Course DESCRIPTION - Service Management Office



ServiceNow: What’s New in Knowledge Management 2.0? (for Contributors to the Public KB)Live Training – In Person and via ZoomCourse DESCRIPTIONTitle:ServiceNow: What’s New in Knowledge Management 2.0? (for Contributors to the Public KB)Prerequisites:Previously completed ServiceNow: Knowledge Management training, has access to the current KB, and has contributor access to the new Public KB. Description:This training session will focus on changes to the Knowledge Management process workflows in KM 2.0 in comparison to the previous version of KM and is intended only for those who require the ability to create and edit articles in the new Public Knowledge Base. Objectives:Upon conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:Identify the most critical differences between KM 1.0 and KM 2.0 (related to workflow, roles, and public access to knowledge).Create and submit articles to the Public KB, using article templates and the KB Style Guide.Peer review articles in the Public KB.Apply best practices and guidelines for editing articles in the Public KB. Interact with Knowledge Bases and published knowledge articles.Zoom Meeting URL: Session TimingSectionTiming (in minutes)Introduction5 minEditing Best Practices & Style Guide5 minEditing an Existing Article in the Public KB10 minAuthoring a New Article in the Public KB15 minConducting a Peer Review5 minPeer Review Best Practices5 minOverview: Understanding Editorial Review5 minMoving an Article from the IT KB to Public KB3 minCreating an Article in the IT KB2 minInteracting with Knowledge Bases and Articles5 minQ & ATime remainingTOTAL TIME:60 minutesPREPARATIONTrainer Checklist:Open PPT for the sessionOpen ServiceNow Accept instanceOpen the KB Style Guide articlePrepare example content to include in articles for demonstration (e.g. fake article titles, content, etc.)Zoom ChecklistDecide which monitor will be your workspace monitor and your sharing monitor.On your workspace monitor, open instructor guides, Box notes with web links, outlines, or other documents or applications you need to support you during session delivery.On your sharing monitor, open the websites you wish to share during the session.Open the session PPT file.Change the start time of the session on the PPT Session Title slide (online demo sessions only). Ensure the PPT is set to display as a window: Slide Show tab > Set up Slide Show > Browsed by an individual (window) radio button.Start the PPT slide show.Drag PPT slide show to your sharing monitor. Update the Zoom launcher.Launch the meeting via the Zoom launcher (log in with SSO) or the Penn State Zoom Web Portal (log in with WebAccess) CONTENT & PROCEDURESSession Introduction (5 min)Slide- Welcome (Title of class and instructor’s name)Welcome participants to the sessionIntroduce yourselfDiscuss purpose of the session: To ensure everyone who requires contributor access to the public KB is trained in the new KM 2.0 process and associated policies/best practices.Slide – ObjectivesReview the objectives, and check for questions from participants.Identify the most critical differences between KM 1.0 and KM 2.0 (related to workflow, roles, and public access to knowledge).Create and submit articles to the Public KB, using article templates and the KB Style Guide.Peer review articles in the Public KB.Apply best practices and guidelines for editing articles in the Public KB. Slide – Two KB’sDiscuss the differences between the two KB’s:The new Public Knowledge Base is truly public, not behind WebAccess.The IT Knowledge Base will be available to all ServiceNow users but not accessible to the public.While the IT KB has a very simple workflow for creating and publishing articles as quickly as possible, and the workflow for the public KB has also been simplified in comparison to KM 1.0, the Public KB still has some additional requirements and workflow steps that contributors need to be aware of.Slide – Public KB WorkflowShow the workflow steps for the Public KB and explain the key differences between this workflow and the previous (KM 1.0) workflow:Final review before publishing is no longer conducted by the service manager but by a centralized group of editorial reviewers who will provide a final clarity/quality check on articles before they are published to the public KB.Peer review will work a little differently (will demonstrate in this session).You can edit an article without unpublishing it.TransitionWhen KM 2.0 was implemented, articles that were available to all of Penn State in the old version of the ServiceNow KB were moved to the new Public KB. While some of you may not be creating new articles for this KB, most people working with Knowledge will probably need to edit an existing article at some point, so that is what I will demonstrate first.Editing Best Practices & The KB Style Guide (5 min)Slide – Editing Etiquette and Best PracticesInstructor Say:Changes to KM 2.0 make it easier to edit articles without unpublishing them, and anyone who has access to Knowledge can edit an article, even if they are not the original author. If you are not the article author, service manager, or a current member of the service team responsible for the article, it is important to follow some best practices to ensure articles can be updated without causing unnecessary conflict or making mistakes that are visible to the public:Choose Carefully: Suggestions vs. EditsFor very minor corrections, feel free to make the edit, noting any changes in the work notes. A minor correction may include any of the following:Fixing a minor spelling, grammar, or formatting errorNoticing an accuracy problem, and updating one