ServiceNow is a robust platform organizations employ to automate workflows, operate services, and integrate IT service management. As automations become increasingly complex, though, especially when multiple processes are dependent on one another, accurate creation of records is key to maintaining system integrity and operating efficiently. Among the most frequent missteps in these automations is the management of sequential dependencies—ensuring the records are being created in sequence and that data flows appropriately through the system.

Throughout this guide, we will examine the key strategies and best practices of resolving sequential automation challenges in ServiceNow, while prioritizing accurate record creation. If you’re developing custom workflows or integrating ServiceNow with another system, in this article, you will discover a systematic approach to circumventing common record creation traps.

In ServiceNow, sequential automation is an action in which one task or creation of a single record depends on the prior task having been successfully completed or a prior record created. Issues with sequential automation typically arise when:

The incorrect records are being created in an incorrect sequence: This may result in missing or incorrect data, broken workflows, or cascading failures.

Data dependencies are not handled properly: For example, the creation of a task could depend on data extracted from another record, and slowness or inaccuracies in fetching that data can lead to issues.

Asynchronous processes interfere with sequential logic: ServiceNow workflows usually have both synchronous as well as asynchronous processes, and if these are not properly coordinated, they can lead to data inconsistency.

By solving these workflow dependency problems one at a time, you can ensure that the records are being created with the correct information, in the correct order, and with very little opportunity for error.

Step 1: Plan the Workflow Dependencies Clearly

The first thing to solve sequential automation issues is knowing the order of operations in your workflows and the inter-task dependencies. A clear workflow design will mean that each step has the correct data and subsequent tasks will not fail because information is missing.

Identify Dependencies

Before building any automation, establish dependencies between records unambiguously. For example, in an IT service request process, creating a Service Request can depend upon a prior Incident record having been created and approved.

Task dependencies: Are there some tasks that depend on the completion of another task? For example, an approval task must complete before a fulfillment task begins.

Data dependencies: Is one record relying on data from another? If you’re creating an asset in ServiceNow from a user request, ensure the user’s data is available before creating the asset record.

Visualize the Workflow

Use Flow Designer or Process Flow features in ServiceNow to design an eye-chart the flow of events. Once you understand how the flow is going to occur and where the potential bottlenecks or sequential problems will arise, you can design a process that handles the dependencies well.

Step 2: Use ServiceNow’s Flow Designer and Workflow Editor

ServiceNow has a powerful tool called Flow Designer (or Workflow Editor, based on your version) to build and automate workflows so that the creation of records happens in the correct sequence. Both tools work well for coordinating complex automation involving many tasks and records.

Working with Flow Designer

Flow Designer is an intuitive, low-code tool that lets you automate workflows without a deep scripting background.

Create Flows with Sequential Actions:

In Flow Designer, you can build a flow that creates records stepwise and executes each step only after the preceding step is completed successfully.

For instance, there can be steps in a new user onboarding flow such as first creating a User Record, then assigning a Hardware Request, and finally creating a Service Request—with each step of the flow waiting for the preceding step to be completed successfully.

Use Action Steps to Control Sequence:

Add Action Steps into the flow to trigger record creation. Ensure that all actions have sufficient conditions or wait for inputs required from preceding steps.

As an example, Approval Action can be utilized before creating a record to ensure that data is validated prior to triggering the following actions such as task creation or resource allocation.

Use Wait for Condition

One of the very useful actions in Flow Designer is the Wait for Condition action. This will have the flow wait for a particular condition to be met before proceeding to the next action. You might, for example, wait until a record was completed updating or approved before proceeding with the creation of other records.

Working with Workflow Editor

For workflows that are more intricate, the Workflow Editor might be more appropriate. Using this tool, you can define each task and specify certain conditions, approvals, and tasks that execute sequentially.

Sequential Tasks:

With a typical Workflow Editor setup, you can create sequential tasks by specifying that Task 2 will only begin once Task 1 is finished. This ensures each task executes in the right sequence.

Data Mapping Between Activities:

You can also use Data Mapping between tasks in the Workflow Editor to transfer data from one task to another. For instance, once an Incident is created, you can map the incident ID to subsequent tasks that require the ID to finish the task.

Step 3: Error Handling and Notifications

Automation workflows are error-prone, particularly when creating records sequentially. If an early failure occurs in the workflow (e.g., if a step does not create), it may affect subsequent records. Error handling must be integrated into detect and correct these problems on the spot.

Error Handling

Utilize Try-Catch Blocks:

For personal scripting in Flow Designer or Workflow Editor, using try-catch blocks offers a method of catching any unsuspecting errors that crop up in your workflows. You can send an error alert in case a task goes wrong, or initiate a rollback for reversal of data creation incompleteness.

Use Condition-based Actions to make different paths in your workflow based on success or failure. For instance, if a task fails, you might have the flow send an email to the assigned user, retry the task, or escalate the issue.

Notifications and Alerts

Set Up Notifications:

Notify users or admins upon an issue when creating a record. For example, when an initial task within a sequence has failed, you can trigger an email notification or create a ServiceNow incident to track and resolve the issue.

Escalation:

Upon an extreme failure of record creation or task completion, setting up escalation notifications to senior staff members assures that problems get resolved in good time.

Step 4: Validate and Test Sequential Automation

Once you’ve designed your workflows and automation, it’s essential to validate and test the process to ensure that records are created in the correct order and that there are no unexpected errors.

Conduct Testing in a Development or Staging Environment

Simulate Real-World Scenarios:

Test workflows in various real-world scenarios. Test both normal and edge cases where data might be missing or incorrect to ensure that your automation handles these gracefully.

Validate Data Integrity:

Once the workflows are run, check data has been correctly propagated between records. For instance, confirm data from a single record (e.g., a User ID or Incident number) correctly shows in the following record or task.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

User testing is crucial for ensuring that the automation flows and record creation are working as expected. Provide end users with test cases to ensure the sequence works from their perspective and adjust based on feedback.

Step 5: Monitor and Optimize Automation

After deploying your automation in the production environment, it’s essential to monitor its performance regularly. Look for any unexpected delays, errors, or missed steps in the sequential flow.

Continuous Monitoring

Utilize ServiceNow’s Performance Analytics:

Utilize Performance Analytics to track workflow performance and identify any delays or failures in the creation of records in sequence.

Audit Logs:

Inspect audit logs to track success or failure in automation tasks. If a sequential error is experienced, logs may provide you with detailed information on where the process went wrong.

As things evolve, keep refining the sequential automation process. Down the road, information, more tasks, and even relationships might introduce complexity, so frequent checks and optimizations on workflows are vital for precision.

Conclusion: Solving Sequential Automation Problems

To ensure correct creation of records in ServiceNow, there is a need to plan, have well-defined workflows, proper error handling, and continuous monitoring. By utilizing such tools as Flow Designer and Workflow Editor, you can construct sequential automation workflows that create records in the right sequence, ensure data consistency, and reduce errors to a minimum.

By applying these best practices and solving common sequential automation issues, you can automate your processes, ensure consistent data creation, and provide your users with a smoother, more efficient experience.