Configure dynamic related records

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configure dynamic related records

    The dynamic related records feature in ServiceNow’s Customer Service Management (CSM) Configurable Workspace enables system administrators to display context-sensitive related records in the contextual side panel. These related records update dynamically based on the current record or playbook activity, enhancing agent productivity by providing relevant information without navigating away from the workspace.

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    Key Components and How They Work

    • Related Record Context: Defines where and when related records appear. This includes specifying the source table (e.g., customer service cases or playbook activities) and any conditions that determine if related records should be displayed at runtime.
    • Related Record Definition: Identifies specific types of related data to retrieve, such as SLAs, emails, or escalations. Multiple definitions can be associated with a single context.
    • Context Related Record Definition: Links context records with their related record definitions, controlling which related data is shown for each context.

    At runtime, the system evaluates the current record or playbook activity against the defined contexts and their conditions. If conditions are met, the system executes the related record definitions, retrieving and displaying the appropriate related records dynamically.

    Configuration Tasks

    • Create and configure related record contexts and definitions to specify which related records appear in the Related Records tab.
    • Customize the card layout for displaying related records using the Entity View Action Mapper (EVAM), which standardizes card and list presentations through view configurations and JSON-based view templates.
    • Set limits on the maximum number of related records displayed to optimize workspace usability.

    The Dynamic Related Records for Configurable Workspace plugin provides predefined related record definitions and an EVAM configuration bundle, which administrators can modify or extend to meet organizational needs.

    Predefined Related Record Definitions Included

    • SLAs: Shows SLA details per case, including stage, start time, and business time left.
    • Emails: Displays emails related to a case with details such as subject, recipient, and creation date.
    • Escalations: Lists escalations for cases or associated accounts and contacts, including state and severity.
    • Blocked By: Shows tasks blocking a case, including reasons.
    • Child Cases: Displays related child cases with key information like number and short description.

    Administrators can enable these definitions for agents by adding them to the related records shared page in UI Builder, ensuring agents have immediate access to pertinent related data during case handling.

    System administrators can configure the dynamic related records feature to display related records in the contextual side panel in CSM Configurable Workspace. These records dynamically change based on the context of the current record or playbook activity.

    Configuring the dynamic related records feature involves several types of records. See the following table for details about these record types.
    • Related record contexts
    • Related record definitions
    • Context related record definitions
    Table 1. Dynamic related record types
    Record type Description
    Related record context
    Defines the context in which related records appear in the Related Records tab. You can create a related record context for the following types of records:
    • A source record, such as a customer service case
    • A playbook activity, such as adding additional members to an onboarding case
    A context record identifies the following information:
    • The table that contains the type of record for which related records are being configured.
    • Additional conditions that apply to the selected table. These conditions determine if the related record definitions for the selected table are executed at runtime.
    • The types of related records to display, such as SLAs or emails.
    Related record definition

    Identifies one specific type of data to be retrieved, such as SLAs or active contracts.

    You can create a related record definition for each type of data to include in the Related Records tab and then associate one or more definitions with a context record.
    Context related record definition

    Defines the relationship between a context record and its associated definition records.

    When you open a context record, you can see the associated definition records in the Context Related Record Definitions related list.
    For more information about these tables, including field descriptions, see Dynamic related record tables.

    How the context and definition records work

    The context record defines the context in which related records appear in the Related Records tab. This includes conditions to apply to the selected record type. For example, to create a context record for an onboarding playbook activity:
    1. Select the table that stores the activity: Activity Execution [sys_pd_activity_context].
    2. Define additional conditions that apply to the selected table:
      • [Activity.Process definition] [is] [Onboarding playbook]
      • [Activity] [is] [Add additional members]
      These conditions determine if the related record definitions for the selected table are executed at runtime. If the conditions evaluate to true, the definitions are executed. If false, the definitions are ignored. If a context has no conditions, this evaluates to true.
    3. Select the related record definitions to execute: Additional Members
    At runtime, the system checks to see if there are related record contexts that match the current record or playbook activity.
    • When it finds a match, the system evaluates the conditions defined in the context.
    • If the conditions evaluate to true, the system executes the related record definitions for the context.
    To continue with the example above, an agent using the Case Playbook for Onboarding is currently working on the activity to add additional members. The system performs the following actions to display the correct related records:
    • Checks the active contexts and finds Onboarding Additional Members.
    • Evaluates the conditions in the context and determines that they evaluate to true.
    • Executes the Additional Members related record definition.
    • Retrieves and displays the correct set of records from the table identified in the Additional Members related record definition. In this case, the Related Party [sn_customerservice_related_party] table.

    The definition record uses a script to define which related records are retrieved based on the context. This record also includes the table where the related record data is stored. At runtime, the script evaluates the context of the current record or playbook activity, along with any conditions, and dynamically displays the related record data.

    Dynamic related record configuration tasks

    Configuring the dynamic related records feature includes the following tasks:
    • Configure the related record contexts and definitions to identify which related records to display in the Related Records tab.
    • Configure the card layout for the records displayed in the Related Records tab.
    • Configure the maximum number of related records to display.

    Related Records list card layout

    Records appear in the Related Records tab in a card format. This format is created with Entity View Action Mapper (EVAM), a ServiceNow AI Platform application that standardizes how different data sources display in cards and lists.

    EVAM uses view configurations and view templates to determine how information for each type of related record is displayed.
    • EVAM view configuration: Combines conditions, the table and table fields, and declarative actions with an associated view template.
    • EVAM view template: Contains the JSON used to give the necessary information for the card display and use.

    EVAM view configurations can be grouped together to create configuration bundles. The Dynamic Related Records for Configurable Workspace plugin includes a configuration bundle, dynamic_related_records_bundle, which contains view configurations and view templates for the dynamic related records feature.

    The system administrator can modify the view configurations in the dynamic_related_records_bundle or create new view configurations. This includes selecting the fields that are displayed on the card for each type of record. For more information, see:

    Related record definitions included with the plugin

    The Dynamic Related Records for Configurable Workspace plugin includes several related record definitions for case records. To view a list of definitions, navigate to Dynamic Related Record > Related Record Definitions.

    The system administrator can make any of these definitions available to agents by adding them to the related records shared page in UI Builder.
    Table 2. Related Record Definitions table
    Related record definition Description
    SLAs Displays SLAs for a case, including information from the following fields:
    • Stage
    • SLA definition
    • Start time
    • Business time left
    Emails Displays emails for a case, including information from the following fields:
    • Notification type
    • Subject
    • Recipient
    • Date created
    Escalations Displays escalations for a case or for the account and contact or consumer, including information from the following fields:
    • State
    • Number
    • Escalation severity
    • Source record
    Blocked By Displays blocking tasks for a case, including information from the following fields:
    • Blocking task
    • Blocking reason
    Child Cases Displays child cases related to a case, including information from the following fields:
    • Number
    • Short description
    • Account and contact
    • Consumer