Improvement field descriptions

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 8 minutes to read
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    Summary of Improvement Field Descriptions

    The Improvement Initiative form in ServiceNow's Continual Improvement Management allows users to track and manage improvement initiatives effectively. This form includes various fields that capture essential details about each initiative, ensuring clarity and accountability throughout the improvement process.

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    Key Features

    • Unique CIM Number: Identifies each improvement initiative.
    • Business Service: Links the initiative to the relevant business service.
    • CIM Coordinator: Assigns responsibility for the initiative’s completion.
    • State Tracking: Monitors the initiative’s status through predefined states such as New, In Progress, or Closed.
    • Priority Level: Ranks the urgency of the initiative from Critical to Planning.
    • Effort Estimate: Provides an estimate of the resources required for completion.
    • Goals and Metrics: Tracks success through KPIs, target values, and expected outcomes.
    • Related Lists: Connects tasks, phases, impacted KPIs, and approvers directly to the initiative.

    Key Outcomes

    Utilizing the Improvement Initiative form allows ServiceNow customers to:

    • Effectively document and manage improvement projects, enhancing visibility and tracking.
    • Align initiatives with strategic objectives, driving organizational goals.
    • Measure success through automated KPIs and performance analytics.
    • Streamline communication among team members through watch lists and approval workflows.

    Improvement Initiative form and related field descriptions.

    Improvement Initiative form

    Field Description
    Number

    Unique CIM number.
    Business service

    CMDB Business service improved by the improvement initiative.
    Service offering

    Service offering associated with this improvement initiative.
    Business process

    Business process improved by the improvement initiative.

    When a business process is selected, the improvement area Type field on the Details tab is automatically set to Process.
    CIM Coordinator

    User primarily responsible for ensuring the completion of the improvement initiative.

    The CIM Coordinator must have the Improvement Coordinator role (sn_cim.improvement_coordinator).
    Approver group

    Group of users that have permission to approve the improvement initiative.

    CIM Approvers group is added with Continual Improvement Management. Default is empty.
    Strategies

    Strategic objectives impacted by the improvement initiative. Multiple strategic objectives can be selected. Strategic objectives can be added from the lookup list.

    The lookup list contains both Continual Improvement Management strategic objectives and business enterprise strategies to align with the improvement initiative.

    An enterprise strategy can be added from the navigation menu Continual Improvement > Enterprise Strategies.

    Also accessible through Business Planner and Organization navigation menus.
    Note:
    If the improvement initiative does not align with a company strategic objective, you can click Reject in the header bar to reject the improvement initiative.
    State
    State of the improvement initiative. This field is read only.
    • New
    • Accepted
    • Assess
    • Approved
    • In Progress
    • On Hold
    • Monitor/Review
    • Closed
    • Canceled
    On hold reason Reason for putting the improvement initiative on hold.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when the state is on hold.

    When an improvement initiative is placed on hold, all CIM tasks are also placed on hold, but the state can be changed manually.

    When the improvement initiative is taken off hold, the CIM tasks are returned back to their previous state unless they were changed manually.
    Priority
    Sequence in which an incident or problem is to be worked on, based on impact and urgency.
    • 1 - Critical
    • 2 - High
    • 3 - Moderate
    • 4 - Low
    • 5 - Planning
    Effort estimate
    Estimate of effort to complete all required tasks for the improvement initiative.
    • Small
    • Medium
    • Large
    • Extra Large
    Benefits

    Expected level of benefits achieved by completing the improvement initiative.
    Percent complete

    Percentage of work completed. The percentage is based on the completed state of the CIM phases that belong to this improvement initiative. For example, if there are five CIM phases, each contributes to 20% completion.
    Short description

    Brief explanation of the improvement initiative.
    Business justification

    Description about the importance of the improvement and additional details that includes metrics or KPIs used to measure the success.

