Case playbook: vertical stages record page

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 6 minutes to read
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    Summary of Case playbook: vertical stages record page

    The Case playbook: vertical stages record page is a configurable record page designed for use in the Customer Service Management (CSM) Configurable Workspace. It provides a vertical stage picker in the left panel that visually tracks progress through playbook stages, helping agents manage case workflows effectively. This page variant is built from the Case playbook: vertical stages template and is available with the Playbooks for Customer Service Management v6.0 store application.

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    Page Variant Settings and Access

    This page variant is inactive by default and must be enabled to become available to users. It is prioritized with a default order of -1, meaning it has high priority when active. The variant applies exclusively to records in the Case [sncustomerservicecase] table and its extensions, ensuring it appears only for relevant case records. The variant does not restrict visibility by audience, so all users with workspace access can see it.

    To configure the page variant, navigate via Now Experience Framework’s UI Builder within the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace experience, then select the Case playbook: vertical stages record page variant settings.

    Key Components and Their Functions

    • Form heading: Displays primary and secondary record information such as short description, priority, state, and contact/consumer details. These fields are configurable to suit agent needs.
    • Record tags: Allows agents to create and manage multiple tags for grouping and organizing case records.
    • Action bar: Contains context-sensitive actions based on user role and case state, including options to view record and playbook details, handle in-progress tasks, create related records, compose communications, save changes, and access additional functions.
    • Playbook name and vertical stage picker: Displays the playbook’s name and a vertical list of stages with icons indicating each stage’s status (complete, current, or locked). Agents can expand stages to view included activities.
    • Activity picker: Shows activities within the current stage, with visual indicators for completed, in-progress, or remaining activities. Selecting an activity opens details in the activity viewer.
    • Activity viewer: The main workspace where agents complete activities, supporting various forms of input like forms, checklists, tasks, SLA timers, and attachments.
    • Contact or consumer lookup: Enables searching, linking/unlinking, editing, and quick access to contact or consumer information, including direct email drafting and phone calling from the record card.
    • Case summarization: Allows agents to summarize case details and post summaries to the activity stream. This feature requires Now Assist for CSM to be activated and configured.
    • Record details: Presents collapsible sections for case notes, closure information, and related records, along with additional form actions like personalization and data export.
    • Contextual side panel: Offers tools such as the activity stream, agent assist, recommended actions, related items, attachments, response and email templates, and record information to support case resolution.
    • Activity stream: Displays chronological case activities, which can be expanded or collapsed for detailed or summary views.
    • Modeless dialogs for composing emails and comments: Enables agents to create and post communications without leaving the main workspace, supporting multitasking during case handling.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    This page variant enhances case management by providing a clear, vertical visualization of case progress through playbook stages, helping agents understand the current state and next steps easily. The integration of contact lookup, summarization, and communication tools within the same interface streamlines workflows and reduces context switching. Configuration options for headers, tags, and actions allow tailoring to organizational needs, while the use of modeless dialogs supports efficient multitasking. Overall, this enables ServiceNow customers to improve agent productivity, ensure consistent case handling, and deliver better customer service outcomes.

    The Case playbook: vertical stages page is a record page that you can use in CSM Configurable Workspace. This page includes a playbook with a vertical stage picker that displays in the left panel and can track overall progress on the UI in a vertical view.

    The Case playbook: vertical stages record page is created from the Case playbook: vertical stages template.

    The Case playbook: vertical stages record page is available with the Playbooks for Customer Service Management v6.0 store application. For more information, see Playbook plugins.

    Case playbook: vertical stages page variant

    The Case playbook: vertical stages page variant is included with the Playbooks for Customer Service Management v6.0 store application. This variant includes the following settings.
    Table 1. Case playbook: vertical stages page variant settings
    Setting Description
    Active The Case playbook: vertical stages page variant is not active by default. Enabling the Active check box makes the page variant available to the selected audience.

    The Active setting combined with the page order determines the page that CSM Configurable Workspace uses to display record information. For more information, see Set record page order.
    Order Each record page has an order which indicates the page priority. The lower the number, the higher the priority.

    The default order for the Case playbook: vertical stages page variant is -1.
    Conditions Conditions determine when a page variant is displayed. The Case playbook: vertical stages page variant has the following condition: table=sn_customerservice_case

    This condition limits the use of the Case playbook: vertical stages page variant to records from the Case [sn_customerservice_case] table and tables that extend the Case table.
    Audience The audience determines who can see the page variant. The Case playbook: vertical stages page variant doesn't have an audience. This means everyone with access to the experience can see this page variant.

    For more information, see Learn about audiences.
    To access the settings for this page variant:
    1. Navigate to All > Now Experience Framework > UI Builder.
    2. Select the CSM/FSM Configurable Workspace experience.
    3. In the Record section of the Pages and variants list, select Case playbook: vertical stages.
    4. Select Settings at the top of the page.

