On-Call Scheduling workflows

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of On-Call Scheduling workflows

    On-Call Scheduling workflows automate operations related to managing on-call duties within ServiceNow. These workflows use escalation settings, shift and roster configurations, and communication preferences to ensure timely task assignments and notifications to on-call members. They are essential for managing incident response and workforce availability efficiently, respecting time off and varying communication channels.

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    Key Features

    • On-Call: Assign by Acknowledgement - Uses escalation paths and custom settings to notify users via SMS, voice, email, Microsoft Teams, or mobile push until a task is acknowledged. Requires trigger rules and deactivation of older business rules for notifications. Respects roster time off and logs all communication attempts.
    • On-Call: Escalations by Email - Sends email notifications to escalatees based on escalation policies until acknowledged, with logging of communication details.
    • On-Call: Assign - Directly assigns tasks to the primary roster member.
    • On-Call: Check Assignment Response - Processes inbound SMS replies to assign tasks and update notification records accordingly.
    • On-Call: Assign by Acknowledgement Voice - Uses outbound voice calls to assign tasks based on recipient responses and updates notification records.
    • On-Call: Time-off approval - Handles vacation or PTO requests by sending approval requests to managers.
    • On-Call: Conference Call Escalation - Initiates voice calls to group members during conference calls and escalates if members do not join promptly.

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Trigger rules are required for notifications and override some legacy business rules; customers must deactivate customized older rules to avoid conflicts.
    • Time-off settings in rosters ensure that members on leave are excluded from escalations and notifications.
    • When forcing communication channels, notifications only occur if the on-call member has the specified device configured; failed attempts are logged without retries.
    • Catch-all users are treated as regular escalation targets and must respond to avoid incident reassignment delays.
    • Workflows log escalation details thoroughly, providing audit trails of all communication attempts and responses.

    These workflows enhance the efficiency and reliability of on-call management by automating notifications, task assignments, and escalations based on configurable policies and real-time responses.

    Workflows perform On-Call Scheduling operations.

    Workflows installed with On-Call Scheduling

    On-Call: Assign by Acknowledgement

    The workflow uses data from escalation settings, including overlapping shifts and custom escalation settings for shifts and rosters. Depending on the settings, the workflow moves through the escalation path and sends notifications by SMS, voice, or email that ask users to accept a task.

    To send notifications, a trigger rule is required. Trigger rules supersede some On-Call business rules in earlier releases. To define a trigger rule, you must deactivate business rules that you customized in earlier releases.

    The workflow respects time off as specified in rosters. Roster members with time off are not included in the escalation path and no notifications are sent to them.

    If Force communication channel is specified in the Escalation settings for rosters, the Subscription-based notifications is used: SMS, email, voice, Microsoft Teams, or mobile push. If the preferred method is SMS and the on-call member does not have an SMS device defined, the user is not contacted even if the user has an email address. When forcing a communication channel on an escalation level does not succeed, no further communication attempts are made. The failed contact attempt is logged. The setting Force communication channel is available only if Notify is installed.

    • Until acknowledged, sends on-call notifications to escalatees based on the escalation policy and configured contact preference.
    • Logs escalation details for each communication.
    • Resumes the workflow immediately after rejection.
    • Catch-all users are treated like all other escalation users: A response is expected and the incident might be assigned to them based on their response.
    Note:
    This workflow internally launches the On-Call: Assign by Acknowledgement per Rota workflow.
    On-Call: Escalations by Email
    • Until acknowledged, sends on-call email notifications to escalatees based on the escalation policy and configured email contact preferences.
    • Logs escalation details for each communication.
    • Catch-all users are treated like all other escalation users: A response is expected and the incident might be assigned to them based on their response.
    On-Call: Assign
    Assigns the task to the current primary roster member.
    On-Call: Check Assignment Response
    • Triggered when an inbound SMS message is received.
    • Based on the response in the message, assigns the task to the roster member.
    • Updates the response in the corresponding notification record.
    On-Call: Assign by Acknowledgement Voice
    • Triggered when an outbound call is made from the on-call number to any user or device.
    • Based on the response to the voice call, assigns the task to the roster member.
    • Updates the response in the corresponding notification record.
    On-Call: Time-off approval
    • Triggered when vacation time off (PTO) is requested by a user.
    • Sends approval requests to appropriate managers.
    On-Call: Conference Call Escalation
    • Triggered when a conference call is initiated and a group is added to the call.
    • Makes a voice call to the first group member in the escalation policy.
    • If the member does not join the conference call, then escalates to next group member in the policy