    Goals tab

    Field Description
    Success measurement method
    • Automated: PA Indicator: An improvement KPI.
    • Reports: Reports to track progress. Users who do not use performance analytics can add reports to track the initiatives.
    • Survey and Assessment: An Assessment metric type.
    • Manual: All other types.
    Improvement KPI

    Primary KPI used to measure the improvement of the improvement initiative.

    The Show Score Card icon launches the Performance Analytics score card for the improvement KPI.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when the Success Measurement Method field is set to Automated: PA Indicator.
    Breakdown
    The breakdown of the improvement KPI, if one exists.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when an improvement KPI is selected for the Automated: PA Indicator success measurement method.
    Element
    The element of the KPI breakdown.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when a breakdown is selected.
    2nd Breakdown
    The second-level breakdown of the improvement KPI, if one exists.
    Note:
    This field is shown only after the first breakdown is selected.
    2nd Element
    The element of the second-level KPI breakdown.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when a second-level breakdown is selected.
    Time Series
    Time series for the improvement KPI.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when an improvement KPI is selected.
    Survey & Assessment Assessment metric type associated with the improvement initiative.
    Note:
    This field is shown only for the Survey & Assessment success measurement method.

    If the improvement initiative was created from within the Survey Management application, this field is not automatically populated.
    Base value

    Base value of the success measurement method when the target is set.
    Percentage improvement
    Percent improvement target.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when an improvement KPI is selected.

    If the KPI is a percent type, then this field is calculated automatically (based on Base value and Target value fields).
    Target value

    Absolute target value.

    Note:
    For the Automated: PA Indicator success measurement method, if the KPI is not a percent type, then this field is calculated automatically (based on base value and percentage improvement).

    If the target value is already set on the indicator, breakdown, element, and aggregation, this field is automatically set. However, you can override this value by specifying a percent in the Percent Improvement field.

    The target value set in this field is synced with the Performance Analytics indicator target for the KPI (Performance Analytics > Indicator > Targets).
    Target review date
    Date the goal should be achieved.
    Note:
    For the Automated: PA Indicator success measurement method, even if the target date is already set on the indicator, breakdown, element, and aggregation, this field is not automatically set.
    Expected outcomes

    Tangible artifacts and updates expected by the improvement initiative (for example, updated process published in new template, work Instructions, and FAQ published in knowledge base).

    Details tab

    Field Description
    Requested for

    User for which the improvement initiative was created.
    Type
    Area improved by the improvement initiative. One or many areas may be selected.
    • People
    • Process
    • Technology

    When a value is selected for the Business Process field, the Type field is automatically set to Process.
    Watch list

    Users notified when updates are made to the improvement initiative.
    Parent initiative

    Parent initiative associated with this child initiative.

    When a parent initiative is selected, all associated child initiatives display in the Child Initiatives related list.
    Source/Parent
    Source or parent application from which the improvement initiative was created.
    • Coaching Opportunity (COP)

      Coaching opportunity record to which the improvement initiative is linked.

    • CMDB

      Remediate Duplicate Tasks record to which the improvement initiative is linked.

    • Demand (DMND)

      Demand record to which the improvement initiative is linked.

    • GRC issue

      Issue record to which the improvement initiative is linked.

    • Incident (INC)

      Incident record to which the improvement initiative is linked.

    • Problem (PRB)

      Problem record to which the improvement initiative is linked.

    • (Survey) Assessment Metric Type

      Assessment metric type for the survey definition record to which the improvement initiative is linked.

    Note:
    This field is shown only when an improvement initiative is created from Coaching, CMDB, Demand Management, GRC, Incident Management, Problem Management, or Survey Management applications.

    Schedule tab

    Field Description
    Planned start date Expected start date. By default, this field displays the date and time when the CIM initiative was created.
    Planned end date Expected end date. By default, this field displays the date and time for the day after the planned start date.
    Actual start date The date and time when the progress on a new initiative starts.
    Actual end date The date and time when the last task associated with an initiative is completed.

