Zero Touch request flow

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Zero Touch request flow

    The Zero Touch request flow enables your organization to fulfill employee hardware requests through an external provider with minimal manual intervention. This process leverages the ServiceNow Cloud and the ServiceNow Service Exchange application to automate and streamline hardware asset procurement and delivery.

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    Requirements

    • Your organization and the external provider must both be on the ServiceNow Cloud.
    • The ServiceNow Service Exchange application must be configured in your ServiceNow instance.
    • The provider must publish Remote catalog items or Remote record producers for integration.

    Request Workflow

    The workflow starts when an employee submits a catalog request for a Zero Touch-enabled item:

    • The request is initially in a Pending Approval state.
    • An approver reviews the request and either:
      • Rejects: Request state updates to Closed Rejected, and the item stage changes to Closed incomplete.
      • Approves: Request state updates to Approved, and the item stage changes to Pending Confirmation.
    • If the requester lacks access to the remote record producer, the item is marked as Closed incomplete.

    Post-Approval Process

    • The approved request is sent to the provider based on the configured Remote record producer.
    • The item stage updates to Pending confirmation in your ServiceNow instance.
    • The provider confirms the order via a Scratchpad update, moving the item stage to Pending shipment.
    • The provider ships the asset and updates shipment details through another Scratchpad update.

    Shipment and Asset Management

    • An asset record with the provided serial number and asset tag is assigned to the employee upon shipment.
    • Email notifications are triggered for asset managers if:
      • An asset with the same serial number already exists.
      • The model number provided is not available in your instance.
      • The shipped asset is a consumable item.
    • A unique shipment record is created using the tracking number and shipping carrier details.
    • Shipment records and associated assets can be viewed in the Hardware Asset Workspace’s Assets operations view.
    • For asset bundles, providers may ship fully in one shipment or partially in multiple shipments. The item stage only moves to Pending receive once all assets are shipped.

    Receipt and Completion

    • The employee acknowledges receipt of the asset via a mobile device, changing the item stage to Complete.
    • Receipt confirmation is not possible for consumable assets via mobile; in such cases, asset managers act on email notifications and confirm receipt on behalf of employees.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    This flow automates hardware request fulfillment, reduces manual coordination with external providers, and improves asset tracking and accountability. By configuring the Service Exchange and working with certified providers, your organization can enhance employee satisfaction with faster, transparent hardware delivery and improved asset lifecycle management.

    Fulfill the hardware requests of your employees through an external provider with minimal intervention by using the Zero Touch request flow.

    Zero Touch request flow requirements

    The Zero Touch request flow has the following basic requirements:
    1. Your organization and the provider must be on the ServiceNow Cloud.
    2. The ServiceNow Service Exchange application must be configured on the ServiceNow instance.
    3. Your provider must have published the Remote catalog items or Remote record producers.

    Zero Touch request workflow

    1. An employee of your organization submits a catalog request for a catalog item associated with the Zero Touch request flow.

      A catalog request is created with the Request state as Pending Approval.

    2. The approver reviews the catalog request and performs either of the following tasks:
      • Rejects the catalog request: The Request state changes to Closed Rejected and the Stage of the requested item changes to Closed incomplete.
      • Approves the catalog request: The Request state changes to Approved and the Stage of the Requested item changes to Pending Confirmation.
        Note:
        If a requester who doesn't have access to the remote record producer submits a catalog request, the requested item is marked as Closed incomplete.
    3. After the catalog request is approved, the request goes through the following changes:
      1. The request is sent to the provider based on the Remote record producer configured in the catalog item mapping.
      2. The Stage of the requested item changes to Pending confirmation on the ServiceNow instance of your organization.
    4. The provider sends a Scratchpad update confirming the order to your ServiceNow instance. The Stage of the requested item changes to Pending shipment.
    5. The provider ships the asset to your employee and sends a Scratchpad update with the shipment details to your ServiceNow instance.
      The following events happen when the provider ships the asset:
      • An asset with the serial number and asset tag specified by the provider is assigned to the employee.
        Note:
        An email notification is sent to the asset managers in the following scenarios to take necessary actions:
        • An asset record with the serial number provided by the provider exists on your ServiceNow instance.
        • The model number provided by the provider isn't available on your ServiceNow instance.
        • The asset that is shipped is a consumable.
      • Based on the tracking number and shipping carrier details that the provider specified in the Scratchpad update, a unique shipment record is created for the shipment. You can view the shipment records with the associated assets in the Assets operations view of the Hardware Asset Workspace. For more details, see View hardware asset shipment details.

      When shipping an asset bundle, the provider can choose to ship the assets fully through a single shipment or partially through multiple shipments. Only when the assets are fully shipped, the Stage of the requested item changes to Pending receive.

    6. The employee acknowledges the receipt of the asset on a mobile device. The Stage of the requested item changes to Complete.
      Note:
      Receipt of the consumable asset can't be confirmed on a mobile device. The asset manager takes the necessary actions based on the email notifications received and confirms on behalf of the employee.

    For more details on creating and fulfilling hardware asset requests through the Zero Touch request flow, see Manage hardware asset requests using the Zero Touch request flow.