Record Producer Basics
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In this lesson, you will learn:
- What a record producer is
- How it’s different from a catalog item
- When to use one
1 A friendly form for any table
Riya wants to report a broken printer. The full incident form has 30 fields she doesn’t understand. What if she could fill in a simple form in the catalog, and ServiceNow creates the incident for her? That’s a record producer. ✨
Key term: Record producer
A catalog item that creates a record in any table, like an incident or an HR case, instead of a request (REQ/RITM).
2 Catalog item vs record producer
| Catalog item | Record producer | |
|---|---|---|
| Creates | REQ + RITM (+ SCTASK) | A record in the table you choose |
| Use for | Ordering goods and services | Reporting issues, cases, and other records |
| Example | Request a monitor | Report a broken printer (creates an incident) |
| Table | sc_cat_item |
sc_cat_item_producer |
📝 Note: To the user, both look the same in the catalog. The difference is what gets created behind the scenes.
3 When to use one
- Users need to report something, not order it: “Report an issue”, “Report a security concern”.
- You want a simpler form than the full record form.
- You want the form in the portal alongside everything else people request.
⭐ Remember: Ordering something? Catalog item. Reporting something? Record producer.
4 Let’s try it: find one
- Go to Service Catalog > Catalog Definitions > Record Producers.
- Open one that creates incidents. Find its Table name field.
- In the portal (
/sp), use “Report an issue” or a similar item. Then check Incident > All. Is there a new incident?
5 Quick recap
- A record producer creates a record in any table from a catalog form
- A catalog item creates a REQ and RITM instead
- Use record producers for reporting issues and cases
- Record producers live in
sc_cat_item_producer
6 Check yourself
Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.
1 “Report a broken printer” should create an incident. Catalog item or record producer? Show answer
Record producer.
2 Does a record producer create a RITM? Show answer
No. It creates a record in the table you choose, like an incident.
3 Can users tell the difference in the catalog? Show answer
Usually not. Both look the same. The difference is what’s created behind the scenes.
Nice work! You finished this lesson. 🎉
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