--- 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 --- # Demand tasks # Demand tasks {#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 Demand tasks A demand task in ServiceNow is a unit of work created within a demand to break down planning activities before converting the demand into projects, changes, enhancements, or defects. These tasks help delegate and manage activities that assess demand feasibility but differ significantly from project tasks. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Task Characteristics:** Demand tasks do not include planned, actual, or original dates. Instead, they only have a due date that targets task completion without impacting demand workflow or timelines. * **Task Structure:** Demand tasks do not support nested tasks, constraints like Start ASAP or Start on a specific date, nor execution types such as Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid. * **Resource Assignment:** You can assign resources using the Assigned to, Additional Assignee list, and Assignment Group fields. However, resource assignments on demand tasks do not allocate resources or groups in the same way project tasks do, nor do they transfer to subsequent work entities. * **Time and Cost Tracking:** Resources assigned to demand tasks can submit time spent via time cards, which track actual effort and cost within the demand itself. These costs and efforts roll up to provide an aggregate view for the entire demand but do not transfer to future work entities created from the demand. * **Additional Work Items:** Depending on the task category and assigned role, you can add cost plans, resource assignments, benefit plans, and risks directly to a demand from the demand task form. ## Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers Demand tasks offer a focused way to manage and delegate preliminary planning activities without impacting project schedules or resource allocations directly. They provide visibility into effort and cost at the demand level, enabling better feasibility assessments and resource planning. Customers should use demand tasks primarily for planning and assessing demands, leveraging time card submissions for accurate effort and cost tracking, while understanding that demand tasks do not carry over resource assignments or scheduling constraints into projects or other work entities. A demand task is a unit of work created within a demand. Use demand tasks to break down planning activities before converting the demand into a project, change, enhancement, or defect. You can [create a demand task](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/lzPc1APGmYqY65aoRsrGRg "Create tasks for a demand to delegate cost, effort, risk, and benefit assessment activities. Assign a resource or group to the demand task to track the actual time and effort spent on performing the specified activities.") from the Demand Tasks related list to delegate activities that are helpful for assessing demand feasibility. Demand tasks differ from project tasks in the following aspects: * Planned dates, actual dates, and original dates are part of project tasks not demand tasks. * The due date indicates the date on which the task is targeted for completion and doesn't affect the demand workflow. Project tasks, however, affect the project completion dates if the planned dates and actual dates are changed. * Don't support the creation of nested demand tasks. * Don't support task constraints such as the settings Start ASAP and Start on a specific date. * Don't support an execution type such as Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid. {#demand-task__ul_ew4_jgn_jhb} ## Resource assignment {#demand-task__section_hbh_4gn_jhb} Assign resources for a demand task using the Assigned to, Additional Assignee list, and Assignment Group fields. Don't create and use resource assignments to allocate resources or groups to a demand task or submit the time spent on the demand. If you associate a resource assignment with a demand task, the associated resource plan isn't transferred to the work entity created from that demand. Resource assignments aren't associated with the demand by default. Don't use resource assignments created for the future work entity to submit time spent on a demand. When you submit a time card for a demand, the time and cost incurred aren't transferred to the work entity created from the demand. The time and cost remain within the demand as the demand cost and effort. Resources assigned to a demand task can submit the time spent on it using a time card. For more information, see [Submit a time card for a demand task](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/eF1oVFc0t36M6QBrmEN1kg "The resources assigned to a demand task create and submit a time card or time sheet to record the time spent on a demand task. The reported hours are used to calculate the actual cost and effort for a demand task."). ## Actual cost and effort for a demand task {#demand-task__section_sf3_sgn_jhb} The actual effort of the work performed on the demand task is derived from the time card. The actual cost is derived from the hourly resource rate defined in the rate model, default labor rate, or default system property. The actual cost and effort for a demand task are then rolled up to derive the actual cost and effort for the associated demand. For more information, see [Actual cost and effort calculation for a demand and demand task](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/AxS47tTJ18X27nWu1gYUZQ "The actual cost and effort are realized cost incurred and time spent for the work performed on a demand and demand task during a specific time period. Calculations are based on approved time cards and the hourly rate for each resource. The hourly rate determines how actual cost and effort vary."). ## Add work items to a Demand {#demand-task__section_utr_whn_jhb} Based on the selected demand task category and role assigned to you, you can use the demand task form to: * [Add a cost plan to a Demand](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/BnG9nHAzYxV0YlqP2hAxug "Create a cost plan to specify the unit cost of a cost type for a fiscal period. Project cost plans capture the costs of projects.") * [Add a resource assignment to a Demand](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Ig8DTz3UaY0xR4KBOz~7zQ "As a resource requester, find the availability of the resources, and create and manage the resource assignments for a demand.") * [Add a benefit plan to a Demand](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/_gCCYp3Wj417DrNrFBI5jg "Demand benefit plans capture the potential benefits accrued by the demand when the demand is executed. Create a monetary benefit plan to specify the estimated benefit in a category for a fiscal period.") * [Add risks to a Demand](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/wiDjvk2SfzjvUBtMD4lU5Q "The demand manager typically works with a business relationship manager to identify stakeholders and elicit requirements, risks, and other important information.") {#demand-task__ul_fh1_yhn_jhb}