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ServiceNow CSM implementation: What IT needs to know 

The ServiceNow CSM implementation project is launching July 29.

This project features two main updates:

1) We are adding a new module to the ServiceNow platform called the CSM module (Customer Service Management), that allows us to scale the ServiceNow platform to meet the needs of other support groups at WashU. The first groups using the CSM module will be central HR (Operations, Leaves, Employee Engagement, and Benefits), central Financial Operations, and the Workday HR and FIN support groups. Because the ServiceNow “back-end” view will be shared by more than just IT groups, you will notice that we will transition away from referring to “ITIL users” to the more generic “Fulfillers”.

2) Our support portal for internal users (current WashU faculty, staff, or students) will be updated to reflect its new, expanded purpose as intake point for not only IT issues, but also central HR, FIN, and Workday support groups. We will also now provide a self-service portal for external users, offering a Get Help form, as well as a limited view of knowledge articles deemed appropriate for public view.

What Does the New Portal Look Like for Internal Users?

  • New standardized Get Help form used as a single, streamlined intake for support requests across IT, central HR, central FIN, Workday HCM/FIN and soon, Workday Student support teams.
  • Knowledge articles will appear within the Get Help form based on the brief description entered by the user. This means it will be increasingly important that we have provided clear and helpful information for users, including “breadcrumb articles” that point to external documentation sites.
  • Ability to Favorite Catalog Items and Articles: this feature is especially useful for those who make frequent requests on behalf of others.
  • Top navigation (the “mega-menu”) provides a curated selection of helpful sites by functional area.

This portal will continue to be enhanced as campus partners, services, and offerings are added, and feedback on the usability of the new design is received. 

What does the Public Support Portal Look Like for External Users?

External users will be able to view a specially designated knowledge base. At go-live, this knowledge base will be very limited. Look for updates regarding the use of our new externally facing knowledge base in the coming months.

In order to request support using the Get Help form (self-service), users will be required to create a verified account using their email address. For those who do not wish to register, they may call the Service Desk who can create a ticket on their behalf. External users have their own record type in ServiceNow, which means we will no longer be required to create tickets for a “Generic User” anymore, and we will now have visibility into historical ticket information for external users as well as internal.

How Do I Pass a Ticket Over to HR, FIN, or the Workday support teams?

The main intake ticket type for front-line IT support is the interaction record. When a user calls the IT Service Desk, and it is determined that the issue needs to be handled by our HR, FIN, or Workday partners, a new button “Create Case” is available right on the interaction record.

Currently, interaction records are the only ITSM record types from which you can create a case. If an incident or request is mistakenly created, it is recommended to create the case for the user directly from the Get Help form. Note that if you currently pass incidents to the Workday support team (for example, the EA Integrations team to Workday Finance), you will continue to follow this process. The team will be considering improved options for this use case.

What’s the new URL?

You will now be able to reach ServiceNow through the much more user-friendly URL: servicedesk.wustl.edu

This will take you to our new interceptor page:

Which allows us to provide a path to external users using the same URL.

Note that this URL will currently take you to the QA environment, if you would like a sneak peek!

Do I need to update any URLs?

For the most part, no. The previous URL (wustl.service-now.com and wustl.service-now.com/sp) is still the URL for our WUSTL ServiceNow instance. However, if your webpages provided direct links to Workday HR or FIN catalog items, Report an Issue-Interaction, General Service Request, or Workday General Request, you should update to the new portal URL or link directly to the new Get Help form on July 29. Please note that the General Service Request will still be available for IT users only and should only be used if a specific catalog item is not available for your IT request. For non-IT users, the Get Help form should be used instead.

And, as a reminder, ServiceNow workspaces are supported for the most recent 3 releases of Chrome, Firefox, Edge Chromium and Safari, but Chrome is generally recommended.

Who Should Take Training?

IT training is primarily directed at those who triage tickets. Individuals who are required to receive training have already received communication regarding registration for training. Others are welcome to attend training if they would like to learn more. There will also be office hours, on-demand training and quick guides to help answer any questions you may have. Training is now open in Workday Learning: ServiceNow for IT Support Teams: Creating Cases.

Visit the ServiceNow CSM project page for updates and additional information.