8

QUICK
SERVICENOW
TIPS FOR EVERY
ADMINISTRATOR

@Lukasz Szumilas
 INTRODUCTION
In a world where every second counts, IT admins can't
afford to lose time on incident/request management.

Ever felt like your ServiceNow queue doesn't empty fast

enough?

If so, this post is for you.

I've compiled 7 quick ServiceNow tips to help you resolve

incidents.

Don't miss out!

@Lukasz Szumilas
1. PRIORITY
Priority is the #1 factor in determining the urgency and
impact of an incident.

A high-priority incident affecting multiple users or critical

functions demands immediate attention.

Key Points:

Urgency + Impact = Priority

High-priority incidents require immediate action

Crucial for service delivery and operational efficiency

@Lukasz Szumilas
1. PRIORITY
Why Priority Matters:

Downtime is expensive and disruptive. It's tempting to work

on easier tasks, but addressing high-priority incidents first is
non-negotiable.

Ofc, it can be challenging to quickly identify the root cause

of a problem.

But, there are some tools, that we will explore later, that
help to find a solution.

Best Practices:

Always attack high-priority incidents first

Resist the burrning urge to focus on easier, but lower-

priority tasks

When stuck seek help basically everywhere you can

@Lukasz Szumilas
2. SLA
An SLA (Service Level Agreement) is a contract that sets the
expectations for incident resolution times.

Simply saying it is the agreed time that you have to resolve

the incident.

It serves as the standard for evaluating how well and how

efficiently your incident management process is working.

Key Points:

Defines resolution time expectations

Sets accountability for service delivery

Measures performance and efficiency

@Lukasz Szumilas
2. SLA
Why SLA Matters:

SLAs are crucial because they prevent misunderstandings and

ensure timely resolution of incidents.

Best Practices:

Regularly review and update SLAs

Monitor SLA compliance closely

Communicate SLA statuses transparently

Train staff on the importance of meeting SLAs

@Lukasz Szumilas
3. NOTIFICATIONS
PREVIEW
Notifications Preview is awesome when resolving incidents
regarding notifications.

They allow you to see in real-time if a user should receive a

notification and why they might not be getting one.

Key Points:

Diagnoses notification issues in incident management

Shows who should receive notifications and why

@Lukasz Szumilas
3. NOTIFICATIONS
PREVIEW
You can choose Event creator and Preview Record by using
“Notification Preview”:

@Lukasz Szumilas
3. NOTIFICATIONS
PREVIEW
Why Preview Notifications Matters:

Missed notifications can stall incident resolution and frustrate

users.

With Preview Notifications, you eliminate the guesswork.

You can confirm who's getting notified and solve it if they're

not, ensuring smooth incident management.

Best Practices:

Use Preview Notifications to debug communication issues

Double-check conditions and recipients

Don't just assume—confirm notifications with Preview

@Lukasz Szumilas
4. USER CRITERIA
DIAGNOSTICS
User Criteria Diagnostics (UCD) is your go-to tool for
troubleshooting access issues during incident resolution.

It helps you understand why a user can or cannot see

certain data or options, ensuring you're not hindered by
permissions.

There is UCD for Service Catalog and Knowledge.

Key Points:

Troubleshoots user access issues in incidents

Reveals why certain data may be hidden

@Lukasz Szumilas
4. USER CRITERIA
DIAGNOSTICS

@Lukasz Szumilas
4. USER CRITERIA
DIAGNOSTICS
Why User Criteria Diagnostics Matter:

User Criteria Diagnostics allows you to quickly identify and

solve these visibility issues, keeping incident resolution on
track.

Best Practices:

Use Diagnostics before escalating access issues

Check it when roles or permissions change

Keep it in your troubleshooting toolkit for quick

reference

@Lukasz Szumilas
5. QUALIFIER
REFERENCE

ServiceNow uses a Reference Qualifier to limit the data

displayed in reference fields.

It acts as a filter, allowing only specific records from

another table to be displayed.

So for example on instance there are 1000 Users, but as

Caller user can only see and select 960 users, which are
Active Users.

