Using Information Request Playbook

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 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 Using Information Request Playbook

    The Information Request Playbook for Public Sector Digital Services is designed to assist information request case agents and managers in efficiently managing and resolving requests for information and public records. It provides step-by-step guidance throughout the entire lifecycle of an information request case. The playbook automatically appears in the Playbook tab when an information request case is created using the CSM Configurable Workspace.

    Show full answer Show less

    This playbook breaks down the overall workflow into multiple stages or lanes, each containing specific activities or steps that must be completed. It supports both manual and automated activities, such as auto-sending emails upon completion of certain stages or tasks.

    Key Features

    • Playbook Stages: The playbook is divided into four primary stages:
      • Intake: Captures request details and assigns the case to the appropriate agent.
      • Review: Checks for duplicate cases and validates the case details.
      • Process: Guides fulfillment activities for the information request.
      • Decision: Manages communication of documents and information to constituents and involved parties.
    • Process-based Experience View: This default layout provides a horizontal stage picker for tracking progress, displays constituent or business contact information prominently, and includes a dynamic related records panel for quick access to relevant case data.
    • Playbook Workspace Components:
      • Playbook Header: Displays the playbook title, stage progress, filters for activities by user or status, and access to playbook-level and activity-level actions.
      • Playbook Lifecycle Panel: Shows a list of activities per stage and allows expanding or collapsing activities within the current stage.
      • Playbook Work Area: Displays the current activity card where agents perform work.
      • Contextual Side Panel: Contains tabs for case activity streams, case overview, customer details, timeline, SLAs, and dynamic related records for comprehensive context.
      • Constituent or Business Card: Displays contact information of the requestor on the left side for easy reference.

    Practical Benefits

    By using the Information Request Playbook, ServiceNow customers can visualize and manage the full lifecycle of public sector information requests with clarity and structure. The segmented stages and clearly defined activities enhance case handling efficiency and ensure consistent adherence to workflows. Automated notifications and contextual information panels support timely communications and informed decisions, ultimately improving case resolution times and customer satisfaction.

    If you're an information request case agent or manager, you can use the Information Request Playbook for Public Sector Digital Services to manage and resolve requests for information and public records.

    A playbook provides you with step-by-step guidance through the life cycle of an information request case.

    The Information Request Playbook automatically appears in the Playbook tab when you create an information request case by using the CSM Configurable Workspace.
    A playbook takes a workflow and breaks it into multiple stages or lanes. Each stage in a playbook includes one or more activities, or steps, for you to complete. Stages can also include automated activities, such as auto-sending an email to a customer when a stage or activity is complete. When using a playbook, you can:
    • View the playbook stages and activities.
    • Select an activity and perform the work to complete that activity.
    • Mark an activity as complete and move to the next activity or stage.
    • Complete the stages and activities to resolve the case.

    The workflows for a type of case and the activities that you need to resolve these cases are in the playbook. By using a playbook, you can visualize the entire life cycle of the information request workflow.

    Playbook stages

    The Information Request Playbook stages are listed in the following table.
    Table 1. Playbook stages
    Task Description
    Intake Guides you through the record creation process by capturing the details of the information request and assigning it to the right agent.
    Review Acts as a checkpoint for duplicate cases and provides you with an opportunity to review the case details to verify that the issue is valid and needs to be resolved.
    Process Guides you through the activities for the information request fulfillment.
    Decision Captures and communicates the documents and information to the constituent and any other agents or involved parties.

    Playbook layout

    A playbook is made up of several areas, including the playbook life cycle, the playbook work area, and the contextual side panel. The activity view determines how the stages and activities appear in the playbook.

    The default activity view for the Information Request Playbook is the Process-based experience view. This view, which is shown in the following example, shows constituent or business information and case task information at the forefront of the playbook work area as you work on it.

    The process-based playbook layout shows the following features:
    • A horizontal stage picker that gives the agent a complete view of the entire process and where they currently are in that process. Agents can use the stage picker to track their overall progress as they work on cases.

    • Record information on the left side of the page, such as the contact information that is always available.

    • Related records in the contextual side panel supported by the dynamic related records component.
    Figure 1. Playbook layout with the Process-based experience view
    Playbook layout, shown in process-based experience view. For the text description, refer to the table in Playbook components.
    The following table shows the components that you can see in the Information Request Playbook workspace.
    Table 2. Playbook components
    Playbook area Description
    Playbook header
    • Appears at the top of the playbook.
    • Shows the title of the playbook and a horizontal stage picker that displays progress through the playbook stages.
    • Includes a filter that you can use to filter the activities by the assigned user or the activity status.
    • Includes the Playbook Actions menu that you can use to select the playbook-level and activity-level actions.
    Playbook Lifecycle
    • Appears in a panel on the left side of the playbook.
    • Displays a list of the activities for each stage.
    • With the horizontal stage layout, you can expand or collapse the entire list of activities for the current stage.
    Playbook work area
    • Appears in the middle of the playbook.
    • Displays the card for the current activity.
    Contextual side panel
    • Appears on the right side of the playbook.
    • Includes the tabs that you can use to display the following types of information:
      • Case or case task activity stream.
      • Ribbon information such as the case overview, customer details, timeline, and service level agreements (SLAs).
      • Dynamic related records. For more information, see Dynamic related records.
    Constituent or Business Card
    • Contact information for the constituent or business that submitted the request.
    • Appears in a panel on the left side of the playbook.