Operational Technology Manager use case

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of Operational Technology Manager use case

    The Operational Technology Manager application establishes essential data and relationships for utilizing the Operational Technology (OT) solution within the ServiceNow platform. It leverages the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), Service Graph Connectors, and Discovery applications, while providing a comprehensive OT device inventory view through the OT Visibility dashboard in the Industrial Workspace.

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    Key Features

    • Extends CMDB class hierarchy using OT configuration item (CI) extension classes.
    • Restricts IT Discovery for OT Networks to OT-specific roles and allows the addition of OT-related metadata to discovery schedules.
    • Facilitates data import from Microsoft Excel using the Service Graph connector, ensuring accurate representation of OT devices in the CMDB.

    Key Outcomes

    With the Operational Technology Manager, you can:

    • Visualize dependencies among OT devices in your industrial environment.
    • Manage the lifecycle of OT devices at individual sites with role-based access control (RBAC).
    • Establish a robust data foundation and define crucial infrastructure levels.

    Industrial Process Manager use case

    The Industrial Process Manager application allows for the creation of ISA-95 equipment model data necessary for the OT solution.

    Key Features

    • Utilizes ISA-95 models to detail production processes across industrial sites.
    • Manages equipment model entities and their interrelations with OT devices.
    • Automatically maps relationships of OT devices to equipment model entities.

    Key Outcomes

    This application allows you to create custom equipment models tailored to each site.

    Operational Technology Vulnerability Response use case

    This feature enables prioritization and remediation of OT device vulnerabilities at the site level.

    Key Features

    • Links vulnerable items (VITs) with production processes for effective remediation.
    • Calculates risks for OT VITs based on the criticality of equipment model entities.
    • Automatically assigns VITs to remediation owners based on site assignments.

    Key Outcomes

    It helps prioritize vulnerabilities based on production process criticality and track remediation progress.

    Operational Technology Incident Management use case

    This functionality aids in managing disruptions in OT services provided by devices on an OT network.

    Key Features

    • Designates incidents as OT-specific upon creation from the Industrial Workspace, differentiating them from IT incidents.

    Key Outcomes

    Enables swift resolution of OT device and production process issues, distinguishing OT incidents from IT incidents.

    Operational Technology Change Management use case

    This component promotes collaborative efforts on changes related to OT devices or equipment configurations.

    Key Features

    • Employs a digitized change workflow connecting all stakeholders.
    • Allows unique change management processes for different sites.
    • Integrates workflows with OT Incident Management and Vulnerability Response applications.

    Key Outcomes

    Facilitates various change requests, including vulnerability fixes and equipment malfunctions, coordinated across teams.

    Operational Technology Knowledge Management use case

    This feature captures OT system information in knowledge articles to assist users and enhance communication.

    Key Features

    • Utilizes existing Knowledge Management capabilities within the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    • Allows browsing and creating knowledge articles directly from incident records.
    • Enables approvals for publishing or editing knowledge articles.

    Key Outcomes

    Supports sharing vital knowledge among technicians and engineers, improving incident resolution and communication.

    Operational Technology Request Management use case

    This function enables access to the OT Service Catalog for requesting and fulfilling OT catalog items.

    Key Features

    • Offers a unified view for managing multiple catalog requests efficiently.
    • Enhances transparency and expedites processes through automatic notifications and approvals.

    Key Outcomes

    Empowers OT engineers and supervisors to streamline request submissions and manage OT products and services effectively.

    The Operational Technology Manager use cases are described in this section.

    Operational Technology Manager use case

    The Operational Technology Manager application creates the foundational data and relationships that enable your enterprise to use the Operational Technology solution. It supports the use of the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), Service Graph Connectors, and Discovery applications in the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    The OT Visibility dashboard in the Industrial Workspace summarizes your OT device inventory. For more information about the dashboard, see Operational Technology Visibility dashboard.

    Key features
    • Operational Technology Manager uses OT configuration item (CI) extension classes that extend the CMDB class hierarchy.
    • IT Discovery for OT Networks is restricted to OT specific roles and OT related meta data can be added to an OT discovery schedule.
    • The Service Graph connector (Excel) imports OT data from a populated Microsoft Excel flat-file spreadsheet. This data is validated and then transformed into the appropriate table records and relationships to represent OT device details in the CMDB.
    Results
    With the Operational Technology Manager use case, you can:
    • Visualize dependencies of OT devices in the industrial environment.
    • Manage the life cycle of OT devices on a site-by-site basis with site specific RBAC
    • Create a solid data foundation and define critical levels of infrastructure.

    Industrial Process Manager use case

    Use the Industrial Process Manager application to create the ISA-95 equipment model data foundation that is required for the Operational Technology solution.