or two steps in a step by step process to address that problemFor more significant changes, always make suggestions instead of edits. Significant changes may be needed when:The article is confusing or substantially inaccurate throughout (incorrect steps, unclear technical jargon, illogical order of content, etc.)The article is missing important formatting features throughout, like numbers or bullets for lists, headings for major sections, etc.The article is much too long, and you feel it should be split into smaller pieces.NOTE: Keep in mind that service teams may be linking to specific KB articles on their websites, in related training materials, and in other locations, so changing an article substantially can have impacts well beyond the KB itself. If you aren’t sure if you should make a change yourself, don’t! Simply alert the article author and/or the service manager by tagging them in the work notes using the @ symbol before their name. Describe your suggested change in your note, and leave it to them to determine the best way to approach those updates.Add Work NotesIf you make any change to a knowledge article, always add a clear and specific description of the change in the work notes and an explanation of why it was necessary.Use the KB Style Guide (Article #KB0010266)Always refer to the most current version of the KB Style Guide when making even minor edits to an article. Style Guides change over time, so please be sure you are referencing the guide and making changes that are consistent with the Penn State editorial guidelines and KB article best practices.The purpose of the KB Style Guide is to provide a certain amount of consistency across public-facing knowledge articles and to ensure they are easy for end-users to consume and understand, not to be an encyclopedic reference guide for writing. Please navigate to the Style Guide in ServiceNow now.Instructor Do: Provide participants with the KB Style Guide article number (paste in chat if using Zoom)Check for understandingWhat questions do you have about the KB Style Guide or the editing best practices we just discussed?Edit an Existing Article in the Public KB: Step by Step (10 min)Open an Article Record, Make Changes or Add Work Notes, and UpdateInstructor say:Now let’s walk through the process of editing an existing article. Please watch as I demonstrate.Instructor demonstrate:Search for Knowledge in the search field at the top of the left sidebar.Select Published under the Knowledge heading in the sidebar.Search for the KB article number in the search field at the top of the screen.Click the KB number from the list.You are now looking at the full article record.Open the Style Guide by clicking on the contextual link, “Text?” near the top left of the main text field; use this guide as a reference during your review.Make any appropriate edits to the article in the main text field.In the Work Notes field, add a note to indicate what edits were made, and click Post to save it to the Article record.Click Update in the gray bar at the top of the record.The article is updated and the author is notified via email.NOTE: You can also change the author of a Knowledge Article if you have authorization from the author or associated Service Team. Please read ServiceNow: How to Change the Author of a Knowledge Article, for specific instructions.TransitionNow that we’ve reviewed the steps and best practices for editing, let’s go over the updated process for creating a new KB article in the public KB.Author a New Article in the Public KB (10 min)Create a new Knowledge Record & Select a TemplateInstructor demonstrate:Use filter navigator at the top of the left sidebar to search for “knowledge.”Under the “Knowledge” header, click Create New.Consider the purpose of the article, then select one of the template links from the Article Template Selector page:Standard (for IT Knowledge Base)Do NOT use for Public KB articlesFAQ (for the Public KB)Use for question-and-answer articlesGeneral Information (for the Public KB)Use for articles with body text onlyLinking to External Information (for the Public KB)Use for distributing linksPolicy (for the Public KB)Use for articles containing policy and policy descriptionsStep-by-Step Instructions (for the Public KB)Use for articles containing step-by-step instructionsNOTE: Templates have been created to streamline your article creation process with built-in features to help ensure a positive end-user experience with the article. *IMPORTANT: You cannot create articles without choosing a template first. To publish articles for the IT KN, you can use the General Information template which does not include pre-determined fields. If you cannot find a template that suits your needs, feel free to contact the SMO to describe your use case. You are now looking at a new Knowledge record for the type of article you chose above.Required fields are indicated by a red asterisk (*).Hover over any field name to see the information required for that field.Write the ArticleIn the Knowledge Base field, click the search icon, and select Public Knowledge Base.Below the Knowledge Base field, locate the Category field; click the category search icon, and select a category from the list.NOTE: Categories are tied to the ServiceNow portal, not to specific services. This is an optional field, but you should always choose a category if possible because it will make the article easier for users to find in the portal. The list of categories is based on the services that create the most incidents.Review the date in the Valid to field: This is the date when the article will "expire" (meaning it will disappear from the portal and search results, but the