ServiceNow is a very robust IT service management tool and has an interface to match. It's designed to be both easy to use, and to support a multitude of business processes and applications (including the unforeseen variety). It must be able to bend to the will of the business and be putty in the hands of a capable developer like you! Don't worry if you don't consider yourself a capable ServiceNow developer just yet; read on!
Regardless of what software system you're interested in learning about, understanding the interface is likely to be the first step toward success. In this chapter, you'll learn all the major components of the user interface (UI), and how to manipulate them to suit your business' needs, find and display useful information, and administer the platform effectively. You'll also learn some time-saving tips, tricks, and UI shortcuts that have been built into the interface for power users to get around more quickly.
This chapter will cover the key components of the user interface, including:
- The content and ServiceNow frames
- The application navigator
- UI settings and personalization
- UI16 interface components and configuration
- Differences between the interfaces in modern and earlier versions of ServiceNow
- Pro tips for flying around the interface like a seasoned pro
Throughout this chapter, and the rest of this book, we'll be referring to various versions of ServiceNow. The versions of ServiceNow go in alphabetical order, and are named for geographic locations, beginning with Aspen—released in 2011. The ServiceNow versions, in order, are as follows:
- Aspen
- Berlin
- Calgary
- Dublin
- Eureka
- Fuji
- Geneva
- Helsinki
- Istanbul
- Jakarta
- Kingston
- London
This book will focus on the latest version of ServiceNow at the time of writing: Kingston. However, we will also reference prior versions of ServiceNow, including Jakarta, Istanbul, Helsinki, and Geneva.