Key Points:

Filters data in reference fields

Can be a fixed query or scripted

Enhances data integrity and user experience

@Lukasz Szumilas
5. QUALIFIER
REFERENCE

Example of Reference Qualifier that shows only

Active Users in Incident form for a “Caller” field:

@Lukasz Szumilas
5. QUALIFIER
REFERENCE

Why Referemce Qualifier Matter:

If users can't see certain records in an Incident form, the

Reference Qualifier may be the reason.

Best Practices:

Keep qualifiers simple for easier debugging

Always document your qualifiers

@Lukasz Szumilas
6. IMPERSONATE
Impersonating a user in ServiceNow allows you to see the
system through their eyes.

This feature is a game-changer for incident resolution.

It helps you quickly understand user-specific issues,

speeding-up your troubleshooting process.

Key Points:

View ServiceNow as another user without needing their

password

Diagnose user-specific incidents effectively

Validate solutions from a user's perspective

See what their favourite modules are :D

@Lukasz Szumilas
6. IMPERSONATE
Why Impersonate Matters:

User-specific incidents can be tricky.

Impersonating a user allows you to 'walk in their shoes,'

making it easier to pinpoint issues and verify that they've
been resolved, ensuring a smoother, more effective incident
resolution process.

Best Practices:

Use Impersonate cautiously and responsibly!

Document your actions while impersonating for auditing

purposes

Do not forget to revert to your original profile after

troubleshooting (happens way too often :D)

@Lukasz Szumilas
7. DEBUG SECURITY
RULES
Debug Security Rules is your tool for dissecting permission
issues.

This feature allows you to see in real-time which ACLs

(Access Control Rules) are being applied or ignored, making
it an essential utility for resolving incidents tied to
permissions.

Key Points:

Understand which ACLs are applied to transactions

Uncover permission-related roadblocks in incident

resolution

Real-time analysis of security rules in action

@Lukasz Szumilas
7. DEBUG SECURITY
RULES
Here is how “Debug Security Rules” works: (shows which
accesses are granted and which are not)

@Lukasz Szumilas
7. DEBUG SECURITY
RULES
Using Debug Security Rules, you can quickly identify which
ACLs are causing issues.

It is allowing for a faster and more accurate fix, improving

the incident resolution process.

Best Practices:

Activate Debug Security Rules only when necessary due

to performance concerns

Turn on DSR as admin, then impersonate user.

Turn off the feature when done to avoid unnecessary

system load

@Lukasz Szumilas
8. RELATED SEARCH
RESULTS
Related Search Results in ServiceNow offer contextual
suggestions based on the incident at hand.

This AI-driven feature helps you quickly find solutions from

past incidents or knowledge articles, leading to quicker
resolution times

Key Points:

AI-powered search that suggests relevant solutions and

articles

Instantly access historical data for similar incidents

Improves the efficiency of incident diagnosis and

resolution

@Lukasz Szumilas
8. RELATED SEARCH
RESULTS
Here is example of “Related Search Results”:

@Lukasz Szumilas
8. RELATED SEARCH
RESULTS
Why Related Search Results Matter:

Reinventing the wheel for every incident is a waste of time.

With Related Search Results, you gain immediate insights

into similar past incidents and their solutions, allowing you
to resolve current incidents faster and more efficiently.

Best Practices:

Make it a habit to check Related Search Results when

starting on a new incident

Update your knowledge base regularly to improve the

feature's accuracy

Use analytics to refine and improve search result

relevancy over time

@Lukasz Szumilas
8. RELATED SEARCH
RESULTS
Why Related Search Results Matter:

Reinventing the wheel for every incident is a waste of time.

With Related Search Results, you gain immediate insights

into similar past incidents and their solutions, allowing you
to resolve current incidents faster and more efficiently.

Best Practices:

Make it a habit to check Related Search Results when

starting on a new incident

Update your knowledge base regularly to improve the

feature's accuracy

Use analytics to refine and improve search result

relevancy over time

@Lukasz Szumilas
 SUMMARY

1. Priority
2. SLA
3. Notification Preview
4. User Criteria Diagnostic
5. Reference Qualifier
6. Impersonate
7. Debug Security Rules
8. Related Search Results

@Lukasz Szumilas
 Lukasz Szumilas
@szumilas_lukasz

If you like this post, follow me for more deep dives

into ServiceNow and Personal Development.

@Lukasz Szumilas