Configuring advanced resource filters for Dispatcher Workspace

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configuring advanced resource filters for Dispatcher Workspace

    Advanced resource filtering in Dispatcher Workspace empowers administrators and dispatchers to create, save, and personalize filtered views of agents and crews. This feature enhances the default filtering options, enabling tailored views that improve efficiency and focus when managing resources.

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    Key Features

    • Personalized Filters: Dispatchers can create and save multiple advanced filters to quickly access customized views each time they open Dispatcher Workspace.
    • Administrator-Created Filters: Administrators can create and deploy advanced filters globally for all dispatchers, standardizing views across the team.
    • Filter Scope: Advanced filtering applies only to agents and crews; contractors and equipment filtering remains on the default contextual side panel.
    • System Properties: Enabling the snfsmdispwrkspc.dispatcherworkspace.showadvancedresourcefilter system property activates two key database views (agent filter configuration and crew filter configuration) and the Resource Filter configuration control.
    • Calendar Collapsed Dependency: The advanced resource filtering requires the calendar collapsed system property (snfsmdispwrkspc.calendarCollapsedBehavior) to be enabled. This property is preset in newer installations (Xanadu or later), but must be manually created and set to true in older installations (Washington DC or earlier).
    • Database Views and Tables: The database views contain tables with values (like username, user skill, crew name, crew skill) that dispatchers use to build filters. Administrators can extend these tables to include additional fields as needed, though this requires professional development and administrative expertise.

    Configuration Steps

    • Enable the advanced resource filter system property provided with Field Service Management.
    • Optionally configure which filter values are available for dispatchers by selecting from the advanced resource filter tables via the Agent Filter Configuration and Crew Filter Configuration menus.
    • Optionally create advanced resource filters at the administrative level for all dispatchers to access.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    By enabling and configuring advanced resource filters, ServiceNow customers can provide dispatchers with customized, efficient ways to manage and view agent and crew resources in Dispatcher Workspace. This results in improved dispatcher productivity and more tailored operational workflows. Customers should note that enabling this feature requires appropriate system property settings and, for more complex filtering needs, administrative setup involving database views and possibly professional development.

    Advanced resource filtering allows administrators and dispatchers to create and save their own filters for Dispatcher Workspace. This lets dispatchers personalize their view in Dispatcher Workspace.

    Default resource filtering

    By default, Dispatcher Workspace allows dispatchers to filter what they see with the contextual side panel. Dispatchers can filter by agent, contractor, or skill. For more information, see Filter Dispatcher Workspace views.

    Advanced resource filtering

    Advanced resource filtering allows dispatchers to create their own filtered view in Dispatcher Workspace. They can save the filtered view to personalize what they see every time they open Dispatcher Workspace. Dispatchers can also create and save any number of filters so they can quickly re-apply any view they might need to see.

    Advanced resource filtering also allows administrators to create their own advanced filter and apply it to Dispatcher Workspace for all dispatchers to use.

    Warning:

    Advanced resource filtering is only available for filtering agents and crews. If you currently use contractors or equipment you should continue to use the default filter in the contextual side panel.

    The advanced resource filter system property

    When you enable the advanced resource filter system property you turn on two data base views. Database views are collections of tables. These two database views contain tables with values that dispatchers can use to create their advanced resource filters. The database views are called the agent filter configuration database view and the crew filter configuration database view.

    The advanced resource filter system property also turns on a control which allows administrators to create any custom filter and add it to Dispatcher Workspace for all dispatchers to use. This control is called the Resource Filter configuration.

    You must have the calendar collapsed system property (sn_fsm_disp_wrkspc.calendarCollapsedBehavior) enabled to use advanced resource filters. The calendar collapsed system property is only available for new customers that installed Field Service Management with Xanadu or a later version. If you installed Field Service Management with Washington DC or an earlier version, then you must create the calendar collapsed system property (sn_fsm_disp_wrkspc.calendarCollapsedBehavior) and set it to true.

    Database views

    The agent filter configuration database view and the crew agent filter configuration database view contain a list of tables. By default, dispatchers can create advanced filters based off of username and user skill in the agent tab, or crew name and crew skill in the crew tab.

    If you want dispatchers to be able to use more values to create advanced filters with, then you must indicate what values in the tables are available.

    Note:
    You access the database views by selecting Agent Filter Configuration or Crew Filter Configuration from the All menu.

    The tables are different if you have assignment groups or territories configured. For a list of the tables that contain the values administrators must enable for dispatchers to use to create resource filters, see Advanced resource filter tables

    Extending tables

    The values in any tables related to users or crews that are part of your deployment can be extended into Dispatcher Workspace and used to create an advanced resource filter. The process is called Creating database views for reporting.
    Warning:
    You must be a professional developer and a service now administrator to set this up.

    For more information, see Working with database views for reporting.

    Resource filter configuration

    Administrators can create advanced resource filters for dispatchers using the values available in the Advanced resource filter tables. When an administrator creates an advanced resource filter, the resource filter is available for all dispatchers to use in Dispatcher Workspace.

    Configuration overview

    The steps for setting up advanced resource filters are:

    1. Properties installed with Field Service Management

      Enable the advanced resource filters system property (sn_fsm_disp_wrkspc.dispatcher_workspace.show_advanced_resource_filter).

    2. (Optional) Configure resource filter options

      Select the values that are available for dispatchers to create advanced resource filters with.

    3. (Optional) Create an advanced resource filter for dispatchers

      Create an advanced resource filter for all dispatchers to use in Dispatcher Workspace.

    4. Advanced Filtering in Dispatcher Workspace

      Dispatchers can create and apply their own advanced filters.