    Notes tab

    Field Description
    Additional comments (customer visible)

    Check box to show additional comments that are visible to the customer.

    If checked, the Additional comments (Customer visible) field content is shown.
    Work notes
    Work notes relating to the improvement initiative.
    Note:
    Required when submitting the improvement initiative for reapproval.

    Closure Notes tab

    Field Description
    Closure code
    • Successful: Goals met.
    • Withdrawn: No longer needed/applicable.
    • Unsuccessful: Goals not met.
    Achieved outcome category
    • Cost Reduction
    • Revenue Generation
    • Time Savings
    • Customer Satisfaction
    • Quality Improvement
    Close notes

    Notes regarding the improvement initiative closure.

    CIM Phases related list

    Field Description
    Number

    Unique CIMT phase number.
    Parent

    Improvement initiative to which the CIM phase belongs. There can be multiple CIM phases per improvement initiative.

    The CIM phase groups the tasks, sets a planned end date, and shows the percent complete for tracking purposes.
    Percent complete

    Percentage of work completed.

    Percentage is based on the completed state of the CIM tasks that belong to this CIM phase.

    For example, if there are five CIM tasks, each contributes to 20% completion.
    Planned end date

    Estimated phase end date.
    Actual end date

    End date of the phase.
    Short Description

    Short description of the phase.
    Description

    (Required) Full description of the phase.

    CIM Tasks related list

    Field Description
    Number

    Unique CIMT task number.
    Parent

    If the CIM task is tied to a CIM phase, the improvement phase number to which the CIM task belongs. A CIM task can only be tied to one CIM phase.

    You can also create a CIM task directly from a CIM initiative.

    CIM tasks consist of the work required to complete the improvement initiative.
    Active

    Check box that indicates whether the task is active.
    Assigned to

    User primarily responsible for completion of the task.
    Improvement Initiative

    Improvement initiative number to which the CIM task belongs.
    Priority
    Sequence in which an incident or problem is to be worked on, based on impact and urgency.
    • 1 - Critical
    • 2 - High
    • 3 - Moderate
    • 4 - Low
    • 5 - Planning
    State
    State of the task.
    • Pending
    • Open
    • Work In Process
    • Closed Complete
    • Closed Incomplete
    • Closed Skipped
    • On Hold
    On Hold Reason Reason for putting the CIM task on hold.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when the state is on hold.

    When an improvement initiative is placed on hold, all CIM tasks are also placed on hold, but the state can be changed manually.

    When the improvement initiative is taken off hold, the CIM tasks are returned back to their previous state (unless they were changed manually).
    Planned end date

    Estimated end date of the task.
    Short Description

    Short description of the task.
    Description

    Full description of the task.
    Work notes

    Work notes for the task.

    Impacted KPIs related list

    Field Description
    Improvement Initiative

    Improvement initiative number to which the impacted KPI belongs.
    Impacted KPI

    Other related KPIs (independent of the Improvement KPI) that are affected by changes made as a result of the improvement initiative.
    Breakdown
    The breakdown of the impacted KPI.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when an impacted KPI is selected.
    Element
    The element of the KPI breakdown.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when a breakdown is selected.
    Breakdown Level 2
    The second-level breakdown of the improvement KPI, if one exists.
    Note:
    This field is shown only after the first breakdown is selected.
    Element Level 2
    The element of the second-level KPI breakdown.
    Note:
    This field is shown only when a second-level breakdown is selected.
    View Scorecard

    Related link to view the scorecard for the KPI.

    Approvers related list

    Field Description
    State
    State of the approval.
    • Not Yet Requested
    • Requested
    • Approved
    • Rejected
    • Canceled
    • No Longer Required
    Approver

    User authorized to approve the improvement initiative.

    Approvers are members of the group set in the Approver Group field on the Improvement Initiative form.
    Comments

    Comments for the approval improvement initiative.
    Created

    Date the improvement initiative was created.