Configure the supporting components for a lifecycle event

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    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 Configure the supporting components for a lifecycle event

    This guide explains how to configure the essential components that support lifecycle event activities within ServiceNow's Enterprise Onboarding and Transitions application. Lifecycle events consist of multiple activities that require configuration of underlying elements such as HR task templates, order guides, catalog items, HR services, owning groups, activity types, and audience records.

    Show full answer Show less

    Owning Groups

    Owning groups determine which department or team is responsible for each lifecycle event activity. Typical owning groups include HR, IT, and Facilities. Ownership ensures accountability and proper management of activities. To create or modify activities, users must be members of the relevant owning group and have the snhrle.activitywriter role.

    Activity Types and Configuration Requirements

    Lifecycle event activities vary and include approvals, employee tasks, fulfiller activities, notifications, and more. Each activity type requires specific configuration of supporting components, enabling reuse of existing HR services, task templates, or catalog items where possible. Key activity types and their configuration needs include:

    • Approval: No additional configuration needed.
    • Employee task: Configure an HR task template.
    • Fulfiller activity: Configure supporting components based on fulfiller type; some are preconfigured.
    • Automated Order Guide: Create an order guide.
    • Catalog item: Create or edit a catalog item.
    • HR service: Configure an HR service.
    • HR task: Configure an HR task template.
    • Incident: Create an incident template.
    • Notification: Create an email template.
    • Flow: Create a subflow; note only the default "Switch primary job" subflow is available out of the box.
    • Content: Configure a schedule content template.
    • Activity container: No configuration required.

    Audiences

    Audience records define criteria that determine whether a lifecycle event activity triggers for a specific employee. This allows targeted workflows, such as differentiating onboarding processes for office-based versus remote employees. If no audience is specified, activities apply to all employees. Activities with unmet audience criteria will be marked as "Skipped."

    Additional Configuration

    • Configure an owning group: Define or modify user groups responsible for lifecycle event activities.
    • Configure an activity configuration: Set fulfillment processes and closure conditions for activities.
    • Configure a schedule content template: Deliver tailored content via mobile, portal, notifications, or to-do lists as part of lifecycle events.

    These configurations enable ServiceNow customers to customize lifecycle events effectively, ensuring clear ownership, appropriate workflows, and targeted employee experiences.

    Configure the supporting components for a lifecycle event. Lifecycle events are a collection of activities. For each activity, you must identify and configure the underlying components that support it, such as HR task templates, order guides, catalog items, and HR services. You must also identify and configure the relevant owning groups, activity types, and audience records.

    • Owning groups
    • Activity types
    • Audiences

    Owning groups

    Owning groups control who owns a lifecycle event activity. Because lifecycle events are generally cross-departmental, it’s critical that ownership of each activity is assigned to the appropriate group, such as for HR, IT, or Facilities. Each owning group is responsible for overseeing the activities that fall under their purview. See Configure an owning group for a lifecycle event for more information.

    To create, update, or delete an activity, you must be both a member of the associated owning group and have the sn_hr_le.activity_writer role. For example, only members of the HR activity writers owning group with the sn_hr_le.activity_writer role can configure an HR activity.

    Different owning groups and the lifecycle event activities they are responsible for.

    Activity types

    Lifecycle event activities can be approvals, employee activities, fulfiller activities, notifications, and more. Depending on the activity type, you must configure the appropriate components that underlie it.

    A key benefit of the Enterprise Onboarding and Transitions application is that you can reuse existing components and processes. These components and processes include existing HR services, HR task templates, or catalog items. For each activity, determine whether there’s an existing component that you can use or if you must configure a new one.

    Table 1. Activity types and corresponding configuration requirements
    Activity type Configuration requirements
    Approval

    N/A

    To learn more about approvals, see Approvals.
    Employee task Configure an HR task template

    To learn more about HR templates, see HR templates.
    Fulfiller activity Depending on the fulfiller activity type, configure the appropriate supporting components.
    Note:
    The following fulfiller activity types are preconfigured with the Enterprise Onboarding and Transitions application. To configure additional types, see Configure an activity configuration for a lifecycle event.
    Automated Order Guide Create an order guide

    To learn more about order guides, see Order guides.
    Catalog item Create or edit a catalog item

    To learn more about catalog items, see Service catalog items.
    HR service Configure an HR service

    To learn more about HR services, see HR services.
    HR task Configure an HR task template

    To learn more about HR templates, see HR templates.
    Incident Create an incident template

    To learn more about incident management, see Incident Management.
    Notification Create an email template

    To learn more about notifications, see Notifications.
    Flow Create a subflow
    Important:
    The only subflow available for use by default is the Switch primary job subflow. This subflow is used to support multiple jobs in a lifecycle event.

    To use a different subflow for an activity, additional configuration is required. See the Implementing multiple subflows in an LE activity [KB0817520 article in the HI knowledge base for more information.

    To learn more about subflows, see Subflows.
    Content Configure a schedule content template for a lifecycle event activity

    To learn more about Content Experiences and Content Publishing, see Content Publishing.
    Activity container N/A

    Audiences

    Not all lifecycle event activities are required for all employees. Some activities are intended for a target audience. You can use audience records to define the criteria that the subject person of a lifecycle event case must meet for the activity to trigger on their behalf. For more information, see Audiences.

    Clearly defined audience criteria enable you to create targeted workflows for different audience types. For example, you can create a tailored onboarding experience for newly hired employees depending on whether the employee is office-based or remote.

    Note:
    • If an activity isn't associated with an audience record, then the activity triggers for all employees.
    • If a subject person doesn't meet the audience criteria defined for an activity set during the evaluation process, the State field in the corresponding activity set is set to Skipped.

    GIF that demonstrates how you can use audience records to created targeted lifecycle event experiences.