Use Now Assist for Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO) in a Virtual Agent chat

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of Use Now Assist for Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO) in a Virtual Agent chat

    ServiceNow’s Now Assist for Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO) integrates generative AI capabilities into a Virtual Agent chat to help supplier contacts perform self-service tasks efficiently. By using natural language conversations, suppliers can manage their profiles, submit and track requests, update details, enroll or remove users, request access changes, and connect to live agents. This functionality requires thesnsuppliergenai.nowassistsupplierrole assigned to thesnslm.contactuser.

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    Suppliers initiate interactions by navigating to All > Supplier Lifecycle Operations > Supplier Collaboration Portal and selecting the Virtual Agent chat icon. They can then choose from predefined topics or enter instructions directly to begin the relevant conversational workflows.

    Key Features

    • Update Bank Details: Suppliers can update or add bank information by providing an associated email and uploading verification documents.
    • Update Location Details: Suppliers can add or remove locations by selecting countries and providing required details.
    • Update Profile Details: Suppliers can edit various profile attributes by following guided prompts.
    • Submit Requests: Suppliers can create new requests by describing their issue and selecting contacts.
    • Track Request Status: Suppliers can inquire about the status of specific requests using request identifiers.
    • Enroll or Remove Users: Suppliers can add new users with role designations or offboard users by providing necessary replacement contact details and reasons.
    • Request Access Changes: Secondary contacts can request changes in access roles, specifying urgency and rationale.
    • Connect to Live Agent: Suppliers can escalate conversations by connecting directly to the Supplier Management Team for live assistance.

    Key Outcomes

    • Streamlined supplier self-service through conversational AI reduces dependency on manual support channels.
    • Improved accuracy and speed in managing supplier lifecycle data such as banking, location, and user profiles.
    • Enhanced visibility for suppliers on request statuses and easier submission of inquiries and updates.
    • Administrators gain monitoring capabilities via the Now Assist in Virtual Agent Analytics dashboard, allowing insight into usage and deflection rates to optimize support workflows.

    Additional Notes

    The natural language interface helps make AI-assisted conversations intuitive and user-friendly for supplier contacts. Administrators interested in deeper insights or customization can explore configuration and analytics documentation specific to Now Assist for SLO.

    Use the conversational interface of Now Assist for Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO) to request contextually relevant generative AI capabilities through a Virtual Agent chat.

    Role required: sn_supplier_gen_ai.now_assist_supplier

    Note:
    This role must be provided to the sn_slm.contact user.

    As a supplier, you can use the predefined topics (chatbot conversations) that are designed to help you complete self-service tasks. You can manage a profile, manage users, submit a request, track request status, or connect to a live agent by using contextual generative AI capabilities.

    To start a conversation, navigate to All > Supplier Lifecycle Operations > Supplier Collaboration Portal and select the Virtual Agent chat icon (Chat icon.).

    Figure 1. Starting screen for the Now Assist for SLO in a Virtual Agent chat

    The following example shows the starting screen for the Now Assist for SLO in a Virtual Agent chat.

    Show all my options.

    Then, you select Show all my options as shown in the following example.

    Figure 2. All topics in the Now Assist for SLO in a Virtual Agent chat
    All topics.

    Using a predefined topic to update the bank details

    As a supplier contact, you can update your existing bank details or submit a new one by selecting Show all my options > Update banking details. You could also directly start entering the instructions.

    You must enter the email address that is associated with your organization's account to update your bank details. Follow the instructions in the chat to complete the procedure as shown in the following example.

    Figure 3. Update the bank details
    Summary of your bank details.

    You must upload proof of the beneficiary's bank account to edit the request.

    Select Yes, submit to create a supplier case.

    Using a predefined topic to update the location details

    As a supplier contact, you can add a new location or remove an existing one by selecting Show all my options > Update location details. You could also directly start entering the instructions.

    For example, enter Add new location details in the chat to add a new location. Select a country from the list and follow the prompts in the chat to complete the procedure as shown in the following example.

    Figure 4. Update the location details
    Summary of the updated location.

    Select Yes, submit to create a supplier case.

    Using a predefined topic to update the profile details

    As a supplier contact, you can update the profile details by selecting Show all my options > Update profile details. You could also directly start entering the instructions.

    Select Edit request to update the profile details and enter the profile details that you want to update. Follow the prompts in the chat to complete the procedure.

    Select Yes, submit to create a supplier case as shown in the following example.

    Figure 5. Supplier case for the profile update
    Supplier case created for the profile update request.

    Using a predefined topic to submit a request

    As a supplier contact, you can submit a request by selecting Show all my options > Submit a request. You could also directly start entering the instructions.

    Enter Supplier inquiry in the chat, describe the case, and select a supplier contact from the list to create a request as shown in the following example.

    Figure 6. Submit a request
    Summary of the new request created.

    Select Yes, submit to create a supplier case.

    Using a predefined topic to track a request status

    As a supplier contact, you can track a request status by selecting Show all my options > Track request status. You could also directly start entering the instructions.

    For example, enter I want to know the status of SCASE0001156 in the chat to view the status of the request as shown in the following example.

    Figure 7. Track a request status
    Summary of the supplier case.

    Using a predefined topic to enroll a new user

    As a supplier contact, you can enroll a new user by selecting Show all my options > Enroll a new user. You could also directly start entering the instructions.

    Enter the work email address of the new user and select if you want this new user as the primary contact as shown in the following example.

    Figure 8. Enroll a new user
    Summary of the request to enroll a new user.

    Select Yes, submit to create a supplier case.

    Using a predefined topic to remove a user account

    As a supplier contact, you can remove a user account by selecting Show all my options > Remove user account. You could also directly start entering the instructions.

    Enter the name of the user or the email address of the user account that you want to remove. Enter the email address of the user who will take over the tasks that were delegated to the removed user. You must also provide a reason for offboarding this user. The following example shows how to remove a user account.

    Figure 9. Remove a user account
    Summary of the request to remove a user account.

    Select Yes, submit to create a supplier case.

    Using a predefined topic to request an access change

    As a supplier contact, you can request an access change by selecting Show all my options > Request access change. You could also directly start entering the instructions.
    Note:
    Only a secondary contact can request an access change.

    Select the urgency of the access change, such as low, moderate, or high. Enter the reason for requesting the access change from secondary to primary as shown in the following example.

    Figure 10. Request an access change
    Summary of the request for an access change.

    Select Yes, submit to create a supplier case.

    Using a predefined topic to connect to a live agent

    As a supplier contact, you can connect to a live agent by selecting Show all my options > Connect to a live agent.

    Select Supplier management team to connect to a live agent as shown in the following example.

    Figure 11. Connect to a live agent
    Agent available to help you.

    Additional Information

    Now Assist in Virtual Agent provides your users with an interactive generative AI experience. A friendly, natural language conversation is easier to understand and makes supplier contacts more comfortable with talking to a bot. To learn how a conversation that is powered by generative AI might look in Virtual Agent, see Using Now Assist in Virtual Agent.

    As an administrator, you can use the Now Assist in Virtual Agent Analytics dashboard to monitor the performance of Now Assist in Virtual Agent as a self-service deflection tool. To learn more, see . Now Assist in Virtual Agent Analytics calculates the conversation deflection rate that is based on the resolution status associated with Now Assist query responses. For more information, see .

    For detailed information on Now Assist in Virtual Agent in general, and Now Assist for SLO in particular, see Explore Now Assist for Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO).

    For information on configuring Now Assist for SLO, see Configure Now Assist for Supplier Lifecycle Operations (SLO).