Using agentic workflows in Now Assist for SAM

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated February 25, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Using agentic workflows in Now Assist for SAM

    Now Assist for SAM enables ServiceNow customers to automate software asset management (SAM) tasks using AI-driven agentic workflows. These workflows allow autonomous completion of key SAM operations such as fulfilling software requests, creating reclamation rules, and evaluating software removal candidates. To use these workflows, your organization must have an integrated software asset management system with AI agents and access to the AI-driven Now Assist panel.

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    Key Features

    • Agentic workflows: Predefined workflows that automate SAM tasks using AI agents. These workflows can be activated as-is or duplicated and customized.
    • Available workflows:
      • Help manage software request: Fulfills software requests by allocating entitlements or generating purchase orders using Software entitlement allocation, Purchase order creation, and Microsoft license assignment AI agents.
      • Create software reclamation rule: Analyzes license usage and prompts creation of reclamation rules for unused software products using the Software reclamation rule creation AI agent.
      • Evaluate software removal candidate: Assesses installed or subscription software for removal by analyzing usage and eligibility, then initiates reclamation upon user confirmation with the Software removal candidate evaluation AI agent.
    • Access control: Security is managed through Access Control Lists (ACLs) and user identities to enable AI agents and workflows to run with appropriate permissions, either as dynamic or AI users.
    • Customization and testing: Workflows are read-only by default but can be duplicated and customized. Testing can be performed in the AI Agent Studio to evaluate performance before activation.
    • Activation and triggers: Activating a workflow requires activating all included agents. Workflows can be triggered manually or automatically by activating an associated trigger.
    • Agent discovery: Customers can view all AI agents installed with Now Assist or explore additional agents in the AI Agent Marketplace on the ServiceNow Store.

    Practical Benefits

    • Automates routine SAM processes, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy.
    • Enables proactive management of software assets, including reclamation and removal, to optimize license usage and compliance.
    • Supports customization to fit specific organizational policies and workflows.
    • Provides secure and controlled execution of AI agents aligned with enterprise access policies.

    Use the Now Assist for SAM AI agent collection to complete tasks autonomously.

    Ensure that you have the following prerequisites for running agentic workflows:
    • Your organization has a software asset management system integrated with AI agents. For more details on AI agents, see Now Assist AI agents.
    • Access to an AI-driven Now Assist panel. For more details on Now Asset Panel, see Now Assist panel.
    Table 1. Available agentic workflows for Now Assist for SAM AI agent collection
    Agentic workflow name Description Available AI agents

    Help manage software request

    		 Fulfill a software asset request by either allocating the available entitlements, if sufficient rights exist, or generating a purchase order with the necessary line items for the requested software model.
    • Software entitlement allocation AI agent
    • Purchase order creation AI agent
    • Microsoft license assignment AI agent
    Create software reclamation rule Analyze the license usage of a product and if no reclamation rule exists, prompt the user to create one. Software reclamation rule creation AI agent
    Evaluate software removal candidate Examine installed or subscription-based removal candidates for a software product by evaluating its software product usage within a specified period and the eligible total number of reclaimable candidates Software removal candidate evaluation AI agent

    Enable security implementation to execute AI agents and agentic workflows through Access Control Lists (ACLs) and user identities. ACLs provide the Run As capability to let agents and agentic workflows execute actions either as a dynamic user or as an AI user. For more information, see Implement access control in Now Assist AI agents.

    Important:
    By default, all agentic workflows and AI agent records are read-only.

    You can run the agentic workflow as is by activating the workflow. Additionally, you can duplicate the workflow if you want to customize the workflow. If you duplicate the agentic workflow, adjust the settings according to your requirements and then activate the duplicated agentic workflow. You can also test the duplicated agentic workflow to analyze its performance in the AI Agent Studio, while it executes the instructions that you defined.

    When you activate the agentic workflow, activate all agents within the agentic workflow.

    Activate the trigger to invoke the agentic workflow automatically. If you prefer to invoke it manually, activating the trigger isn’t necessary.

    Looking for an AI agent?
    • There might be AI agents installed with the Now Assist application that are not used in agentic workflows. To learn how to see all agents that are available on your instance, see Find AI agents.
    • To find agents that might not be installed on your instance, visit the AI Agent Marketplace on the ServiceNow Store.