Example Asset Refresh Virtual Agent conversation with notifications

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Example Asset Refresh Virtual Agent conversation with notifications

    This content outlines how ServiceNow's Virtual Agent can automate the Asset Refresh process, which manages hardware upgrades for employees. It leverages pre-built components and topic blocks from the ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations plugin to streamline workflows, notifications, and user interactions related to asset replacement policies, such as replacing computers or tablets every two years.

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    Key Features

    • Pre-built Components: Virtual Agent includes common greetings, natural language understanding (NLU) intents, reusable logic, and pre-built conversations that support various organizational needs like password resets, IT self-service, HR queries, and customer service.
    • Asset Refresh Workflow: Automates notifying users when their assets are due for replacement by moving assets to an “In maintenance” state after a defined period (e.g., two years) and triggering notifications to asset owners.
    • Interactive Virtual Agent Topic: When users receive a notification, they can engage with Virtual Agent to either upgrade their asset immediately or get more information about the policy. The workflow includes:
      • Asset lookup to confirm current assignment
      • Incident creation if the asset is no longer with the user
      • Catalog search and request for replacement assets
      • AI-powered search for policy-related knowledge base articles
    • Notifications Integration: Notifications prompt users to take action and link directly to the Virtual Agent workflow for a seamless experience.

    Practical Implementation Steps

    ServiceNow customers can build this Asset Refresh workflow by following these core steps:

    1. Create the Asset Refresh topic in Virtual Agent Designer to define the conversation flows.
    2. Develop the Open Incident workflow to handle cases where the asset is no longer assigned to the user.
    3. Create the More Information workflow to provide users with relevant organizational policy details.
    4. Set up the notification mechanism that triggers when an asset enters the “In maintenance” state.
    5. Associate the notification content with the Asset Refresh topic to enable actionable notifications that drive user engagement.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By implementing this solution, customers can automate hardware upgrade communications, reduce manual follow-ups, and improve user experience through a guided Virtual Agent conversation. It ensures timely asset refreshes aligned with organizational policies while providing users with clear options and support through AI-enhanced knowledge delivery and incident management.

    Virtual Agent can automate many workflows, and a number of common solutions are available when you install Virtual Agent and related plugins, such as ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations.

    For an overview of the Asset Refresh workflow from the user perspective, watch this video.

    Pre-built components in Virtual Agent

    Virtual Agent comes with a basic configuration that includes common greetings, NLU intents, reusable logic, and pre-built conversations. Using these building blocks, you can quickly put together workflows to handle some of the most common organizational needs, including the following:

    To help you understand the possibilities, the Asset Refresh example uses pre-built topic blocks that are included in the ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations plugin. These topic blocks do most of the "heavy lifting" in the topic.

    Asset Refresh workflow

    The purpose of the Asset Refresh topic is to automate hardware upgrades for your employees. If your organization's policy is to replace computers or tablets every two years, then you can create a business rule that says when a user has had an asset for two years, the asset should move to the In maintenance state. You can create a notification that is triggered by this change of state in the Hardware table. In our example, the asset owner receives the notification and is instructed to upgrade their asset.

    The Asset Refresh Virtual Agent topic provides the action for the notification. When the user selects the link in the notification, they proceed to the workflow in Virtual Agent. This example topic contains the primary flow (helping the user upgrade their hardware) and two secondary flows that ensure that the user's needs are met.

    The conversation workflow includes the primary path for upgrading the asset, as well as workflows for creating an Incident or helping the customer to understand the organization's upgrade policy first.

    After a greeting message, Virtual Agent asks the user if they want to upgrade now or get more information. If they choose to upgrade now, they are directed through the primary flow. Virtual Agent uses the Lookup utility to find the expiring asset that is assigned to the user. Then Virtual Agent makes sure the user still has the asset. If they do not, Virtual Agent uses the Create Incident topic block to open an Incident to resolve the problem. If the user still has the asset, Virtual Agent uses the Search Catalog Item topic block to find a replacement. The Request Catalog Item topic block is used to request it. The request is sent to the user, and the workflow ends.

    If the user chooses to get more information, the AI Search topic block returns one or more specific KB articles that explain the organization's policy. Once the user has viewed these, they are given the option to upgrade now or later. If they choose to upgrade now, they are redirected through the primary workflow; otherwise, the conversation ends.

    Creating the Asset Refresh example workflow

    The following topics describe how to use Virtual Agent Designer and actionable notifications to create the Asset Refresh workflow. Follow these steps in order.

    1. Create the Asset Refresh topic in Virtual Agent Designer.
    2. Create the Open Incident workflow in the Asset Refresh topic.
    3. Create the More Information workflow in the Asset Refresh topic.
    4. Create the notification for the Asset Refresh topic.
    5. Associate content with the Asset Refresh notification.