Scheduling, Calculating & Tracking SLAs

Once an SLA definition is created with proper start, pause, and stop conditions, the SLM engine moves from basic configuration to operational execution. ServiceNow SLA scheduling is half the task. One must also calculate the time, evaluate progress, and alert teams before commitments. 

All this can be done by scheduling SLA definitions, calculating the metrics, and tracking the SLA definition. In this chapter, we will be focusing on the same. 

How to Schedule SLA in ServiceNow?

ServiceNow SLA schedule determines when the clock ticks if: 

• No Schedule (24/7): The clock ticks every second, regardless of weekends or holidays.
• Specific Schedule (e.g., 9-5 M-F): The clock stops at 5:00 PM Friday and resumes at 9:00 AM Monday.

It is also important to define the time zones it applies to. There are different time zones, including: 

1. The Caller’s Time Zone: Good for global support where the user’s local time matters.
2. The SLA Definition’s Time Zone: Good for specific regional desks (e.g., London Desk always works London hours).
3. The CI’s Location Time Zone: Based on the physical asset location.

If there is no schedule, ServiceNow by default assumes that it is 24/7. 

How SLA Calculation Works in ServiceNow?

The SLA engine evaluates SLA conditions as the task and relevant SLA conditions change. Based on the start, pause, and stop conditions, ServiceNow calculates the SLA’s progress and updates the associated Task SLA record. If a change is detected, task_sla is updated automatically. 

ServiceNow SLA Calculation is done at two main times: 

1. Actual Elapsed Time: Measures elapsed calendar time.
2. Business Elapsed Time: Measures elapsed time according to the configured SLA schedule.

Tracking of SLA Definition

ServiceNow SLA tracking process focuses on monitoring the Service Level Agreement health, individually and in aggregate. The major tools to track an SLA definition are: 

1. SLA Timeline: A visual Gantt-chart-style view accessible from the Task form. It shows exactly when conditions matched, when the clock paused, and when it resumed.
2. Task SLA Related List: The table view on the Incident form.
3. SLM Dashboards: Out-of-the-box reports showing “SLA Met vs. Breached” by assignment group.

Conclusion

Service Level Management in ServiceNow offers an end-to-end operational focus to determine service commitments using SLAs for end users. By configuring start, stop, and pause conditions and adding custom schedules, the platform accurately calculates active records. 

In the next chapter, we will be focusing on the process engine in ServiceNow. The chapter will cover workflows, Flow Designer, and how to create flows and subflows.