CSM Workspace, Portals, Service Catalog, Analytics, and Reporting · Topic 2 of 2
Special Handling Notes, SLAs, Communications and Analytics
CIS-CSM special handling notes, case SLAs, targeted communications publications and recipient lists, and the CSM Platform Analytics dashboards.
- 5 min
- Special handling notes show as a pop-up or an embedded list; priorities run 1 Critical to 4 Low.
- sn_shn.admin, sn_shn.editor and sn_shn.user are the special handling note roles.
- A case gets a Task SLA when it meets an SLA definition's conditions; SLAs can follow a contract, company or product.
What it is
Four features shape service after a case exists. Special handling notes warn agents about a record. SLAs measure response and resolution against what was promised. Targeted communications send one message to many customers. Platform Analytics shows managers how service performs.
How it works
Special handling notes
A special handling note shows important information about a record, such as "VIP account, call the account manager before closing". A note targets one record or every record matching conditions, and can also show through a related record, so a note on an account appears on that account's cases.
The admin configures which entity tables, such as Case, use notes, and how each form shows them:
- Pop-up window: opens when a user opens a record with active notes and shows message and priority. Agents can dismiss single notes or reopen them with the Special handling notes action.
- Special Handling Notes list: an embedded or related list on the form.
| Field or setting | Values |
|---|---|
| Priority | 1 Critical, 2 High, 3 Moderate, 4 Low |
| Status | Active, Inactive, Expired |
| Dates | Effective on, Expires on |
A daily scheduled job activates notes when their Effective on date arrives and expires them on their Expires on date. Roles: sn_shn.admin configures the app and creates and deletes notes, sn_shn.editor updates notes and can set them inactive, and sn_shn.user views them. ServiceNow advises keeping conditions simple, because many notes with complex conditions slow form loading.
SLAs on cases
An SLA definition on the case table measures a commitment, such as first response or resolution time. When a case is created or updated and meets the definition's conditions, the platform attaches a Task SLA record (task_sla) to it. Start, pause and stop conditions can use any case field, so a common design pauses the clock while the case waits on the customer.
An SLA can be associated with a service contract, a company or a product. This is how different customers get different targets: the commitment follows what the customer bought.
Targeted communications
Targeted communications let authorized users send publications to customer contacts, accounts, consumers and employees. A publication has content and a recipient list, an optional email notification, and a publish date and expiry date.
- Recipient lists are dynamic (conditions or a script), manual (uploaded or added by hand), or both.
- Delivery: the optional email goes to all recipients in BCC. Contacts and consumers also read publications from the Publications link in the Customer Service Portal or Consumer Service Portal.
- States: Author, Review, Ready to Publish, Published, Expired and Canceled. A publication in Review cannot be updated.
- Workflows: one publishes instantly; one requires approval first.
- Roles: sn_publications.author writes, sn_publications.approver reviews, and sn_publications.admin manages workflows and approvers.
Authors and admins can see who received and viewed each publication.
Platform Analytics and reporting
Reports and dashboards for CSM run in Platform Analytics. Two solutions ship for customer service:
| Solution | Dashboards |
|---|---|
| Customer Service (com.snc.pa.customer_service) | Customer Service Agent, Customer Service Manager |
| Customer Service Management - Advanced (com.snc.pa.customer_service_advanced) | Customer Service Agent - Advanced, Customer Service Manager - Advanced |
The Advanced solution adds indicators for major issue management, case action status, CSM with request and service management, agent chat and Advanced Work Assignment, once those plugins are active. Both include Case Spotlight. An admin runs the guided setup, and the indicator dashboards need a Performance Analytics license. Managers open them from the dashboards list in Platform Analytics.
Which feature fits
| Requirement | Feature |
|---|---|
| Every agent opening this account's cases must see a warning | Special handling note on the account |
| Gold customers get a four hour resolution target | SLA tied to the contract or product |
| Tell all customers who own a product about planned maintenance | Targeted communication with a recipient list |
| A manager wants trends in case backlog over time | Platform Analytics dashboard with indicators |
How the exam asks about this
- "Agents must see a pop-up warning whenever they open a case for a specific account." Create a special handling note on the account and configure the case form to show the pop-up.
- "Premium contract customers need a shorter resolution target than everyone else." Associate an SLA definition with the service contract so it applies to those customers' cases.
- "Notify every contact of accounts that own a product about a recall, and show it in the portal." Create a targeted communication publication with a recipient list and email notification.
What to remember for the exam
- Special handling notes show as a pop-up or an embedded list; priorities run 1 Critical to 4 Low.
- sn_shn.admin, sn_shn.editor and sn_shn.user are the special handling note roles.
- A case gets a Task SLA when it meets an SLA definition's conditions; SLAs can follow a contract, company or product.
- Publications go to a recipient list, by email and in the portal Publications link.
- The publication stages are Author, Review, Ready to Publish, Published, Expired, Canceled.
- CSM ships agent and manager dashboards, plus Advanced versions with more indicators.
A special handling note is not a broadcast. To tell many customers something, use targeted communications; a note only warns the people who open a record.
Common mistakes
Using a case comment as a warning. A comment on one case is gone from view on the next case. A special handling note on the account or product appears on every related case until it expires.
Writing one SLA per customer by condition. Long condition lists are hard to maintain. Link the SLA to the contract or product so the target follows what each customer bought.
Expecting trend data from a plain report. A report shows the data as it is now. Trends over time come from Platform Analytics indicators, which collect scores on a schedule.
Check yourself
What happens when a special handling note reaches its Expires on date?
A daily scheduled job sets it to Expired, so it no longer shows in the pop-up or list.
How does a case get an SLA in CSM?
When the case is created or updated and meets an SLA definition's conditions, the platform attaches a Task SLA record.
Which role approves publications in targeted communications?
The publications approver role, sn_publications.approver, reviews publications in the approval workflow.
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