article will remain active and accessible to users via the article's URL). The default date is 3 years from publication, but this can be changed at the author's discretion. NOTE: Authors will receive notifications about an upcoming expiration date 10 business days in advance of the valid to date.Determine whether the knowledge article is urgent:Urgent knowledge checkbox: If the article you are creating is "urgent," you will check the box above the Short Description field.NOTE: Knowledge is “urgent” when, for example, there is a service outage and Tier 1 support needs an article quickly to help address tickets coming in about the situation. If this box is checked, the article will be published immediately after peer review (skipping the editorial review stage), but editorial reviewers will still be notified. The valid to date for the article will default to 10 days from publication. After 10 days, if the article has not been approved by an editorial reviewer, the article will be unpublished but will remain in the "Pending Approval" list until approved or retired. If the article is approved, the valid to date will change to the default 3 years.Enter a title for the article in the Short Description field.The title should be the name of the relevant service, followed by a colon and a brief descriptive title. (Example: Canvas: Exporting Your Gradebook)Open the KB Style Guide by clicking the Style Guidelines for knowledge articles link below the Short Description field.Use this guide for formatting guidelines including font type and size, lists, heading styles, etc.NOTE: Peer and editorial reviewers will be referencing this Style Guide. Articles that do not align with the Style Guide may be rejected and returned to the author for edits before they can be approved.Enter your article content into the required text fields.Add terms to the Meta field to make your article discoverable in search.You should always enter at least one term for your article to make it easier for users to find. Consider what terms a user might use to search.Terms must be separated by a comma (,) followed by a space.Terms with more than one word must be joined by an underscore (_).Enter as many terms as you want.Example: canvas, assignment, quiz, quiz_question, add_questionAdd attachments to the article (only if necessary) by clicking the attachment icon near the top right of the screen, which looks like a paperclip.NOTE: Only attach documents if necessary for supplemental information. Even if a file is attached, articles for the public KB must include the main article text in the text field, partly because the content of attached files is not searchable but also due to accessibility concerns. In addition, individuals who are conducting peer review and editorial review of the articles must be able to access the article content directly to make changes, check for accessibility, etc. If you have attached an item, select/deselect the attachment checkboxes on screen as needed:Display attachments: This is the only recommended option if you are attaching files to an article for the public KB. Selecting this option will ensure that users will see the body of the article and have access to the attachment link (or links) at the bottom of the article. Attachment link: Leave this box unchecked for the Public KB. Checking this box means that users won’t see the article text at all, only the attachment.Right click in the gray bar at the top of the screen and click Save.Click the Publish button that appears at the top of the screen.This changes the article status to “Draft.” It is now ready to be peer reviewed.Conduct a Peer Review (5 min)Instructor Say:After you author the article, it will need to be peer reviewed. Anyone who has access to the knowledge function can be a peer reviewer. Please watch as I demonstrate.Instructor Demonstrate:Author:Alert a peer reviewer (using the internal ServiceNow chat tool, via email, or using other communication methods outside of ServiceNow) to ask them to review the article.TIP: Include the link to the article in your message to the peer reviewer.Peer Reviewer:Navigate to the article record.Thoroughly review the article content for the following:Accuracy (Is the information in the article accurate and up-to-date?)Clarity (Is the article easy to read and understand?)Conformity to the templates and the Style Guide (Does the article use a template? Is it grammatically correct? Does it apply formatting and word choice guidelines from the Style Guide?)NOTE: Remember to open the KB Style Guide, and use it as a reference for surface-level review of the article.Make edits to the article as needed.If you do make changes, remember to add work notes describing what you changed and why.When finished, click the peer review button.The status of the article will change to in review. The editorial reviewer group will be alerted that an article needs to be reviewed.Peer Review Best Practices (5 min)Slide: Best Practices for Peer ReviewInstructor Say:When you engage in peer review, keep in mind that giving and receiving feedback are complex skills, and there are plenty of opportunities for misunderstanding. These are just a few tips for making the review process as effective as possible:Be Concrete: It’s easy to be unintentionally vague in writing. Try to be as specific and clear as possible.Example: “These steps are confusing” > “I ran into difficulty following the steps starting at step 3, but I am not sure what the correct step should be at that point”Make Suggestions, Not Demands: Remember that text comes without facial expressions or body language to modify it, and it’s easy to interpret feedback as criticism. Try to use a tone