    Case playbook: vertical stages page components

    The Case playbook: vertical stages page includes the following components.

    Component Description
    Form heading The page header includes record information that is displayed in the primary and secondary fields:
    • The primary field displays the short description of the record.
    • The secondary fields display the additional record information such as the priority, state, and contact or consumer details.

    You can configure the fields that appear in the page header. For more information, see Customize the page header for a playbook page.
    Record tags Agents can create multiple tags for a record and then use the tags to group and organize records.

    For more information, see Group and find records using tags in workspace.
    Action bar The action bar contains the actions available to users while working on case records. The specific actions are determined by factors such as the user role, case state, and other attributes.
    • Record details: Displays the record details.
    • Playbook details: Displays the playbook details.
    • In-progress Actions: Provides a list of minimized modeless dialogs and includes a badge that displays the number of items in the list. From this list, an agent can select an item to open the minimized comment, work note, or email.
    • Create: Create records such as work orders, incidents, and requests.
    • Compose: Compose comments, work notes, and emails in modeless dialogs.
    • Save: Save changes to the case record.
    • More Actions: Perform additional actions such as proposing a major case or reporting a knowledge gap.
    Playbook name In the Case playbook: vertical stages page variant, the playbook name appears at the top of the vertical stage picker.
    Stage picker The Case playbook: vertical stages page variant includes a vertical stage picker, which gives the agent a complete view of the playbook and where they are within the playbook.

    The vertical stage picker displays the playbook stages and activities on the side of the record page. Select a stage to expand the stage and display the included activities.

    The stages in the stage picker include icons that indicate the stage status:
    • A check mark Check mark image. indicates that the stage is complete.
    • A pen icon Pen image. indicates the current stage.
    • A lock icon Lock image. indicates that a stage is locked and can’t be started until the previous stage is complete.
    Activity picker The activity picker displays the activities for the current stage. Each activity has an indicator that shows the activity state:
    • Completed
    • In progress
    • Remaining

    With the vertical stage picker, you can expand each stage to see the activities within that stage.

    Selecting an activity in a stage displays the details in the activity viewer.
    Activity viewer The activity viewer displays the selected activity, which is the main work area where an agent performs the work necessary to complete the current activity.

    Activity cards display the details about the current activity in the activity viewer. Depending on the type of activity, the activity cards can display information such as form data, task status, SLA timers, or attachments.

    Agents use the cards for completing the work for each activity, such as filling in forms, completing checklists, completing tasks, or adding attachments.
    Contact or consumer lookup The lookup component enables agents to look up contact or consumer information and display that information in a record card. These cards display customer information and provide quick access to details such name, email, and phone. The contact record card also includes account information.
    Agents can use the contact lookup component to do the following:
    • Search for a contact or consumer.
    • Link or unlink a contact or consumer record.
    • Edit and save the information in a linked contact or consumer record.
    • Select a reference field on a record card, such as a contact or consumer name, to open the reference in a subtab.
    • Select an email address on a lookup card to open a draft email in the email composer in a sub-tab.
    • Select a phone number on a lookup card to make a call.

    For more information, see Playbook lookup component.
    Case summarization The case summarization component appears below the lookup component. When an agent opens a case record, the component is collapsed and in the default state.
    Agents can use this component to do the following:
    • Summarize case details.
    • Post the summary to the activity stream.
    • Refresh the summary.

    The case summarization component requires the Now Assist for Customer Service Management (CSM) application to be activated and configured. For more information, see Playbook case summarization component.
    Record details The case details component includes collapsible sections for:
    • Case
    • Notes
    • Closure Information
    • Related Records

    This component also includes a menu with additional form actions, such as personalizing the form, exporting data, and copying the URL.

    Agents can view case details by selecting the Record Details button in the action bar.
    Contextual side panel The contextual side panel component includes different tools that agents can use to research and resolve customer issues. The contextual side panel in the Case playbook: horizontal stages page includes the following tabs.For more information about the tabs in the contextual side panel, see Playbook contextual side panel component.
    Activity stream The activity stream component displays a list of activities occurring on a case record. This list can be collapsed to provide a quick view of case activities or expanded to provide more detail about individual activities.
    For more information, For more information, see Playbook activity stream component.
    Note:
    The Case playbook: vertical stages page uses modeless dialogs for composing comments, work notes, and emails.
    Compose email and Compose comments modeless dialogs A modeless dialog is a window that overlays the main window content. You can use modeless dialogs to create and post comments and work notes to the activity stream. You can also compose and send emails as you work through the stages and activities in a playbook. For more information, see Playbook modeless dialogs.