Example workflow for assigning tasks to agents based on Capacity and Reservations

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Example workflow for assigning tasks to agents based on Capacity and Reservations

    This workflow illustrates how to use ServiceNow’s Dynamic Scheduling feature to intelligently assign tasks to agents by managing capacity reservations and work type allocations. It ensures optimal utilization by distributing workload across different types of tasks according to specified percentages within an assignment group.

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    Key Features

    • Dynamic Scheduling: Automatically assigns tasks to agents based on capacity definitions and reservation rules.
    • Capacity Definitions: Define daily task capacity (e.g., 4 tasks per agent per day) and frequency to control workload limits.
    • Capacity Reservation Rules: Allocate percentages of capacity to specific work types (e.g., 25% to 'Install' tasks, 25% to 'Break fix' tasks) with overflow allowed for flexibility.
    • Agent Scheduling: Assign agent schedules specifying shift times to align task assignments with availability.
    • Capacity Assignments: Link capacity definitions to assignment groups to enforce workload distribution policies.
    • Task Creation and Qualification: Create work orders and work order tasks with assigned work types and qualification status to prepare for automated assignment.
    • Auto Assignment: Use the ‘Auto Assign’ action to trigger dynamic scheduling and allocate tasks based on the configured capacity and reservation settings.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    By following this example, administrators can ensure their assignment groups work proportionally on different task types (e.g., 25% 'Install', 25% 'Break fix', and 50% any or no type), preventing overload on specific work types and improving resource utilization.

    To implement:

    • Enable Dynamic Scheduling.
    • Confirm assignment groups have active members with defined schedules.
    • Create capacity definitions and reservation rules that reflect desired task distributions.
    • Link these definitions and rules to assignment groups through capacity assignments.
    • Create and qualify tasks with appropriate work types.
    • Use the Auto Assign feature to dynamically allocate tasks to agents respecting the defined capacities and reservations.

    This process helps maintain balanced workloads, optimize resource use, and increase efficiency in task fulfillment within ServiceNow’s workforce management.

    Explore how dynamic scheduling intelligently distributes tasks, considering the defined capacity reservations, work types, and overflow settings, ensuring optimal utilization of resources in the group.

    As an administrator, your goal is to ensure that assignment group works 25% on 'Install' work type, 25% on 'Break fix' work type, and the remaining 50% can be of any type or no type of work. The following example demonstrates how to achieve this through dynamic scheduling.

    Prerequisites:
    • Ensure Dynamic Scheduling is enabled.
    • Ensure that your target assignment group, for instance, the 'North Group', has at least one active member.
    • Create an agent schedule record ('agent_work_schedule') for a user, specifying the 'Day Shift (8:00-5:00)' work schedule.
    1. Capacity Definition Setup:
      • Create a capacity definition record with 'Capacity by' set to 'Tasks', assigning a value of '4' tasks daily.
      • Set the frequency of this capacity to 'Daily' to align with your scheduling needs.
    2. Capacity Reservation Rules: Create two capacity reservation rules
      • Rule 1 ('Install Work'): Conditions set for 'Work type' as 'Install,' allocate 25%, and allow overflow.
      • Rule 2 ('Break Fix Work'): Conditions set for 'Work type' as 'Break fix,' allocate 25%, and allow overflow.
    3. Tag Reservations to Definition: Link the created reservation rules to the definition crafted in step 1, forming a structure.
    4. Capacity Assignment:
      • Within the related lists of the capacity definition, create a new 'Capacity Assignment' record.
      • Link it to the capacity definition, select the target assignment group ('North Group'), set the effective start date to the current date and time, and repeat for '5' times to auto-fill the end date.
    5. Create work order of install type:
      • Create a work order ('wm_order'), specifying the location as 'Colorado,' and mark it 'Ready for qualification'.
      • Open the work order task, ensuring the dispatch group and required assignment group ('North Group') are filled.
      • Set the work type as 'Install' and click 'Qualified'; the task transitions to the Pending Dispatch state.
      • Repeat the process twice to have 3 'Install' type tasks available for the day.
    6. Create work order of break-fix type:
      • Create a work order ('wm_order'), specifying the location as 'Colorado,' and mark it 'Ready for qualification.'
      • A new work order task ('wm_task') is generated; open it, ensuring the dispatch group and required assignment group ('North') are filled.
      • Set the work type as 'Break fix' and click 'Qualified'; the task moves to the Pending Dispatch state.
      • Repeat the process twice to have 3 'Break fix' type tasks available for the day.
    7. Create work order tasks without a specified work type:
      • Open a work order task, ensure the dispatch group and required assignment group ('North') are filled, and leave the work type field blank.
      • Click 'Qualified'; the task transitions to the Pending Dispatch state.
      • Repeat this process twice to have 3 tasks without a specified work type available for the day.
    8. Dynamic Scheduling:
      • Open the four tasks created in the list view and click 'Auto Assign' from the overflow action menu.
      • A modal window displays possible assignments, allocating tasks based on the predefined 25% capacity for 'Install' type, 25% for 'Break fix' type, and the remaining 50% for any type or no type at all.