Definitions of life-cycle values for tangible/physical CIs

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  • Updated March 12, 2026
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    Summary of Definitions of life-cycle values for tangible/physical CIs

    This document defines the life-cycle stages and statuses for tangible or physical Configuration Items (CIs) within ServiceNow’s Asset Management and Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Tangible/physical CIs refer to stocked physical assets such as computers, monitors, and keyboards. These life-cycle values track the asset’s progression from ideation through procurement, deployment, operation, and eventual end of life or disposal.

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    Life-Cycle Stages and Statuses

    The life cycle for tangible/physical assets is divided into multiple stages, each with specific statuses that reflect the asset’s current condition and process state. These stages are primarily visible in hardware-related tables.

    • Ideation: New models are assessed for organizational fit, including statuses like Under Evaluation and Pilot.
    • Purchase: After approval, assets are procured. Statuses include On Order and Preallocated.
    • Design: Planning and preparation occur before physical creation, with statuses such as Design, Chartered, and Build.
    • Inventory: Assets are received and stored before deployment. Statuses include Available, Reserved, Preallocated, and special conditions such as Pending Repair, Legal Hold, and Quarantine.
    • Deploy: Assets are prepared for operational use with statuses like In Stock, Reserved, Pending Transfer, In Transit, and Test.
    • Operational: Assets are actively used or maintained. Statuses include Pending Fulfillment, In Use, In Maintenance, End of Support, and Pending Retirement.
    • End of Operation: Transitional stage marking the end of active operation with statuses such as Pending Evaluation, Pending Return, Pending Resale, Pending Certificate, Pending Disposal, Pending Donation, On Hold, and In Transit (for repurposing).
    • Defective: Assets that have failed and need repair or replacement, with statuses In Stock or In Transit.
    • Missing: Assets that are lost or stolen, with statuses Lost or Stolen.
    • End of Life: Assets are decommissioned or disposed, with statuses such as Pending Disposal, In Transit, Pending Certificate, Disposed, Donated, RMA, Sold, Vendor Credit, Buyout, and Lease Return.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    Understanding these life-cycle values enables customers to accurately track and manage tangible assets throughout their entire lifecycle in ServiceNow. This supports better asset visibility, compliance, and decision-making related to procurement, deployment, maintenance, and disposal processes. It also facilitates workflows such as repair handling, legal holds, and end-of-life activities like returns, donations, or sales.

    By using the defined stages and statuses, customers can ensure their hardware inventory is managed with clarity and consistency, improving operational efficiency and asset governance across the organization.

    The tangible/physical life-cycle states represent the overall life cycle of physical assets and CIs as related to their products. Tangible/physical assets are physical items that are stocked, for example computers, monitors, and keyboards. The stages and statuses for the tangible/physical life-cycle process are visible only in hardware-related tables in Asset Management and the CMDB.

    Definitions of tangible/physical life cycle stage and life cycle stage status values

    Note:
    The CI label tangible/physical includes and supersedes the "Hardware" label that had been used in earlier releases.

    Relationships between CSDM stages and life cycle values.

    Ideation life cycle stage

    New tangible or physical models in this stage are being assessed for potential use in the organization.

    • Under Evaluation: The model is being reviewed for compatibility, functionality, and business fit before approval. 
    • Pilot: The model is in a limited deployment for real-world testing before broader adoption. 
    Purchase life cycle stage

    After a tangible or physical model is approved, the organization proceeds with procurement.

    • On Order: The asset has been ordered from a vendor but has not yet been received. 
    • Preallocated: The asset is already assigned to a specific purpose or user before its arrival. 
    Design life cycle stage

    The item is in the initial planning and setup phase.

    • Design: The layout and system requirements are being defined.
    • Chartered: The item is approved for development, but no physical item has yet been created.
    • Build: The item is under construction, setup, or is being prepared for operational use.
    Inventory life cycle stage

    The asset is received and stored in inventory before deployment.

    • Available: The asset is in stock and is ready for deployment. 
    • Reserved: The asset is set aside for a specific request but is not yet deployed. 
    • Preallocated: The asset is assigned to a request but is not yet physically allocated. 
    • Pending Repair (CI): The asset is in stock but requires repairs before being usable such as on-site visit from manufacturer or RMA swap. 
    • Legal Hold (CI): The asset cannot be deployed due to legal restrictions or conformance reasons. 
    • Quarantine (CI): The asset is isolated due to potential security risks, failures, or non-conformance. 
    Deploy life cycle stage

    The asset is prepared and moved to operational use.

    • In Stock: The asset is stored and is designated for deployment, but is in the process of being prepared for deployment .
    • Reserved: The asset is assigned to a user or department but has not been physically moved. 
    • Pending Transfer: The asset is scheduled for relocation to another facility or user. 
    • In Transit: The asset is currently being moved between locations. 
    • Test: The asset has been identified as part of a deployment activity, has been built, and is ready for testing before operational usage .
    Operational life cycle stage

    The asset is actively in use or is undergoing maintenance.

    • Pending Fulfillment: The asset is put/placed into its operational environment/location but needs to be configured/provisioned before it can be used.
    • In Use: The asset is deployed and functioning in a live environment. 
    • In Maintenance: The asset is being serviced or is undergoing repairs while still considered operational. 
    • End of Support: The asset has reached the end of vendor or internal support but is still in use. 
    • Pending Retirement: The asset is still operational but is marked for decommissioning. 
    End of Operation life cycle stage

    End of Operation is an intermediate stage between Operational and the next stage. Operation of the product have ended, but the product instance is transitioning to a new life cycle stage and life cycle stage status.

    • Pending Evaluation: Non-operational intermediate status in which a product is evaluated to determine its next stage and stage status.
    • Pending Return: Non-operational status before the asset is returned and the provider received the returned asset in an end of life stage: RMA, Vendor Credit, Buyout or Lease Return. 
    • In Transit: Non-operational, transitional status to support repurposing the asset and true end-of-life.
    • Pending Resale: Intermediate status before selling the asset to a third-party entity .
    • Pending Certificate: Intermediate status before receiving a certificate of disposal.
    • Pending Disposal: Intermediate status before the Disposed end of life stage.
    • Pending Donation: Intermediate status before the Donated end of life stage.
    • On Hold: Operation of the asset is halted for one of the following reasons:
      • Suspended: service, subscription, and so on.
      • Blocked: credit card, account, and so on.
      • Paused: subscription, lease, and so on.
    Defective life cycle stage

    Tangible or physical devices that have failed and require replacement or repair.

    • In Stock: The defective asset is stored and is awaiting disposition. 
    • In Transit: The defective asset is being shipped for return, repair, or disposal. 
    Missing life cycle stage

    The asset is unaccounted for or stolen.

    • Lost: The asset is missing and cannot be located. 
    • Stolen: The asset has been confirmed as stolen. 
    End of Life life cycle stage

    The asset is being decommissioned or disposed of.

    • Pending Disposal: The asset is marked for disposal but has not yet been removed. 
    • In Transit: The asset is being shipped to a disposal or return location. 
    • Pending Certificate: The asset awaits official documentation for decommissioning or disposal. 
    • Disposed: The asset has been discarded following proper procedures. 
    • Donated: The asset has been given to a non-profit, employee, or other entity. 
    • RMA: The asset is returned to the vendor for replacement or repair under warranty. 
    • Sold: The asset has been sold as part of asset liquidation. 
    • Vendor Credit: The asset was returned to the vendor for a credit instead of replacement. 
    • Buyout: The asset was leased and has been purchased instead of returned. 
    • Lease Return: The leased asset has been returned to the vendor at the end of its lease period.