Agent auto assignment using multiple selection criteria

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Agent auto assignment using multiple selection criteria

    This functionality in ServiceNow automates task assignment by evaluating multiple selection criteria to identify the most suitable agent. It supports combining rating-based criteria (such as location, skills, and time zones) and time-based criteria (such as agent or task schedules) to optimize task allocation.

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    Key Features

    • Multiple Criteria Evaluation: You can configure the system to consider various criteria simultaneously, including agent ratings for location, skills, and time zones.
    • Schedule Consideration: When enabled, the system compares agent schedules against the task schedule to further refine the assignment decision.
    • Configurable Weighting: Each criterion can be assigned a weight to influence its impact on the overall auto-assignment calculation.
    • Dynamic Calculation: The auto-assignment score for each agent is computed by averaging the weighted ratings of all selected criteria, enabling balanced and flexible task distribution.

    Key Outcomes

    When a task is marked Ready for Work, ServiceNow calculates agent ratings based on the configured criteria and weights. If schedule consideration is enabled, it narrows down agents by schedule compatibility. The agent with the highest calculated score is automatically assigned the task, ensuring assignments align closely with business priorities and agent capabilities.

    For example, if location and skills are used as criteria with respective weights, the system calculates a score for each available agent. In a scenario where Agent A is farther from the task location but has more required skills, and Agent B is closer but less skilled, the system may assign the task to Agent A based on the weighted combined score, optimizing for both proximity and expertise.

    At its simplest, auto assignment involves identifying a set of selection criteria and automatically assigning the task to the agent who most closely meets the criteria. You can, however, select multiple sets of criteria, including both rating-based and time-based criteria.

    When a task is qualified or marked as Ready for Work, the following evaluations are performed:
    1. The ratings of an agent are calculated. If the Auto-selection of agents will consider agent or task schedules configuration option is disabled for the application, the ratings of an agent are used exclusively for auto-assigning an agent.

      For more information on how the ratings are calculated, see:

    2. If the Auto-selection of agents will consider agent or task schedules configuration option is enabled, the schedules of the agents whose ratings are acceptable for auto-assignment are compared to the schedule for the task, and the agent with the best match is auto-assigned. For more information on time-based methods for auto-assigning agents, see:

    Auto assignment is based on the following calculation:

    (Criteria_1 rating x Criteria_1 weight) + (Criteria_2 rating x Criteria_2 weight) + (Criteria_3 rating x Criteria_3 weight) / Number of criteria types used

    Where:

    • Number of criteria types used = 1, 2, or 3 depending on the location, skill, and time zone settings used.
    This example calculates agent auto-assignment based on location and skills. The example is based on the following assumptions.
    • The Auto-selection of agents will consider location of agents configuration option is enabled for the application.
    • The Auto-selection of agents requires them to have some of the required skills for the task configuration option is enabled for the application.
    • The Skills Weight property is set to 10 for the application.
    • The Location Weight property is set to 5 for the application.
    • Agents A and B are available to perform a task, and the task requires four specific skills.
    • The location of Agent A is 5 miles from the site of the task. Agent A possesses three of the four required skills.
    • The location of Agent B is one-quarter mile from the site. Agent B possesses two of the required skills.

    Auto assignment for the agents uses this calculation:

    [(Location rating x Location weight) + (Skills rating x Skills weight)]/ 2
    • The auto assignment calculation for Agent A is: [(0.7 x 0.5) + (0.75 x 1)]/ 2 = 0.55
    • The auto assignment calculation for Agent B is: [(0.9 x 0.5) + (0.5 x 1)]/ 2 = 0.475

    In this example, Agent A is auto assigned the task.