ServiceNow Xanadu Release: Top 7 features and enhancements you shouldn’t miss.

The ServiceNow Xanadu release brings a host of new features and enhancements. From new Now Assist Skills to enhancements in HRSD for Healthcare, here are some highlights among the massive release notes we think you shouldn’t miss.

1. New Now Assist Skills

The Xanadu release adds new skills to the Now Assist skill kit, bringing more advanced AI-driven capabilities to improve user productivity. While foundational skills such as Summarization and Code Generation remain from the previous release, Xanadu introduces newer, more sophisticated AI skills that empower users with deeper insights and analysis.

1. Sentiment Analysis
2. This skill allows the system to detect and analyze the sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral) of text-based interactions, such as customer service cases or employee feedback. By understanding sentiment, agents can prioritize cases requiring immediate attention or more thoughtful responses

1. • The Analytics Generation skill enables the automatic creation of key data insights from large datasets, assisting users in identifying trends, anomalies, or critical performance indicators. For example, it can automatically generate reports based on real-time data, which is particularly useful for IT operations and service desk management.
2. Intent Recognition
   • This skill uses AI to understand the user’s intent behind a query or request, even when expressed in natural language. For example, users can ask the system for specific actions such as “Find all overdue tasks,” the skill recognizes the intended task and instantly surfaces the required information.
3. Anomaly Detection
4. The Anomaly Detection skill continuously monitors workflows or operational data and flags unusual patterns or outliers. This can be used in financial transactions, performance monitoring, or security incidents, ensuring issues are identified early for corrective actions.
   Custom Skill Creation:

The Skill Kit provides developers with the flexibility to create custom skills using the following key components:

• Skill Name and Description: Custom-defined skills can be created with a clear purpose and role within the system.
• Default Provider and API Integration: Developers can link these skills to external providers or integrate them with internal data sources using APIs, ensuring that the skills can be applied to various scenarios across the ServiceNow platform.

These enhancements to the Now Assist Skill Kit in the Xanadu release further enable organizations to harness the power of AI for more sophisticated service and operational workflows.

2. Now Assist with Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT)

Now Assist for TMT is a specialized application introduced in the Xanadu release, designed specifically for the Telecommunications, Media, and Technology industries. Unlike generic AI solutions, this application leverages generative AI to address TMT service workflows' unique challenges and complexities, delivering tailored capabilities that significantly enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

• Industry-Specific AI Skills:
  • Sentiment Analysis for TMT Customers: The AI can analyze customer communications to detect sentiment, enabling agents to prioritize critical issues and respond appropriately.
  • Network Issue Prediction: Utilizes AI to predict potential network outages or service disruptions, allowing proactive maintenance and minimizing downtime.
• Advanced Summarization Tailored to TMT:
  • Service Problem Case Summarization: Condenses complex TMT case records, which often involve technical jargon and intricate details, into concise summaries that are easy to understand and act upon.
  • Test Result Summarization: Generates detailed yet digestible summaries of technical test results, such as network performance tests or software diagnostics, aiding in quick root-cause analysis.
• Intelligent Resolution Note Generation:
  • Creates comprehensive resolution notes that include industry-specific terminology, ensuring clear communication among technical teams and accurate documentation for future reference.

• Now Assist Panel Customized for TMT Agents:
  • Provides a configurable workspace where agents have quick access to AI-powered tools relevant to their roles, streamlining workflows and increasing productivity.
• Admin Console with Industry-Specific Configurations:
  • Administrators can activate and configure AI skills based on TMT-specific user roles and operational conditions, ensuring that the AI tools align perfectly with organizational needs.
• Integration with TMT Systems:
  • Seamlessly integrates with existing TMT platforms and infrastructure, such as OSS/BSS systems, CRM tools, and network management software, enabling unified operations.

3. NLQ Genius results in AI Search

NLQ Genius Results utilizes Natural Language Query processing to provide relevant results from tables based on user queries. Key features include:

• Answer Card Display:
  • Shows previews of records from matching tables.
  • Allows navigation to the table's list view or CMDB workspace.
• Query Types:
  • Supports natural language queries from Analytics Center and CMDB.
  • Combines results from both sources in a single answer card.
• Search Results:
  • Single Table Match: Displays up to five records; option to view the full table.
  • Multiple Table Match: Shows matching tables as pills or in a drop-down list.
• Viewing Full Tables:
  • Actions depend on the source of the table (Analytics Center or CMDB).
• Feedback Mechanism:

Users can provide feedback on the accuracy of results via thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons.