of suggestion, and ask questions when possible rather than making demands. Example: “Use better word choice that people will understand” > “As I walked through the steps, I thought users might be confused by the different uses of [specific word] in different parts of the article. Is there another word that can be used to replace that one in steps 4 & 5 specifically?”Put Yourself in the User’s Position: As a reviewer, you should think of yourself as an end-user trying to consume the content of the article. In your feedback, phrasing your suggestions in terms of user needs can be helpful for keeping the emphasis on usability rather than personal criticism.Example: “I think users may be confused by the technical jargon in the first paragraph. I suggest simplifying those lines and removing the references to administrative tools they won’t be using directly.”Re-Read Before Sending: It’s helpful to quickly read your suggestions back to yourself to check for clarity and tone before sending.Consider Feedback in Good Faith: When receiving written feedback, assume good faith and good intentions. Remember that your understanding may not be what the peer reviewer intended. Also, realize that critical feedback/suggestions for changes do not mean that the reviewer is judging you as a person, that they think you are stupid, or that they are trying to hurt your feelings. Overview: Understanding the Editorial Review process (5 min)Instructor Say:Only those who have the KB manager/editorial reviewer role in ServiceNow will perform the final editorial review for articles. After the article is peer reviewed, the editorial reviewer will review the content of the article, using the Style Guide and templates as a reference. Their goal is to ensure that the article is clear/understandable and that it conforms to the necessary guidelines in the templates and the Style Guide. IMPORTANT NOTE: The editorial reviewer is NOT reviewing the content for accuracy. Accuracy issues should be caught and addressed during peer review.Instructor Say:Based on their initial review of the article, the reviewer will decide which of the following actions to take:Approve as-is: This will publish the article in the public KB, and you (the author) will be notified.Edit and approve: This involves making minor edits to the article, noting what changes were made in the work notes, and then approving the article.Reject: This will return the article to you (the author) with work notes describing the changes that are needed. At that point, the approval process will start over at the beginning, and the article will need to be revised and peer reviewed before returning to the editorial review stage. Issues that will cause an article to be rejected include:Not using a template.Attaching the article as a document instead of including the content in the body of the article record.Clarity issues: Significant formatting problems, multiple grammar issues, confusing jargon/word choice, confusing order/flow of content, etc.Obvious inaccuracy: Even though the editorial reviewers are not checking for accuracy, if they notice something that is obviously wrong, they will return it to you for changes.Moving an article from the IT KB to the Public KB (5 min)Instructor Demonstrate:Locate the "Knowledge Base" field.Click the magnifying glass icon.Select "Public Knowledge Base" from the list of available Knowledge Bases.You will see a dialog box advising that the article will be set to "Draft" and will need to go through the approvals for the Public Knowledge Base.Click "OK."Creating an article in the IT KBInstructor Say:The process for creating an article in the IT KB is exactly the same as the public KB, except:You will choose the Standard (for IT KB) template from the Template Selector page.You will choose the Penn State IT Knowledge Base in the Knowledge Base field when you create the new record.The only approval gateway is a single peer review (no editorial review required). While articles written for and by IT professionals should still be clear and direct, they are, for example, more likely to use technical jargon and to require elements uncommon in public-facing articles (e.g. code snippets). The point of the IT KB is to be able to create and publish articles for use across IT as quickly and easily as possible, and to improve on those articles over time. TransitionNow that we’ve reviewed writing an article, peer reviews, and editorial reviews, let’s talk about your options to interact with knowledge published in ServiceNow.Interacting with a Knowledge Base and Published ArticlesInstructor Say:There are several ways to interact with knowledge published in ServiceNow:Subscribe to articles or Knowledge Bases to track changes via email notificationsReview and customize notifications through your Notification settingsUse Social Q & A to ask questions, comment, and share knowledge in the IT Knowledge Base We will walk through these options together.Use the Knowledge Home Page to Find Knowledge Bases and ArticlesInstructor say/do:You will first access the Knowledge Home Page to find Knowledge Bases and individual articles. Follow along while I demonstrate how to find the Knowledge Home Page:Use the filter navigator at the top of the left sidebar to search for “knowledge.”Under the Knowledge header and the Self-Service section, choose Knowledge.This screen is your Knowledge Home Page.Under the Knowledge Bases section, you will see the Knowledge Bases available to you. subscribe and unsubscribe to a Knowledge Base Instructor Say: You can subscribe to an entire Knowledge Base from this page. Keep in mind, this means that when any new articles are added or modified, you will