Definitions of life-cycle values for tangible/physical CIs

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Definitions of life-cycle values for tangible/physical CIs

    This content defines the life-cycle stages and statuses for tangible or physical Configuration Items (CIs), such as computers, monitors, and keyboards, within ServiceNow’s Asset Management and CMDB hardware-related tables. These stages represent the entire life cycle of physical assets from ideation through end of life, helping organizations track and manage assets effectively.

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    Key Life-Cycle Stages and Their Statuses

    • Ideation: New physical models are assessed for organizational fit.
      • Under Evaluation: Reviewing compatibility and business fit.
      • Pilot: Limited deployment for real-world testing.
    • Purchase: Approved models move to procurement.
      • On Order: Asset ordered but not received.
      • Preallocated: Assigned before arrival.
    • Inventory: Asset is received and stored awaiting deployment.
      • Available: Ready for deployment.
      • Reserved: Set aside but not deployed.
      • Pending Repair, Legal Hold, Quarantine: Specific conditions affecting readiness.
    • Deploy: Asset is prepared and moved to operational use.
      • In Stock, Reserved, Pending Transfer, In Transit, Test: Various deployment preparation statuses.
    • Operational: Asset is active or maintained.
      • Pending Fulfillment: Needs configuration before use.
      • In Use, In Maintenance, End of Support, Pending Retirement: Reflects active or soon-to-be retired assets.
    • End of Operation: Transition stage after operation ends.
      • Pending Evaluation, Pending Return, Pending Resale, Pending Disposal, etc.: Various intermediate statuses before final disposition.
      • On Hold: Asset use is suspended, blocked, or paused.
    • Defective: Failed assets needing repair or replacement.
      • In Stock, In Transit: Awaiting disposition or being shipped.
    • Missing: Asset unaccounted for.
      • Lost, Stolen: Confirmed missing or stolen assets.
    • End of Life: Asset decommissioning or disposal.
      • Pending Disposal, In Transit, Pending Certificate: Stages before final disposal.
      • Disposed, Donated, RMA, Sold, Vendor Credit, Buyout, Lease Return: Final disposition methods.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    Understanding and utilizing these clearly defined life-cycle stages and statuses enables ServiceNow customers to:

    • Accurately track the physical asset’s status throughout its entire life cycle.
    • Improve asset management by aligning procurement, deployment, maintenance, and disposal processes.
    • Ensure compliance with legal, security, and operational policies through statuses like Legal Hold and Quarantine.
    • Streamline operational readiness and retirement planning with detailed intermediate statuses.
    • Facilitate reporting and decision-making by providing consistent terminology and status definitions specific to tangible/physical assets.

    The tangible/physical life-cycle states represent the overall life cycle of physical assets and CIs as related to their products. Tangible/physical assets are physical items that are stocked, for example computers, monitors, and keyboards. The stages and statuses for the tangible/physical life-cycle process are visible only in hardware-related tables in Asset Management and the CMDB.

    Definitions of tangible/physical life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values

    Note:
    The CI label tangible/physical includes and supersedes the "Hardware" label that had been used in earlier releases.

    Relationships between CSDM stages and life cycle values.

    Ideation life cycle stage

    New tangible or physical models in this stage are being assessed for potential use in the organization.

    • Under Evaluation: The model is being reviewed for compatibility, functionality, and business fit before approval. 
    • Pilot: The model is in a limited deployment for real-world testing before broader adoption. 
    Purchase life cycle stage

    After a tangible or physical model is approved, the organization proceeds with procurement.

    • On Order: The asset has been ordered from a vendor but has not yet been received. 
    • Preallocated: The asset is already assigned to a specific purpose or user before its arrival. 
    Inventory life cycle stage

    The asset is received and stored in inventory before deployment.

    • Available: The asset is in stock and is ready for deployment. 
    • Reserved: The asset is set aside for a specific request but is not yet deployed. 
    • Preallocated: The asset is assigned to a request but is not yet physically allocated. 
    • Pending Repair (CI): The asset is in stock but requires repairs before being usable such as on-site visit from manufacturer or RMA swap. 
    • Legal Hold (CI): The asset cannot be deployed due to legal restrictions or compliance reasons. 
    • Quarantine (CI): The asset is isolated due to potential security risks, failures, or non-compliance. 
    Deploy life cycle stage

    The asset is prepared and moved to operational use.

    • In Stock: The asset is stored and is designated for deployment, but is in the process of being prepared for deployment .
    • Reserved: The asset is assigned to a user or department but has not been physically moved. 
    • Pending Transfer: The asset is scheduled for relocation to another facility or user. 
    • In Transit: The asset is currently being moved between locations. 
    • Test: The asset has been identified as part of a deployment activity, has been built, and is ready for testing before operational usage .
    Operational life cycle stage

    The asset is actively in use or is undergoing maintenance.

    • Pending Fulfillment: The asset is put/placed into its operational environment/location but needs to be configured/provisioned before it can be used.
    • In Use: The asset is deployed and functioning in a live environment. 
    • In Maintenance: The asset is being serviced or is undergoing repairs while still considered operational. 
    • End of Support: The asset has reached the end of vendor or internal support but is still in use. 
    • Pending Retirement: The asset is still operational but is marked for decommissioning. 
    End of Operation life cycle stage

    End of Operation is an intermediate stage between Operational and the next stage. Operation of the product have ended, but the product instance is transitioning to a new life cycle stage and life cycle stage status.

    • Pending Evaluation: Non-operational intermediate status in which a product is evaluated to determine its next stage and stage status.
    • Pending Return: Non-operational status before the asset is returned and the provider received the returned asset in an end of life stage: RMA, Vendor Credit, Buyout or Lease Return. 
    • In Transit: Non-operational, transitional status to support re-purposing the asset and true end-of-life.
    • Pending Resale: Intermediate status before selling the asset to a third-party entity .
    • Pending Certificate: Intermediate status before receiving a certificate of disposal.
    • Pending Disposal: Intermediate status before the Disposed end of life stage.
    • Pending Donation: Intermediate status before the Donated end of life stage.
    • On Hold: Operation of the asset is halted for one of the following reasons:
      • Suspended: service, subscription, and so on.
      • Blocked: credit card, account, and so on.
      • Paused: subscription, lease, and so on.
    Defective life cycle stage

    Tangible or physical devices that have failed and require replacement or repair.

    • In Stock: The defective asset is stored and is awaiting disposition. 
    • In Transit: The defective asset is being shipped for return, repair, or disposal. 
    Missing life cycle stage

    The asset is unaccounted for or stolen.

    • Lost: The asset is missing and cannot be located. 
    • Stolen: The asset has been confirmed as stolen. 
    End of Life life cycle stage

    The asset is being decommissioned or disposed of.

    • Pending Disposal: The asset is marked for disposal but has not yet been removed. 
    • In Transit: The asset is being shipped to a disposal or return location. 
    • Pending Certificate: The asset awaits official documentation for decommissioning or disposal. 
    • Disposed: The asset has been discarded following proper procedures. 
    • Donated: The asset has been given to a non-profit, employee, or other entity. 
    • RMA: The asset is returned to the vendor for replacement or repair under warranty. 
    • Sold: The asset has been sold as part of asset liquidation. 
    • Vendor Credit: The asset was returned to the vendor for a credit instead of replacement. 
    • Buyout: The asset was leased and has been purchased instead of returned. 
    • Lease Return: The leased asset has been returned to the vendor at the end of its lease period.