ServiceNow (SNOW) Ticketing Tool and Associated Protocols:

ServiceNow (commonly referred to as SNOW) is a cloud-based ticketing tool used by organizations for IT
Service Management (ITSM), Customer Service Management (CSM), and workflow automation. It
enables users to manage incidents, service requests, changes, and problems through a centralized
platform. SNOW provides real-time tracking and reporting of tickets and follows industry best practices
aligned with ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) processes.

Below is an overview of SNOW as a ticketing tool, along with key protocols such as WIP, Pending, and
MTTR.

Overview of SNOW (ServiceNow) Ticketing Tool

Key Features of ServiceNow:

1. Incident Management: Handles unplanned interruptions or issues.

2. Change Management: Tracks and approves modifications to systems or services.

3. Problem Management: Investigates root causes of recurring incidents.

4. Service Request Management: Automates requests for standard services (e.g., software
installations).

5. Knowledge Management: Centralized knowledge base to aid in ticket resolution.

6. Task Automation: Automates repetitive workflows and integrates with other tools.

7. Self-Service Portal: Users can raise tickets and track status via a portal.

8. SLA Tracking: ServiceNow enforces SLAs (Service Level Agreements) to ensure timely resolution.

9. Dashboards and Reports: Provides visual insights into performance and bottlenecks.

Ticket Status Protocols in SNOW

In SNOW, each ticket moves through several statuses throughout its lifecycle. Common statuses include
Open, Work in Progress (WIP), Pending, Resolved, and Closed. These statuses are essential for
managing workloads, tracking SLA compliance, and ensuring timely response.

1. Work in Progress (WIP):

 Definition:
The WIP status indicates that the assigned technician or team is actively working on the ticket. It
signals that troubleshooting or resolution efforts are in progress.

 When to Use:

o The responsible person has started working on the issue.

o Root cause analysis is ongoing, or service restoration efforts are underway.

o Dependencies (like tools or team involvement) are known, and steps are actively being
taken.
  Purpose:
The WIP status ensures that the ticket owner is engaged and working on the resolution. SLA
timers continue to run while in this state.

2. Pending:

 Definition:
The Pending status is used when the ticket cannot progress because further input, action, or
dependencies are awaited from third parties, customers, or other teams.

 When to Use:

o Awaiting customer input (e.g., more information or confirmation).

o Waiting for parts or resources (e.g., hardware delivery or vendor assistance).

o Dependency on another team or process (e.g., approvals from change management).

 Impact on SLA:

o In many configurations, SLA timers pause when the status is marked as Pending, to
account for external dependencies outside the technician’s control.

3. Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR):

 Definition:
MTTR is a metric used to measure the average time it takes to resolve incidents or restore
services after an issue has been reported. It is a key performance indicator (KPI) for evaluating
the efficiency of support teams.

 Formula for MTTR:

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑇𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑠
𝑀𝑇𝑇𝑅 =
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑑
 Types of MTTR:

o Mean Time to Repair: Time taken to repair a component or system.

o Mean Time to Recover: Time taken to restore a system or service.

o Mean Time to Resolve: Time to fully resolve the incident (including investigation and
repair).

 Purpose:
MTTR is used to measure the effectiveness of IT operations. A lower MTTR indicates faster issue
resolution and better service quality, while higher MTTR values highlight areas for
improvement.
Typical Workflow of a Ticket in ServiceNow

1. Ticket Creation:

o A user raises an incident or service request through the self-service portal, email, or
phone.

o The ticket is assigned to the appropriate team or technician.

2. Ticket Status - Open:

o Initial status when the ticket is created. The SLA timer starts from this point.

3. Status - WIP (Work in Progress):

o The assigned technician starts working on the ticket and updates it with findings and
actions.

o Notes, logs, and communication details are recorded in the system.

4. Status - Pending (If Applicable):

o The ticket is marked Pending if input or action from a third party (e.g., customer, vendor)
is awaited. SLA timers may pause in this state.

5. Status - Resolved:

o The technician completes the required steps and marks the ticket as Resolved. The user
is notified, and the SLA timer stops.

6. Status - Closed:
o If the user confirms the issue is resolved, the ticket is closed. Otherwise, it may reopen
or escalate if the issue persists.

SLA Management in ServiceNow

 SLA Tracking:
ServiceNow automatically applies SLAs to tickets based on predefined rules (e.g., response time,
resolution time).

o Example SLA: "Priority 1 incidents must be resolved within 4 hours."

 Escalation:
If the ticket approaches the SLA breach window, ServiceNow can escalate it to supervisors or
send reminders to technicians.

Reports and Metrics in SNOW:

1. Open and Closed Tickets Report:

o Tracks the number of tickets created, resolved, and closed within a period.
 2. MTTR Report:

o Measures the average time taken to resolve incidents.

3. SLA Compliance Report:

o Shows the percentage of tickets resolved within SLA timelines.

4. Pending Tickets Report:

o Monitors tickets that are stuck in the Pending status and may need follow-up to unblock.

5. WIP Queue Analysis:

o Helps manage workload by identifying how many tickets are currently in WIP.

Best Practices for Using ServiceNow and Protocols:

1. Clear Ticket Updates:

o Technicians should frequently update the ticket status and add relevant logs to maintain
transparency.

2. Use Pending Status Wisely:

o Avoid overusing the Pending status to pause SLAs unnecessarily. Ensure follow-ups are
done regularly.

3. Monitor MTTR:

o Focus on reducing MTTR by identifying bottlenecks and implementing automation

where possible.

4. SLA Alerts:

o Enable SLA alerts and escalations to prevent breaches and ensure timely resolution.

5. Collaborate Across Teams:

o Use ServiceNow’s task and assignment features to coordinate between multiple teams
efficiently.