In ServiceNow, an “incident” refers to an unplanned interruption or reduction in the quality of an IT service. Incidents can occur for various reasons, such as hardware or software failures, network issues, security breaches, or user errors. Incident Management in ServiceNow is a process that helps organizations efficiently and effectively address and resolve these incidents to minimize disruptions and restore normal service operations.

Here is how the Incident Management process typically works in ServiceNow:

1. Incident Identification: Incidents are identified through various channels, such as user-reported incidents, automated monitoring systems, or alerts from other IT tools.

2. Incident Logging: When an incident is identified, it is logged in ServiceNow as an incident record. Key information, including the description of the incident, its impact, and urgency, is documented in the incident record.

3. Categorization and Prioritization: ServiceNow allows incidents to be categorized based on predefined categories, such as hardware, software, or network issues. Incidents are also prioritized based on their impact and urgency. Priority levels help determine the order in which incidents are addressed.

4. Assignment: Incidents are assigned to the appropriate support groups or technicians responsible for resolving them. ServiceNow’s assignment rules and workflows can automate this process, ensuring that incidents are directed to the right teams.

5. Incident Tracking: ServiceNow provides a centralized platform for tracking the status of incidents. Support teams use the platform to update incident records with their progress and actions taken. Users can also track the progress of their incidents.

6. Communication: Effective communication is crucial during Incident Management. ServiceNow facilitates communication by sending notifications and updates to relevant stakeholders, including IT teams, management, and affected end-users.

7. Incident Resolution: The assigned support teams work on resolving the incident. ServiceNow provides collaboration tools, access to knowledge bases, and incident templates to assist in resolving incidents efficiently.

8. Closure: Once the incident is resolved and verified, it is marked as closed in ServiceNow. Closure can trigger user satisfaction surveys to gather feedback and assess the quality of the resolution.

9. Incident Reporting and Analysis: ServiceNow offers reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing organizations to analyze incident data, identify trends, and make informed decisions for process improvements.

10. Continuous Improvement: Incident Management in ServiceNow promotes a culture of continuous improvement. Lessons learned from incidents can be used to update processes, documentation, and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.