--- sourceDocument: Australia Strategic Portfolio Management sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/it-business-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Strategic Portfolio Management ft:clusterId : - itbm bundleId : - itbm workflow : - Technology --- # Explore # Exploring Collaborative Work Management {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated April 2, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 6 minutes to read Collaborative Work Management (CWM) is a work management tool that centralizes tasks, documentation, and planning in a single workspace. It helps knowledge workers, project managers, and agile teams manage work without switching between applications. ## Collaborative Work Management overview {#exploring-cwm__section_rry_fs5_rzb} Teams managing work across disconnected tools often lose context, duplicate effort, and struggle to maintain a clear picture of progress. Tasks live in one tool, documentation in another, and sprint planning in a third, with dependencies tracked in spreadsheets and status updates shared over email or chat. CWM solves this by bringing tasks, documentation, and planning into a single workspace organized around Spaces. Each Space contains Boards for task and project management and Docs for documentation, so everything related to a team's work stays connected and accessible from one place. Teams can choose how they work within CWM. Use a custom workflow for general task management, or run sprints end-to-end using the built-in Agile capabilities, including sprint planning, scrum tasks, and cross-team dependencies. Boards are highly configurable without admin involvement, and generative AI features help reduce manual overhead on task creation, formula building, and content generation. CWM integrates with the broader ServiceNow AI Platform, connecting to other ServiceNow applications, records, and the Strategic Planning workspace so that team-level execution stays aligned with organizational goals. ## Collaborative Work Management users {#exploring-cwm__cf-exploring-parent-users} {#exploring-cwm__table_cwm_users__entry__2} | User | Description | |-|-| | Knowledge worker/Team member | Creates and manages tasks on Boards, collaborates on Docs, and tracks personal work in My Space. Uses [ServiceNow Otto for Collaborative Work Management (CWM) (CWM)](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/7ZEutxKTZBR6fBzStI_iLA "The ServiceNow Otto for CWM application uses generative AI skills to improve time to value for the tasks you perform in the CWM workspace.") to reduce manual overhead in task creation and formula building. | | Project manager | Organizes work into Spaces and Boards, tracks progress across teams, and connects work to business goals and the Strategic Planning workspace. | | Agile practitioner | Plans and runs sprints, manages backlogs, generates scrum tasks from user stories, and tracks cross-team dependencies. | | SPM team member | Views and updates project and demand tasks from Project Workspace and Next Experience for Demand Management directly in CWM using the team member read or team member read-write role. | [Table 1. Users] {#exploring-cwm__table_cwm_users} ## Collaborative Work Management benefits {#exploring-cwm__section_vry_fs5_rzb} {#exploring-cwm__table_wry_fs5_rzb__entry__3} | Benefit | Feature | Users | |-|-|-| | Keep all team work in one place by organizing Boards and Docs into shared Spaces. Your team gets a single location to find tasks, documentation, and status without switching between tools. Use My Space as a personal space to manage any work assigned to you. | [Spaces](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/EJElbUfLXD4Am75wHQh_MQ "Create collaborative Spaces for teams to work together on projects, goals, or assignments.") | All users | | Get started without admin involvement by configuring your own workflow and organizing work the way your team needs it. * Create custom fields for task records. * Switch between Dashboard, List, Gantt, and Kanban views. * Create custom work item types. * Add a list of additional assignees to a task. {#exploring-cwm__ul_bzd_z5v_rzb} | [Boards](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/5nt_jb870wOloMMvl30J3Q "Use Boards in Collaborative Work Management to define and organize tasks. With views such as Dashboard, List, Kanban, and Gantt, configure your workspace based on the way you and your team work.") | All users | | Bring in tasks, Stories, or Epics from existing files such as Excel, Word, or PDF without recreating them row by row. ServiceNow Otto proposes the column mapping, you adjust it, preview the result, and confirm the import. | [Import tasks into Boards](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/axJAha_2qmai671vAZ1mSQ "Save time and effort by importing tasks or stories from a spreadsheet or document into a Collaborative Work Management Board. ServiceNow Otto proposes column mapping so you can bring existing work onto a Board without manually recreating each row.") | All users | | Create CWM tasks and stories from open prompts or documents with ServiceNow Otto. Review the generated tasks and add them to your Board. | [Create CWM tasks or stories from files or open