The challenge

When you create a new Problem Task in ServiceNow, there are 2 problem task types to choose from:

  • General
  • Root Cause Analysis

Problem task list out of the box

Problem task interceptor out of the box

This automatically set's the "Problem task type" field of the new task, and cannot be changed later.

Problem task out of the box

What if you want more options?

In ITIL v4, there are other steps to the Problem Management lifecycle, including "Problem resolution" where actions are taken to prevent the problem from happening in the future. There's no specific problem task type for this.

ITIL v4 and Problem Resolution

Sadly, there's no ServiceNow magic to do this for you, but the process is fairly simple to add more problem task types.

Creating the new task type

Here's how to create a new Problem Task Type.

In this guide, we'll create the new problem task type of "Resolution Activity".

  1. Create a new Problem task type as a "Choice" [sys_choice] for the "Problem Task.Type" field.
    Table: Problem Task [problem_task]
    Element: problem_task_type
    Value: (short name of new task type)
    Label: (name of new task type)
    Language: en (or as required)
    Sequence: (as required, can be re-ordered later)

New choice

  1. Update the interceptor to add a new option for the new problem task type.

Interceptor to update: https://yourinstancehere.service-now.com/sys_wizard.do?sys_id=29f12894534823004247ddeeff7b1222

Screenshot of updating the interceptor

When you try to create a new answer, it will ask you what kind. Click on "Simple question to redirect the URL".

New interceptor answer wizard

Set up the new wizard answer for the new problem task type. Make it similar to the other options in the wizard.
Question: Problem Task
Name: Direct to Problem Task of type (type name)
Order: As required, can be reordered later
User Prompt: (name of new type)
Target URL: problem_task.do?sys_id=-1&sysparm_query=problem_task_type=(short name of new task type)

New interceptor answer form

Congratulations! You've now created your own Problem task type! Give it a try by creating a new problem task from a problem, you should be able to see the new problem task type in the interceptor and in the "Type" field on the new problem task.

The new answer on the new problem task interceptor

The new problem task type on the form

What about Problem Task Models?

Oddly enough, functionality has been added to Problem Tasks to support Task Models based on the Problem Task Type, however:

  • I couldn't find any instructions on ServiceNow Docs to support using Task Models on Problem Task Types.
  • I wasn't forced or coerced by ServiceNow to use task type models.
  • There's an alternative interceptor wizard for "Problem task models" which prompted the user to select a Problem Task Model [prb_task_model] for the new problem task, but I couldn't see that it was being used.

I suspect this is only useful if you wanted your Problem Task Type to have its own state model that works differently from the out-of-the-box Problem Task states.

Something to think about if you really need this feature.