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Order Guides

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • What an order guide is
  • How it bundles many catalog items into one request
  • How rule bases decide which items are included

1 One form, many items

When a new person joins SNWR, they need a laptop, a phone, email, and a desk. Ordering each item one by one is slow and easy to forget. An order guide asks a few questions once, then orders everything they need. 🧺

Key term: Order guide

A catalog feature that asks some questions, then adds the right catalog items to one request. Stored in sc_cat_item_guide.

2 How an order guide works

A New hire order guide in three steps. Step 1, Describe needs: questions like Job role Developer and Location Office. Step 2, Choose options: based on rules, the guide adds a Developer laptop, a Monitor, an Email account, and a Desk. A mobile phone is not added, because the rules only include it for the Sales role. Step 3, Check out: one request, REQ0010020, with one requested item for each included catalog item.
Figure 1. Answer once, and the order guide adds the right items to one request.
  1. Describe needs: the user answers a few questions, like job role and location.
  2. Choose options: ServiceNow adds catalog items based on rules. The user fills in each item’s own questions.
  3. Check out: everything is submitted as one REQ, with one RITM per item. ✅

3 Rule bases

The order guide’s rule base says which items to include. Each rule is a condition plus an item:

If… Include…
Always Email account, Desk
Job role is Developer Developer laptop, Monitor
Job role is Sales Standard laptop, Mobile phone

💡 Good to know: Turn on cascade variables so answers from the first page (like “Requested for”) are passed into each item automatically. Users don’t have to type them again.

📝 Note: An order guide doesn’t have its own fulfillment. Each included catalog item uses its own flow.

⭐ Remember: Order guide = answer once, order many. Rule base = which items to add.

4 Let’s try it: explore an order guide

  1. Go to Service Catalog > Catalog Definitions > Order Guides.
  2. Open a demo order guide, like one for new employees.
  3. Look at its Rule base related list. Which items have conditions?
  4. Click Try It. Answer the questions differently and see how the items change.

5 Quick recap

  • An order guide orders many catalog items in one go
  • Three steps: describe needs, choose options, check out
  • A rule base decides which items to include
  • Cascade variables pass answers into each item
  • Each item keeps its own fulfillment flow

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 New hires need 5 items. What’s the best catalog tool? Show answer

An order guide.

2 What decides which items an order guide adds? Show answer

Its rule base.

3 An order guide adds 4 items. How many REQs and RITMs are created? Show answer

One REQ and four RITMs.

Nice work! You finished this lesson. 🎉

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