Flow Designer Overview

Question 1

What is the non-technical interface that enables process automation capabilities known as flows?

Answer 1

Flow Designer

Question 2

What are the benefits of Flow Designer?

Answer 2

• Centralized: provides a single environment to build and visualize business processes
• Robust: provides config and runtime info to create, operate, and troubleshoot flows from a single interface
• User-friendly: provides natural language descriptions of flow logic
• Repeatable: promotes process automation by enabling subject matter experts to develop and share reusable actions
• Scalable: allows extending flow content by subscribing to IntegrationHub or installing spokes

Question 3

When is it recommended to use Flow Designer?

Answer 3

• To orchestrate business processes across services with little technical user knowledge
• To reduce scripting to simplify upgrades and deployments
• To integrate with 3rd party systems

Question 4

When is it recommended NOT to use Flow Designer?

Answer 4

• There is existing logic already developed using ServiceNow workflow editor
• ServiceNow instance is running Jakarta or prior version

Question 5

How to access Flow Designer?

Answer 5

All > Process Automation > Flow Designer

Question 6

Which roles are required to perform certain Flow Designer functions?

Answer 6

• flow_designer
• flow_operator
• action_designer

Question 7

What can we create when pressing the + New button in the Flow Designer Interface?

Answer 7

• Flows
• Subflows
• Actions

Question 8

What does a flow consists of?

Answer 8

• A trigger
• One or more actions

Question 9

When does a flow execute the action(s)?

Answer 9

When the conditions of the trigger are met

Question 10

What is a flow action?

Answer 10

• An action is a reusable operation that enables process analysts to automate Now Platform features without having to write code
• Actions are strung together to make a flow

Question 11

What are the 3 elements triggers can be based on?

Answer 11

• Record-based
• Schedule-based
• Application-based

Question 12

How does a record-based trigger work?

Answer 12

Record-based triggers run a flow after a record has been created; updated; or deleted

• The triggering record can be used later in the flow as input for actions

Question 13

How does a schedule-based trigger work?

Answer 13

• Scheduled-based triggers run a flow at a specified date and time: daily; weekly, monthly
• The execution time can be used as an input for actions in the flow

Question 14

How does an application-based trigger work?

Answer 14

Application-based triggers are added when the associated application spoke is activated.

For example, when an item is requested from the Service Catalog, a flow is triggered

Sometimes, a plugin might need to be activated

Question 15

What are Flow Actions?

Answer 15

Actions are reusable operations executed by Flow Designer

Examples of actions:

• looking up a record
• updating a field value
• requesting an approval
• logging a value

Question 16

Where are the actions housed?

Answer 16

Actions can be found in the installed spokes

Question 17

What is the best way to get more information about what an action does?

Answer 17

Look over the description of an action (the i next to the action name)

Question 18

What are the most commonly used actions in the ServiceNow Core?

Answer 18

• Ask for Approval
• Create Record
• Delete Record
• Look Up Record
• Look Up Records
• Wait for Condition

Question 19

When a flow runs, what is the state of the data pill runtime value during the flow?

Answer 19

The data pill runtime value remains the same for the duration of the flow

Question 20

What happens regarding data pills when we add actions to a flow?

Answer 20

For every action added to a flow, Flow designer adds a data pill to store its output results

Question 21

Which tool was used before Flow Designer?

Answer 21

Workflow Editor

Question 22

What is Process Automation Designer?

Answer 22

A tool used by process owners to create cross-enterprise workflows within a single unified interface

Question 23

What are Playbooks?

Answer 23

Playbooks are processes documented in the Process Automation Designer

Question 24

How is a process in PAD organized?

Answer 24

The process is organized into Stages and Activities

Question 25

Where can **playbooks** be made visible so that an agent can know which steps to take in different scenarios?

Answer 25

In an **Agent Workspace**

Question 26

What are the benefits of using the PAD?

Answer 26

- Connect multiple flows and actions - Guide user to complete a process in a task-oriented interface - Consolidate separate business processes across the organization - Passing data between activities and stages of business proceses

Question 27

Where to navigate to use the PAD?

Answer 27

**All > System Definition > Plugins** Search for and install Process Automation Designer plugin Or take the Intro to PAD course