical SLA, typically the one that will breach first, and allows users to gain insights into SLA dynamics through standard questions and breakdowns.

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    Key Features

    • Identifies the primary SLA associated with a task, allowing users to track potential SLA breaches before they occur.
    • Provides insights into task ownership, reassignment patterns, and reasons for SLA breaches after they occur.
    • Allows users to ask the AI agent questions to facilitate better task management in line with SLA timelines.
    • Accessed manually without a trigger; users can modify the workflow by duplicating it and adjusting settings as needed.
    • Utilizes the snuxcgenai.snaiaslaexplain role for access, available with the itil role.

    Key Outcomes

    The explain SLA agentic workflow enhances SLA management by enabling users to:

    • Monitor SLA status proactively and address potential issues before breaches occur.
    • Investigate SLA breaches to understand patterns and assign tasks more effectively in the future.
    • Utilize AI-powered insights to improve task handling and SLA adherence.

    Users can access the workflow via the Now Assist panel, inputting change request numbers or custom questions to receive detailed SLA breakdowns and task management advice.

    Use the explain SLA agentic workflow to analyze a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and gain insight into the SLA assignment, task ownership, and pause and resume events in the SLA duration for a task, such as an incident, problem, case, or change request.

    Explain SLA agentic workflow overview

    The explain SLA agentic workflow begins with identifying the most important SLA associated with a task. By default, the matched SLA is the SLA that would be breached first. However, a different SLA can also be identified based on your SLA timer configuration. The workflow then suggests a few standard questions about the identified SLA. Based on the questions asked, the workflow explains the SLA breakdown by assignment, SLA duration, and provides insight into the task ownership, reassignment, and causes for the SLA breach.

    The explain SLA agentic workflow can be used in the following scenarios:
    • Before an SLA is breached, assigned users can gain an insight into the time elapsed and potential for the SLA breach. The assigned user can track gaps with previous assignments and SLA ownership if the SLA breakdown shows multiple reassignments across teams and repeated pauses in the SLA. Based on requirements, the user can ask the agent questions to plan the handling of the incident or task in adherence to the SLA timelines.
    • After an SLA is breached, users or groups can investigate the possible causes of the breach, reassignment patterns, and users who were assigned for the longest duration. The agent can also provide information on the factors contributing to the SLA breach. Based on the information, the SLA can be monitored and configured for better handling of tasks, and improved assignment plans can be created.
    Note:
    The explain SLA agentic workflow doesn’t have a trigger and is invoked manually.

    To modify the explain SLA agentic workflow, duplicate it, and adjust the settings according to your requirements.

    Important:
    When you modify an agentic workflow, AI agent, or tool, make sure that you update all instructions accordingly.

    Explain SLA

    Autonomously generate an explanation for the SLA breakdown.

    Note:
    The workflow can be accessed by the sn_uxc_gen_ai.sn_aia_sla_explain role that is available as a part of the itil role.
    To access and configure the agentic workflow:
    1. Navigate to All > AI Agent Studio > Create and manage.
    2. Select Explain SLA.

    AI agent used in the explain SLA agentic workflow

    The explain SLA AI agent provides a list of suggested questions that you can ask the agent to get a detailed explanation about the SLA. You can also add custom questions regarding the SLA.

    The following SLA details can be traced by conversing with the agent:
    • Reason for choosing the SLA for the given task
    • SLA target and vendor values
    • If the SLA is likely to breach
    • Time elapsed for the SLA
    • Number of times the SLA has paused or resumed, and their details
    • User and group assignments for the SLA
    • SLA assignment and breach patterns

    Generating SLA information using the explain SLA agentic workflow

    In the agentic workflow record:
    1. Review the information in the Describe and connect screen and in the Define trigger screen, make the necessary updates, and then select Save and Continue.
    2. In the Select a UI display screen, turn on the Display option to add the icon for the Now Assist panel in the menu bar.
    3. Select Save and test.
    The AI agent executes the request for the agentic workflow.

    Example of the explain SLA agentic workflow output in the ServiceNow® AI Agent Studio

    Explain SLA agentic workflow output in AI Agent Studio.

    Access and use the explain SLA agentic workflow from the Now Assist panel.

    You can add a query using the change request number to use the AI agent. You can enter the number from the suggested questions, add keywords from the questions, or ask custom questions to the agent.

    For the query instruction, follow the steps specified in the List of steps field of the Define key requirements screen of the agentic workflow record.

    In the AI Agent Studio, the human agent gets notified as soon as a text message is generated so that they can follow the on-screen instructions and complete the task. For more information, see Request the generative AI capabilities in ITSM by using the Now Assist panel.