--- sourceDocument: Australia Operational Sustainability Management (formerly Environmental, Social, and Governance) sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/environmental-social-governance Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Operational Sustainability Management (formerly Environmental, Social, and Governance) ft:clusterId : - esgv bundleId : - esgv workflow : - Technology --- # Material topic workflow and states # Material topic workflow and states {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Australia * * Updated March 12, 2026 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Material topic workflow and states Material topics are essential starting points for sustainability initiatives within your organization, serving as key issues to track and measure for success. Understanding the workflow states of material topics helps you manage their lifecycle effectively, whether they are created directly in ServiceNow or imported from Socialsuite. Show full answer Show less ## Default Workflow Material topics created within your ServiceNow instance follow a defined workflow with these states: * **Draft:** Initial state where key fields such as Name, Classification, Importance to business success and stakeholders, Priority, and Approver can be updated. * **Approval:** The Operational Sustainability program manager reviews and validates the material topic's details to ensure accuracy and completeness (e.g., confirming the definition and description of topics like Carbon emissions). * **Monitor:** After approval, the material topic remains in this state for ongoing tracking. If updates are needed (due to changes in priority or significance from reassessment), it can be returned to Draft without impacting downstream goals and targets. Only topics in Monitor appear in the Materiality matrix on the Operational Sustainability Workspace home page. * **Retired:** Topics no longer considered relevant sustainability issues are moved here and are no longer tracked. ## Socialsuite Workflow Material topics imported from Socialsuite follow a different workflow and do not require approval within ServiceNow. Their states map to ServiceNow states as follows: * Not started → Draft (read-only, no edits possible) * Open for input → Materiality Assessment (ESG program manager reviews imported data) * Input closed → Materiality Assessment Complete (mapped internally) * Monitor → Monitor (visible on the Materiality matrix) * Historical → Retired These imported material topics cannot be moved back to Draft. Additionally, Socialsuite material topics include extra read-only fields that store materiality assessment data managed exclusively in Socialsuite. ## Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers * Use the default workflow to create, approve, monitor, and retire material topics directly within ServiceNow, enabling precise control over sustainability priorities. * Leverage Socialsuite integration to import material topics with assessment data pre-populated, streamlining ESG management while maintaining visibility in ServiceNow. * Monitor state topics are the only ones appearing in the Materiality matrix, helping focus attention on current, relevant issues. * Updates to material topics in Monitor can be made without disrupting existing sustainability goals. Material topics are the point of origin for sustainability initiatives. A material topic must be identified before it can be tracked and measured for success. The workflow states for a material topic depend on how the material topic was created. ## Default workflow {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__section_sfx_4x3_m3c} The states of a material topic are: 1. Draft: All material topics begin in this state. The following fields can be updated in this state: * Name * Classification * Importance to business success * Importance to stakeholders * Priority * Approver {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__ul_agc_ky3_m3c} 2. Approval:The Operational Sustainability program manager reviews the material topic and ensures that all fields are accurate and complete. After the review completes, the material topic moves to Monitor. For example, if the material topic is Carbon emissions, the reviewer might verify: * The material topic is accurately defined. * The description of the material topic is accurate. {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__ul_plq_tjx_m3c} 3. Monitor: The material topic remains in this state until a modification is needed. If an update is necessary, you can return the material topic to the Draft state. This may occur after a subsequent materiality assessment, where there could be a shift in the following attributes: * Priority * Significance to business success * Significance to stakeholders {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__ul_yhx_yy3_m3c} Moving a material topic back to the Draft state does not affect downstream goals and targets. Only material topics that are in the Monitor state are shown in the Materiality matrix on the Operational Sustainability Workspace home page. 4. Retired: The material topic is no longer tracked by the organization as a relevant sustainability issue. {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__ol_hwf_1y3_m3c} ## Socialsuite workflow {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__section_ezh_vz3_m3c} Material topics imported from Socialsuite do not require approval in your ServiceNow instance. These topics use different workflow states than the default workflow. The following table shows how Socialsuite states map to states in your ServiceNow instance: {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__table_fyk_ybj_m3c__entry__2} | Socialsuite state | ServiceNow instance state | |-|-| | Not started | Draft | | Open for input | Materiality Assessment | | Input closed | Materiality Assessment | | Complete | Monitor | | Historical | Monitor | [Table 1. Socialsuite to the ServiceNow instance state mapping] {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__table_fyk_ybj_m3c} Material topics imported from Socialsuite progress through the following states in your ServiceNow instance: 1. Draft: Material topics in the Not started state in Socialsuite appear in Draft. The material topic details are read-only and cannot be updated. 2. Materiality Assessment: The ESG program manager validates and reviews the materiality assessment data in this state. 3. Monitor: Only material topics in Monitor appear in the materiality matrix on the Operational Sustainability Workspace home page. Material topics imported from Socialsuite cannot be moved back to Draft. {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__ol_gdf_mcj_m3c} ## Fields for Socialsuite material topics {#material-topic-workflow-and-states__section_cxh_g2j_m3c} Material topics imported from Socialsuite include additional fields that store materiality assessment data. These fields are visible and read-only for topics imported from Socialsuite. All data for these fields is managed through Socialsuite. For a complete list of fields, see [Socialsuite material topic fields](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/el7THN4CWjXO2qWqKOkqUA "Fields added to the Material Topic (sn_esg_material_topic) table for Socialsuite integration."). **Related concepts** * [Integrating Operational Sustainability Management (formerly ESG) with other applications](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ukp8nbC8Xt~XC~yeQiUfnA "You can integrate Operational Sustainability Management with Project Portfolio Management and Integrated Risk Management (IRM). These integrations provide you with more options to track your goals.") **Related tasks** * [Set Material topic selection system property](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/kbyaKHW7JsQ~NV56tJiboA "Set the Material topic selection system property to enable the Socialsuite integration features.")