Understanding Catalog-Related Stories in ServiceNow

How Service Requests Actually Work Behind the Portal

Most beginners in ServiceNow think:

User submits request → Ticket created → Done

But in real implementation, a catalog request creates multiple records, workflows, and approvals automatically.

Understanding this structure is critical for developers, admins, and support teams.

What Happens When a User Submits a Catalog Item

When a user submits a catalog item (example: Laptop Request), ServiceNow does NOT create just one ticket.

It creates a hierarchy:

LevelRecordPurpose
1REQ (Request)Parent request container
2RITM (Requested Item)Specific item requested
3SCTASK (Catalog Task)Work assigned to teams

So one request can generate multiple tasks automatically.

The Record Relationship (Very Important Concept)

Think of it like an order in an e-commerce site:

Order → Product → Delivery Tasks

In ServiceNow:

REQ → RITM → SCTASK

This structure allows multiple teams to work independently while the user sees one request.

Example Scenario

User requests:

“New Employee Onboarding”

System automatically creates:

REQ0001
→ RITM001 (Create account)
→ RITM002 (Provide laptop)
→ RITM003 (Grant access)

Each RITM generates tasks for different departments.

How Catalog Workflow Controls Everything

The catalog workflow decides:

  • approvals

  • task creation

  • assignment groups

  • notifications

  • automation steps

This is where business logic lives — not in the ticket itself.

What is a Catalog-Related Story?

In real projects, development tasks are written like:

“Create a catalog item for VPN access with manager approval and automatic group assignment”

This is called a catalog story.

It usually includes:

  • Variables

  • UI policies

  • Client scripts

  • Flow/Workflow

  • Approvals

  • Task creation logic

Typical Requirements in Catalog Stories

Variables

User inputs:

  • location

  • department

  • device type

UI Policy

Show/hide fields based on selection

Client Script

Validate data before submission

Flow/Workflow

Create tasks & approvals

Notifications

Email stakeholders automatically

Why This Knowledge Matters

Most ServiceNow work in companies is service catalog related.

Incident management = support
Service catalog = automation + development

So,c learning catalog stories is essential for real implementation roles.

Conclusion

ServiceNow catalog requests are not simple tickets — they are automated business processes.

Understanding REQ, RITM, and SCTASK relationships helps you:

  • design workflows correctly

  • troubleshoot issues faster

  • implement automation efficiently

Once you understand catalog stories, ServiceNow development becomes much clearer.

💼 Professional Support Available

If you are facing issues in real projects related to enterprise backend development or workflow automation, I provide paid consulting, production debugging, project support, and focused trainings.

Technologies covered include Java, Spring Boot, PL/SQL, Azure, CMS and workflow automation (jBPM, Camunda BPM, RHPAM).


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scopes of Signal in jBPM

Image
💡 Introduction Signals in jBPM 7 are a core part of event-driven workflow design. They allow asynchronous communication between process instances, making it possible to start , interrupt , or coordinate processes without direct linking. However, signals can have different scopes , which define how far the signal travels and who receives it . Let’s explore the four available scopes in detail: 🔹 Process Scope 🔹 Default Scope 🔹 External Scope 🔹 Project Instance Scope 🧩 1️⃣ Process Scope 📘 Definition Process scope signals are local to a single process instance or its child subprocesses . They are not visible outside that instance hierarchy. 📋 Use Case Used for communication inside the same process , like triggering subprocesses or event sub-processes. 🖼️ Process Scope Example Below is an example of a simple process-scoped signal. Only this process (or its subprocess) will catch this signal. ⚙️ 2️⃣ Default Scope 📘 Definition The default scope ...
Read more

OOPs Concepts in Java | English | Object Oriented Programming Explained

Image
🔹OOPS (Object Oriented Programming System) in Java Object-Oriented Programming (OOPS) is a programming paradigm that uses classes and objects to design software. It simplifies development and maintenance by applying key concepts: 📌 Class: Class   is a user-defined data type which defines its properties and its functions. Class is the only logical representation of the data. For example, Human beings in an organisation is a class like Employee. The age, name, department, salary etc. of a human being/employee are its properties, and the jobs performed by the employees in an organisation are known as functions.  The class does not occupy any memory space till the time an object is instantiated. A class is a user-defined data type that defines properties and functions. For example: Class: Employee Properties: name, age, salary Functions: work(), attendMeeting() A class does not occupy memory until an object is created. ...
Read more

jBPM Installation Guide: Step by Step Setup

  jBPM Installation Guide – Step by Step for Beginners If you are starting with jBPM (Java Business Process Management) , the first step is to set up your environment. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to install jBPM, configure it, and run your first business process. 🔎 What is jBPM? Before we dive into installation, a quick recap: jBPM is an open-source Business Process Management (BPM) suite , written in Java, that allows you to model, execute, and monitor workflows using BPMN 2.0 standards. It can run standalone , embedded in applications , or deployed on a Java EE server . 🖥️ Prerequisites Before installing jBPM, make sure you have: Java JDK 11 or later (Java 17 is commonly used) Maven 3.x (for building and managing dependencies) Git (optional, if you want to clone sample projects) A Database (H2, MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Oracle) – jBPM ships with H2 for testing At least 4GB RAM (8GB recommended for Workbench & KIE Server) 📦 Download ...
Read more