receive email notifications. Most users will not need to subscribe to an entire Knowledge Base, as this option is better suited for Knowledge Base owners and administrators. If you choose to subscribe to a Knowledge Base, here’s how you will do it:Instructor Do/Say:Locate the IT Knowledge Base title and click the Subscribe link on the bottom.Click Subscribe link. The link will turn to Subscribed.To unsubscribe, just click the Subscribed link and it will turn to back to Subscribe.If you need these instructions again, you can read ServiceNow: Subscribe and Unsubscribe to a Knowledge Base TransitionMost users will want to subscribe to an individual knowledge article versus an entire Knowledge Base. When you subscribe to an article, you will only receive email notifications when changes are made to that article. If you are a Service Manager, part of a Service Team, or are just interested in a particular topic, you may want to subscribe to articles to keep up with changes.Find, subscribe, and unsubscribe to a Knowledge articleInstructor Do/Say:To subscribe to an article, you will first need to search for the article from your Knowledge Home Page. Follow along as I demonstrate how to find, subscribe, and unsubscribe to a knowledge article:Type an article topic or title in the search bar at the top of the Knowledge Home Page. Click the article title for more details.Find and select the Subscribe button at the top of the knowledge article.After you have subscribed, the system displays a message about the article subscription and the button toggles to Subscribed.To unsubscribe, click on the Subscribed button at the top of the knowledge article. After selected, the button toggles to?Subscribe and the system displays a message that the article subscription has been removed. Check for UnderstandingNow that you know how to subscribe and unsubscribe from Knowledge Bases and articles, and why you might subscribe to each, what questions do you have?Manage Notification Settings and SubscriptionsInstructor Say/Do:If you are the author of a Knowledge Base article, you will automatically receive notifications if the article is revised by other authors or receives user comments. If you have subscribed to an article or an entire Knowledge Base, you may want to receive notifications of updates. You can customize the email notifications you receive through your Notification Settings. You can also view and unsubscribe from your subscriptions from this page. Please follow along as I demonstrate how to access your subscriptions and notification settings. This process is similar to searching for the Knowledge Home Page:Under the filter navigator on the top left, scroll down to the Knowledge header.Scroll down and select the Notification Settings section. This is your Notification Settings Page.By default, you will see any Knowledge Base subscriptions. Select the Notification Preferences tab to the right of Subscriptions to manage Knowledge Base notifications. Slide the green button to gray to stop notifications.Select the Subscriptions Tab, then the Knowledge Articles link on the left side of the window to see your article subscriptions.You can unsubscribe from articles here by selecting the Subscribed link to the right of the article number.After unsubscribing, the link will turn back to Subscribe.Select the Notification Preferences tab to the right of Subscriptions to manage knowledge article notifications. Slide the green button to gray to stop notifications.If you need these instructions again, you can read ServiceNow: Where Do I Change My Notification Preferences.TransitionSocial Q & A offers another way to interact with Knowledge in ServiceNow. This feature allows users to ask and answer questions about specific topics or articles in ServiceNow. Users can also answer questions posted by others, make comments, and promote helpful articles by voting.Find and Participate in the Social Q & AInstructor Do/Say:Accessing Social Q & A begins on your Knowledge Home Page. Follow along as I demonstrate how to find the Social Q & A and use the basic functions. Please note that this will be an brief overview only. If you want to read more about Social Q & A or find how-to instructions, read ServiceNow: Participate in the Social Q & A.Access the Knowledge Home Page.Show ability to post a new question from this page.Hover over the blue Post a Question button in top right corner of screen.Show the number of questions included in the Knowledge Base.Hover over the Knowledge Base tile.Search for a specific question by typing any category or topic in the search bar at the top of the screen.Note the speech bubble icon to the left the question title versus the document icon to the left of articles.Select the title of a question to post answers, comments, and vote.Show where to Vote (left of question title).Show where to Add a comment (under the question). Show where to add Your answer (bottom of the screen). NOTE: Users can edit and delete comments, answers, and questions that they have contributed. Edit/Delete ink will appear below the post after submission.TransitionAgain, you can read more about the Social Q & A in the knowledge article previously mentioned. Now to wrap up, let’s review the ways you can interact with knowledge in ServiceNow (summarize):From the Knowledge Home Page to access and subscribe to Knowledge Bases and articlesCan manage subscriptions and notification settingsPost questions, comments, and answers with the Social Q & A featureSESSION Q & A (time remaining)Check for understandingWhat other questions do you have about the updated KM process at this time? ................
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