High-level planning configuration in Strategic Planning

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of High-level planning configuration in Strategic Planning

    This guide explains how to configure high-level planning for additional planning item types in ServiceNow Strategic Planning beyond the default entities. By default, high-level planning is enabled for Strategic Programs, Programs (pmprogram), Initiatives, and the Product Enhancement entity with the Digital Product lens. For organizations using Strategic Planning version 2.1.0 or higher, this configuration enables planning managers to create high-level portfolio plans tailored to their specific entities.

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    Configuration for Planning Items Extending the Planning Item Table

    If you have custom planning item types that extend the Planning Item table, such as a custom entity added to your lens structure, you must enable high-level planning by setting the Planning enabled field to true for that custom entity in the lens structure related list. This step integrates the custom entity into the high-level planning framework.

    Configuration for Planning Items Not Extending the Planning Item Table

    For planning item types that do not extend the Planning Item table (e.g., Strategic Priority [sngfstrategy]), a more detailed setup is required:

    • Create a global rank column in the entity’s table to support prioritization.
    • Create rank configuration for this global rank column to define sorting and ranking behavior.
    • Create portfolio plan configuration specific to this entity to enable portfolio planning capabilities.
    • Enable high-level planning for this entity in the lens structure record.
    • Run diagnostics and fix scripts to populate global ranks for existing records, ensuring accurate prioritization data.
    • Create a business rule to automatically set the global rank for future records, maintaining consistent prioritization.

    Important: When selecting an entity for high-level planning, ensure the table contains essential fields such as start date, end date, owner or assigned to, and name or short description. Tables lacking these (e.g., Organization or Product) are unsuitable. Entities like Strategic Priority that meet these criteria can be configured effectively.

    Key Outcomes

    After completing the configuration steps, planning managers can create customized high-level portfolio plans for the new entities. This enables them to prioritize and roadmap strategic items, such as strategic priorities, and gain visibility into how work across the company aligns with key business objectives. This tailored approach enhances strategic alignment and portfolio management within ServiceNow Strategic Planning.

    If your planning managers need high-level planning enabled for items other than the default ones, you need to update the configuration for lens entities and portfolio plans.

    By default, Strategic Programs, Programs (pm_program), and Initiatives are the items that are enabled for high-level planning. Also by default, the Product Enhancement entity with the Digital Product lens is enabled for high-level planning. To enable other planning item types, complete the following configuration tasks.

    Note:
    High-level planning is enabled for Strategic Planning v2.1.0 and higher.

    For items that extend the Planning Item table

    For example, you added Custom planning item 1 [sn_align_core_custom_planning_item_1] to your lens structure and you want to use it for high-level portfolio plans. In the Lens structure related list for your lens, set the Planning enabled field to true for the Custom planning item 1 entity. For detailed information, see Enable high-level planning for a lens entity.

    For items that do not extend the Planning Item table

    Consider the example of enabling high-level planning for the Strategic Priority [sn_gf_strategy] planning item type.
    1. Create a global rank column in the Strategic Priority [sn_gf_strategy] table. See Create global rank column for high-level planning.
    2. Create rank configuration for the new global rank column. See Create rank configuration for high-level planning.
    3. Create portfolio plan configuration for the Strategic Priority [sn_gf_strategy] table. See Create portfolio plan configuration for high-level planning.
    4. Enable high-level planning for the Strategic Priority [sn_gf_strategy] entity in the lens structure record. See Enable high-level planning for a lens entity.
    5. Run diagnostics and fix script to populate global rank for all existing Strategic Priority records. See Populate global rank for high-level planning items.
    6. Create a business rule for the Strategic Priority [sn_gf_strategy] table to enable setting a global rank for any future records created. See Create a business rule for high-level planning.
    Tip:
    While choosing a table as your high-level planning entity, ensure that it has fields such as start date and end date, owner or assigned to, name or short description, so that this can be used as a planning item. For example, you cannot use the Organization or Product tables as your high-level planning entities. On the other hand, the Strategic Priority tables meets the requirements of a planning item and can be configured for high-level planning.

    Once all these tasks are complete, your planning manager can create a high-level portfolio plan for the desired entity - for this example, portfolio plans can be created to prioritize and roadmap the strategic priorities of the company, and to view how the work across the company is aligned to these strategic priorities.