prompts](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/RvetR4O2PHsw8B91nGrwXA "Generate tasks or stories for a Board by describing the work in a natural language prompt or by uploading a document. AI analyzes the input to propose a list of actionable tasks or stories for you to review and select, saving time and manual effort.") | All users | | Create and collaborate on meeting notes, technical specifications, or feature requirements directly within your workspace, keeping documentation connected to the work it supports. * Create rich text docs and add action items to users from within and outside the team. * Collaborate on docs in real-time with multiple concurrent editors. * Use AI to summarize page content for quick insights. You can also generate and refine content using custom prompts, or generate tasks directly from the information in your Doc and add them to Boards. {#exploring-cwm__ul_wp2_5vv_rzb} | [Docs](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/jzkTmHZqUhIIfAzAWBIDSw "Manage all kinds of documentation for work such as meeting notes, project requirements, or technical specifications using rich text Docs with real-time collaboration.") | Knowledge worker/Team member | | Reduce repetitive setup and ensure consistency across your team by starting from predefined templates for Spaces, Boards, and Docs. | [Templates for Spaces, Boards, and Docs](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ql6DLtM86FJaXj22oBfCRw "By enabling creation of Boards and Docs from predefined or custom templates, Collaborative Work Management (CWM) helps improve efficiency, save time, and reduce inconsistencies in format.") | All users | | Run sprints end-to-end in CWM without switching to a separate Agile tool. Plan work into sprints, manage backlogs, track progress through the sprint lifecycle, and conduct retrospectives, all within your Board. | [Sprint planning in CWM](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/dDqdFUaCfdkU4cqD9eBVBg "Plan, track, and manage work for your teams in the Agile methodology using Sprint planning in Collaborative Work Management.") | Agile practitioner | | Break user stories into granular scrum tasks to improve sprint execution and estimation. Assign tasks to team members and track daily progress through a sprint. Using Now Assist to accelerate sprint preparation, you can generate acceptance criteria for your stories from the story description. Then, generate an initial set of scrum tasks based on that description and criteria. Review and refine both before adding them to your sprint, or create scrum tasks manually from the story form. | [Scrum tasks](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/RrxdQl_JG1SHucXp9fJQIg "Extend your agile workflow in CWM by breaking user stories into scrum tasks. This gives your team the granularity needed to estimate effort, distribute work, and track daily progress through a sprint.") | Agile practitioner | | Link work items as prerequisites, dependents, or related to surface dependencies directly in CWM without tracking them in spreadsheets or notes. Blocked items are visible at a glance on the Kanban board to help teams spot bottlenecks and plan work in the right sequence. | [Task dependencies and relationships](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/d5j8~FgDwkk3ZYMFiH4PIw "Increase visibility into how work is connected by linking work items directly in Collaborative Work Management (CWM), eliminating the need to track dependencies in spreadsheets or notes fields.") | Agile practitioner | | Visualize task and sprint progress at a glance with configurable widgets, such as charts, dials, and score cards, on a dedicated Dashboard view. Choose from a set of predefined widgets or build your own custom widgets bound to any column on the Board. | [Dashboards](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/GvTbN6Y51gv5LJUCdXaV~g "The Dashboard view displays a collection of widgets that visualize CWM Board data, giving teams an at-a-glance summary of task progress, priorities, and assignments.") | All users | | Save and reuse filtered views of records from any table. Default lists such as My Epics, Stories, and Active Sprints are also available for quick access. | [Lists](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Xr~b0FDyKhnmfyRguOPTeg "Access predefined lists and your own custom lists of records from any table, without leaving Collaborative Work Management (CWM).") | All users | | Switch between Dashboard, List, Gantt, and Kanban view modes to visualize work in the format that fits your team's workflow. Save personalized views or create shared views to give the whole team a consistent starting point. | [Board views](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ezsTtQAuDcpVPhyAE~nq2Q "Create, customize, and switch seamlessly between Board display preferences such as column display, sorting, and filtering based on the audience and purpose in Collaborative Work Management (CWM).") | All users | | Add calculated columns to the List view that automatically compute values from your task data, such as totaling story points, calculating date differences, or deriving custom metrics. Build formulas manually using the Formula Builder panel. You