4. UI Builder — Layout and Stage Improvements

The UI Builder is a great tool for easily building web user interfaces. Using it, one can build pages for App Engine Studio-generated workspaces or custom web experiences using Next Experience Components and custom web components. The Xanadu update further enhances its usability making it even easier to build stellar experiences.

• Enhancements to the Toolbox: The Toolbox now contains two tabs: Layout and Components. It automatically switches between these tabs based on the element most suitable for the page.
  

Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation

• Column Layout Enhancements: When adding a new column, the existing column widths maintain their proportions. Additionally, columns can now be nested within each other.

• Improved Configuration Panel: Instead of showing all configuration options at once, users can now access advanced options via "Show advanced layout options" and "Show advanced configurations" links, which appear when needed.
• On-Stage Navigation: Users can now navigate on-stage by selecting elements above or below the one selected, streamlining the design process.

5. Access Analyzer — Access Simulator Tab

The Access Simulator allows users to simulate access to specific ServiceNow resources before making actual changes to user roles or groups. This feature helps reduce the risk of misconfigurations by verifying access changes in a simulated environment.

Users can simulate the following actions:
1. Add a role to the user
2. Remove a role from the user
3. Add the user to a group
4. Remove the user from a group

Through these simulations, users can check access at the table, record, or field level and understand the effect of changes on ACLs (Access Control Lists). Once verified, changes can be applied by clicking the “Add and Complete” button.

6. Streamlined Physician Onboarding Workflows for Healthcare

The ServiceNow HR Service Delivery for Healthcare application streamlines the physician onboarding workflow using a standardized, digitized approach.

Secure Data Management: Utilizes the Healthcare Professional data model for confidential data storage.

Automated Onboarding: Automatically sets up tasks for a smooth onboarding process with the default Healthcare Employee Onboarding workflow.

Healthcare Professional Data Model:

• Stores essential information (e.g., practice name, medical degree).
• Allows tracking and updating of healthcare profiles confidentially.

• Auto-creates profiles and email accounts.
• Initiates necessary form intake tasks.
• Creates credentialing tasks for HR agents.

7. Account Lifecycle Events

The Xanadu release introduces impactful enhancements on how account life cycle events are handled to deliver an improved customer experience and streamlined onboarding processes. This update aims to make the journey smoother and more interactive for customers by introducing the Account Lifecycle Events application.

• Onboarding: Clear workflows enable organizations to understand customer needs from the outset, ensuring a smooth onboarding experience where the customers know what to expect.
• Engagement: Teams can define and track success objectives and milestones, fostering accountability and building trust as customers witness their goals being achieved.
• Monitoring: Enhanced monitoring capabilities facilitate the tracking of product usage and key performance indicators (KPIs), allowing for proactive identification of renewal and expansion opportunities.
• Expansion: The application supports sales and account teams in recognizing potential growth opportunities, thereby strengthening relationships with existing customers.

Generative AI in ServiceNow’s Official Product Documentation

Have you noticed that ServiceNow has added a summarization feature powered by Gen AI to help users quickly understand various ServiceNow products and features? Integrated into the official documentation platform (docs.servicenow.com), it provides intelligent support for learning and navigating product details. Here are a few tips on how to leverage it better:

• AI-Generated Search Results: When entering a query with a question mark at the end, in addition to regular search results, an AI-generated response appears to the right of the query. Below the response, "Learn More" links provide further options for exploring the topic further.
  
• Codeblock Summarization: This feature appears alongside code snippets in API documentation. By clicking the “Explain this code” button, users can generate a summary of the code's functionality. If the code is useful, it can be easily copied with a click of the "Copy" button.
  

All in all, the Xanadu upgrade is not one that you’d want to miss. If you’re still figuring out what features make the upgrade worthwhile for your organization, or whether your platform is ready for an upgrade, we’ve got you covered. INRY follows a systematic approach to ensure customers go through upgrades seamlessly when it’s right for them. Through a preliminary instance assessment, adequate testing, and a repeatable plan, INRY assures customers succeed with their platform upgrades. Click here to find out more!