    Key features

    You can perform the following operations in the Industrial Process Manager workspace:

    • Use ISA-95 models to describe the production process at each site in the industrial environment.
    • Manage equipment model entities and their relationships with each other and with OT devices.
    • Automatically map the relationship of all OT devices to the equipment model entity it automates using the OT subnet to equipment model entity relationship.
    Results

    The Industrial Process Manager enables you to create a custom version of the equipment models in each of your sites.

    Operational Technology Vulnerability Response use case

    Operational Technology Vulnerability Response enables you to effectively prioritize and remediate OT device vulnerabilities at the site level.

    Key features
    • Remediation owner workspace maps vulnerable items (VITs) with the production process.
    • Risk calculation for OT VITs can be based on criticality of the equipment model entity automated by the OT device.
    • Automatic assignment of VITs to remediation owners based on the site assigned to the OT device with the VIT.
    Results

    By leveraging the CMDB relationships of OT devices, you can prioritize vulnerable devices or items based on the criticality of the production process they automate.

    As an OT engineer or OT vulnerability manager, Operational Technology Vulnerability Response enables you to find answers to questions such as:

    • What are my OT device vulnerabilities?​
    • How can I prioritize vulnerability remediation using OT specific risk?
    • What progress are we making toward remediation of OT vulnerabilities?

    The OTVR (PA) dashboard and the OT Vulnerability Risk Management dashboard in the Industrial Workspace summarize the vulnerabilities in your system. For more information about the OTVR (PA) dashboard, see Operational Technology Vulnerability Response (PA) dashboard. For more information about the OT Vulnerability Risk Management dashboard, see Operational Technology Risk Management dashboard.

    Operational Technology Incident Management use case

    OT incidents occur when there is a disruption in service that is provided by an OT device on an OT network. Sometimes, the OT device may not be known when the incident is first created. Operational Technology Incident Management enables engineers to quickly resolve OT device and production process issues.

    Key features

    When a user creates an OT incident from the Industrial Workspace, the incident is automatically assigned a Network Type of OT to distinguish an OT incident from an IT incident. The field is not displayed by default.

    Results

    Operational Technology Incident Management enables engineers to quickly resolve OT device and production process issues. It enables you to manage OT incidents separately from IT incidents.

    Operational Technology Change Management use case

    Operational Technology Change Management enables your team members to work collaboratively on changes to OT devices or industrial equipment configurations.

    Key features
    • Digitized change workflow that connects all stakeholders.
    • Sites that have different change management processes (workflows).
    • Separated IT Change Management and Operational Technology Change Management, but ability to be combined if necessary.
    • Integrated Operational Technology Change Management workflow with the Operational Technology Incident Management and Operational Technology Vulnerability Response applications.
    • Aligned factory floor changes for the equipment model entities with downtime schedules.
    Results
    The following examples show how to apply Operational Technology Change Management to your organization:
    • An OT remediation owner, who's responsible for fixing vulnerabilities on OT devices, wants to initiate a change to fix a group of vulnerabilities.
    • An OT technician, who's responsible for OT configurations and plant engineering activities, wants to execute a change to fix a malfunctioned robotic arm on the industrial floor.
    • A plant head, who's responsible for overall production activity, wants to review and approve a change requested by the engineering team.

    Operational Technology Knowledge Management use case

    Operational Technology Knowledge Management helps you to capture information about your Operational Technology (OT) system in knowledge articles that are related to OT incidents. Your organization can then use these knowledge articles to help your users to access the right information and prevent miscommunication with your users.

    Key features
    • Ability to use the existing Knowledge Management ServiceNow AI Platform capabilities with the Operational Technology Management solution.
    • Ability to browse all knowledge base articles that are related to an OT incident and to create knowledge articles directly from an incident record.
    • Ability to configure an OT knowledge base for knowledge managers and knowledge users.
    • Ability to create knowledge articles in the Industrial Workspace.
    • Ability to request approvals to publish, edit, retire, or delete a knowledge article.
    • Ability to edit existing knowledge articles with updated information.
    Results

    The following examples show how to apply  Operational Technology Knowledge Management to your team:

    • An OT engineer with several years of experience wants to capture their OT device knowledge in one place for guide workers and junior technicians.
    • Front-line workers and technicians responsible for production process operations have noticed an issue on the factory floor and need a knowledge article that explains remediation.

    Operational Technology Request Management use case

    Operational Technology Request Management enables you to access the OT Service Catalog to request OT catalog items and fulfill them based on the defined flows. OT workers can then create and submit an OT request from a catalog item, which helps provide a consistent experience and facilitates cross-functional requests.
    Key features
    • Provides a single view to efficiently manage multiple catalog requests​.
    • Encourages transparency, expedites request processes, and minimizes delays with automatic notifications and approvals.
    • Maintains the products and services menu that you can use to create and update catalog requests.
    Results
    The following examples show how to apply  Operational Technology Request Management to your team:
    • OT engineers can file and manage OT requests for various OT products and services in a one place.
    • A plant head or supervisor can engage with the correct team to remediate an incident reported on the factory floor.​