can also describe your calculation in plain language and let AI generate the formula for you. | [Formula columns](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/06kVdt0snnNRejEKgS~OVQ "Gain deeper insights into your work by adding formula columns to your List view in CWM Boards. Create calculations that automatically compute values for your tasks, such as summing hours, calculating date differences, or deriving metrics from existing fields.") | Knowledge worker/team member, Project manager | | Reduce manual overhead by automating repetitive processes such as sending notifications, reassigning tasks, or updating task priority when conditions are met, without involving an admin. | [Automations](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/gVq~6gRJjlb4NqASzBV4gA "Boost team efficiency by automating monotonous actions such as sending notifications and emails, monitoring key dates, or reassigning tasks based on the conditions that suit the team's workflow.") | Project manager | | Bring work from across your ServiceNow AI Platform applications onto a single CWM Board, giving your team one place to plan and manage cross-functional work without switching between applications. | [Connected work in CWM](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/eySVrAgz7O_1XkonS6Mf4Q "Streamline task management for teams by bringing in various work items from across ServiceNow applications into Boards in Collaborative Work Management.") | Project manager, SPM team member | | Access and update project and demand tasks directly in CWM without requiring access to Project Workspace or Next Experience for Demand Management. View assigned work in My Work or pull tasks into a Board using Connected Work. | [Team member roles for project work](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/PoELOCjU1nKBbT07oJ0ung "Team members can view and update project tasks and demand tasks directly in Collaborative Work Management (CWM) using team member roles, without requiring access to Project Workspace or Next Experience for Demand Management.") | SPM team member | | Connect team execution to organizational strategy by surfacing CWM Boards in Strategic Planning portfolio plans, where work can be prioritized and roadmapped alongside other investments. | [Connecting CWM with Strategic Planning or Portfolio Planning](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/UIox8QlhSgPjz87uo4ZbqA#connect-cwm-spw "Configure Strategic Planning or Portfolio Planning to include CWM Boards so that you can plan, roadmap, and associate goals to Boards in a portfolio plan.") | Project manager | | Reference live ServiceNow AI Platform records such as Incidents, Risks, or Issues directly in CWM Docs. References update automatically to reflect the latest record data, keeping documentation accurate without manual updates. | [Enable ServiceNow AI Platform records in CWM Docs](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/9eugktVCEbUZEBpFlF4gYg "Facilitate connecting work across ServiceNow AI Platform by enabling CWM users to add a reference to records of any ServiceNow table in CWM Docs.") | Knowledge worker/Team member | | Share Board data with stakeholders outside CWM or prepare for offline analysis and presentations by exporting to CSV or Microsoft Excel. | [Export Board as CSV or Excel](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/psgEny6cEKT_6WeEeKvTzw "Export the list view of Collaborative Work Management (CWM) Boards to CSV or Microsoft Excel. Use the data to obtain insights, share with stakeholders, and prepare for analysis or presentations.") | Project manager | | Share Doc content with stakeholders who don't have access to CWM by exporting pages to PDF. | [Export Doc as PDF](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/6gwneSTUYlNXc66I1REbaw "Use the Docs offline, and share with teams or stakeholders outside Collaborative Work Management (CWM) by exporting Docs as PDF.") | Knowledge worker | [ ] {#exploring-cwm__table_wry_fs5_rzb} Note: Depending on your license, you will have access to certain application features, generative AI skills, agentic workflows, and AI agents. For more information, see [ServiceNow product tiers](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=ai-native-sku-overview&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US). ## What to explore next {#exploring-cwm__cf-exploring-parent-links} To learn more about configuring and using Collaborative Work Management, see: * [Configuring Collaborative Work Management](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/qC0YdFUUrgAIwG4PsM7Y2w "Plan and configure how your team can implement Collaborative Work Management.") * [Using Collaborative Work Management](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/rpnTvkbxeilZB2r_PVemBg "Use the different features of Collaborative Work Management (CWM) to collaborative with teams across your organizations and manage work in the way your teams want.") * [Collaborative Work Management reference](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/QwyJaWg5JeBAC44TQEaJMQ "Reference topics provide details on the roles, tables, and properties installed with Collaborative Work Management (CWM).") {#exploring-cwm__ul_cwm_explore_links}