ServiceNow: activating ITSM dashboards with Performance analytics
Tags: servicenow, performanceanalytics, dashboard, itsm
Published: 2023-03-09 23:13:30

## What is Performance Analytics in ServiceNow
Performance Analytics is a solution for collecting and analyzing data. It provides tracking, aggregating, and visualizing key performance indicators over time, so everyone involved knows how the process is performing.


![ServiceNow Performance analytics](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/kuq7rclo9lx5fzy3ja91.png)

It has a rich sets of possibilities how to configure indicators (KPI) and how to visualize. 

![ServiceNow Performance analytics](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/432zwtnxx8i92mys429z.png)


## ITSM processes in ServiceNow
The aim of ITSM is to manage access and availability of services, fulfill service requests coming from end-users, provide single cloud-based interface.

The key ITSM processes/pillars are: **Incident management** 
restores services and resolve issues quickly. **Problem management** identifies the root-cause of an issue in the IT service, reported as occurring incidents. **Change and release management** prioritizing, approval, scheduling, and execution of changes to IT systems (software, hardware).
**Request management** addresses service requests from customers, employees. **Knowledge management** enables the sharing of information in knowledge bases. **Configuration management** builds logical representations of assets, services, and the relationships between them.

To be able to measure the process performance we have `Performance Analytics (PA)` which collects and visualizes data in the dashboards.

## PA for ITSM and available content packs
Each ITSM process has a content pack which is a collection of predefined dashboards, visualizations, indicators (KPI). There are `Performance Analytics - Content Pack - Change Management`, `Performance Analytics - Content Pack - Problem Management`,  `Performance Analytics - Content Pack - Incident SLA Management`, etc. It is distributed by plugins, and it is possible to install as a package. 

You get a nice solution for process monitoring with low effort. If your ServiceNow implementation is out-of-the-box, it is easy to use: install the plugin and activate the collection jobs.

## Steps to activate ITSM Dashboards
(Proceed these steps as admin user)

**1. Plugin activations:** 
`Content Pack - ITSM Dashboards (com.snc.pa.itsm_dashboards)`

![Performance analytics ITSM Dashboards](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xeqlv63v74bfur73t63c.png)


**2. Set dashboard permissions:**
After plugin activation, navigate to:
`Performance Analytics > Dashboards`
and search for:
`IT Executive dashboard`
`IT Manager dashboard`
`IT Agent dashboard`
Follow the steps to activate and set sharing options for these three dashboards.

![Dashboard properties](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zb9016q49rxbn9vl5y95.png)

Set `Active` and `Owner` and `Update`.

![Activate dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xgtv96tavk4vt7q74tgk.png)

Go back to the dashboard and on right-top use `Sharing`. Add groups, users, roles who should be able to access the dashboard.

![Share dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/e9hwd97j8txfzhdc5cxs.png)

Now you set up the dashboards, but one more step is needed.


**3. Enable performance analytics data collection jobs**
Performance Analytics does not use real-time data, but it stores data in dedicated data tables. It allows using complex aggregation operations and stores lots of data with minimum impact on instance performance. By default, the collection jobs are inactive, so admin should activate it.

There are two types of PA collections job `historic / daily`:

- `Historic`: it is usually run only once when plugin is activated, and it collects historical scores in defined period. You can find them easily: name contains `historic` and Run is `On Demand`. The job is not run automatically, admin should perform it.

![Performance analytics - historic collection job](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/35ra15lqbhbddb7lo3zy.png)
**It is important to note: running a historic collection job will rewrite existing scores. So it is recommended to run it just once.**

- `Daily`: it collects data on a daily basis and needs to be activated by admin (it is inactive after plugin activation).

![Performance analytics - daily collection job](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jn47sk2w2yw9isyo8p58.png)

Navigate to: 


`Performance Analytics > Data Collector > Jobs`
and look for ITSM related daily collection jobs. For example: `[PA Incident] Daily Data Collection`, `[PA Incident SLA] Daily Data Collection` for Incident, similar for Problem management `[PA Problem] Daily Data Collection`, `[PA KM] Daily Data Collection` etc. for other processes. Open collection job and, check `Active`, `Run as` must be existing admin user and click `Execute Now`. 

In `Job Logs` related list you will see data collection status and if any error occurs with details. Now it will automatically run daily at specified time and will collect data.

![Performance analytics collection job](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/lwyhztfdvsjtuzcqzo70.png)

Do the same for other ITSM related collection jobs.

### IT Executive dashboard

![IT Executive dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/wv7mgywvs7pt4jx95o6i.png)

It provides a high-level view across all ITSM processes and is intended to be used on executive level. There are KPIs like: % of new critical incidents, Active Breached SLAs Today, Average reassignment of open incidents, % of overdue requested items. 

![IT Executive dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6gb5w0o4tbpf1pmg9pph.png)

---


### IT Manager dashboard

![IT Manager dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/m9qdevzgeqoz2vgotylz.png)

The aim is to present data on a group manager level. It shows important metrics on a daily and weekly basis for incidents, problems, and requests. Metrics are filterable by group. KPIs are like: Customer satisfaction score, % Breached SLAs, Open / New / Closed workload, Workload backlog growth, Mean-time to resolve, Planned changes in next 7 days, Average cost per resolved incident, Average cost per resolved request.  


![IT Manager dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8c8vwsob34qxajq8knbz.png)


![IT Manager dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/haaye4z58u3dcd2f63if.png)

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### IT Agent dashboard
It shows open incidents, problems, and requests that belong to you and your assignment groups. It is intended to be used on an operational daily basis by agents.

![IT Agent dashboard](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/2x63oel1s5is4brqe8f1.png)

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#### ServiceNow documentation
Check ServiceNow documentation for more details: [ServiceNow documentation](https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/utah-it-service-management/page/use/dashboards/application-content-packs/itsm-dashboards-content-pack.html)
Statement: Tested on Tokyo ServiceNow release, used with demo data on personal development instance. 

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Almost every process has its own Performance analytics content pack with predefined dashboards, metrics, visualizations (e.g. ITSM, CSM, GRC, SecOps, ITOM, ...) and they are ready to be used with minimum effort. When the process is customized like any out-of-the-box field is changed, modified states it might be needed to change it also in PA, because content packs are built on out-of-the-box process implementation. 

You can also create your own metrics, however it is a paid feature and some additional license might be required. Sometimes clients do not even know they can do it or what added value Performance analytics would bring. If you are a client, so reach your ServiceNow contact and check what you pay for and open your Service Management potential with PA :)