Platform Owner Technical Guide
Introduction
This document provides step-by-step instructions for navigating the Bearing application as a ServiceNow Platform Owner. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the application's architecture, configuration settings, workflows, integrations, and administrative controls. Whether you are overseeing implementation, maintaining the system, or optimizing performance, this documentation will serve as a key resource to ensure the successful operation and continuous improvement of the Bearing Application within your organization.
Implementation
The Bearing implementation process ensures that every customer instance is configured with the foundational settings required to fully leverage the application’s capabilities. As a SaaS application built on ServiceNow, Bearing is pre-packaged with standardized modules, workflows, and data structures. However, several configuration items must be implemented by the Bearing team to align the platform with the customer’s physical security environment.
User/Group Management and Role Access Assignment
This is to ensure the right level of access to sensitive security data, workflows, and integrations within the Bearing platform.
Cross-Scope Privileges
This is to support integrations and workflows across the broader ServiceNow platform without compromising security. Bearing operates as a scoped application but requires selective cross-scope privileges to interact with core ServiceNow tables (e.g., CMDB, Incident, HR, and Access Management).
Application Elements Enablement
This is to activate and maintain only the Bearing application modules relevant to the organization’s operational needs.
Reporting and Notifications (Email and Dashboard Configuration)
This is to deliver actionable insights and ensure timely communication. Email notifications are configured to alert escalations and workflow/physical security updates. Bearing provides an out-of-the-box dashboard and reports for real-time visibility into physical security analytics and metrics. Additional reports and dashboards can be created as a self-service from Bearing tables, but will not reflect on the Bearing dashboard.
Self-Service
Automation
Flow-Designer (Workflow Studio) Actions
Actions can be added to any flow, enabling users to automate features/functionalities without having to write code. ServiceNow Documentation
Connection & Credential Aliases
The integration connection shortcut can be found in the Bearing Configuration page under the “Integrations” tab. However to configure specific Connections and Credential Aliases follow the ServiceNow Documentation.
Outbound Mail Scripts
Email scripts allow for business rule-like scripting within an outbound email message.
With mail scripts, you can dynamically change the email output of your system based on different criteria. Mail scripts allow you to perform simple tasks, such as displaying incident data, and complex ones, such as making advanced database queries. For more information on Outbound Mail Scripts, refer to the ServiceNow Documentation
Email Templates
Email Templates are utilized in Bearing to send emails directly from the application. Bearing offers a number of out-of-the-box templates, but for more information on how to create your own email templates, please see the ServiceNow Documentation
Process Configuration
Process flows and sub flows can be accessed via the Bearing Configuration page under the Process Configuration Page. These flows could be used “as is” with the Bearing Out-of-the-box features, or can be changed as part of a self-service. Please see the ServiceNow Documentation for more information on flows and sub flows.
Notifications
Use email notifications to send selected users email or SMS notifications about specific activities in the system, such as updates to incidents or change requests. The shortcut to some notifications can be found in the Bearing Configuration Page under the “Process Configuration” tab. These can be used as is or can be changed as part of a self-service. For more information on notifications, please see the ServiceNow Documentation.
Client-Side Scripts
Client-side scripts allow you to run JavaScript on the client (web browser) when client-based events occur, such as when a form loads, after form submission, or when a field changes value. These can be used as is or can be changed as part of self-service. For more information on client-side scripting, please see the ServiceNow Documentation.
Integrations and Data Sources
Data Sources and Import
Bearing and ServiceNow provide you with the capability to import data from external systems and transform it into ServiceNow platform record data. For more information, see the ServiceNow Documentation.
Easy Import Properties (Approval Rules)
Bearing uses the ServiceNow Easy Import feature to assist with data imports. This OOB ServiceNow feature allows you to import large amounts of data in a streamlined fashion. However, fields of "glide_list" are ignored by default to maintain propert data hygiene. The list of ignored field types can be found and changed in 'glide.import_template.field_types_to_ignore' system property (https://xxxxx.service-now.com/nav_to.do?uri=sys_properties.do?sys_id=3fae8051bf320100e628555b3f07392c). You can temporarily remove the 'glide_list' value from the 'value' field here to allow for lists such as Users and Groups for Approval Rules to be imported. For more information, see the ServiceNow Documentation.
Data
Tables and Forms
This is the main data model of the application. Overall, the data model cannot be modified, except for personalizing lists and forms as part of a self-service. See ServiceNow Documentation.
Server Development
Server scripts run on the server or database. They can change the appearance or behavior of ServiceNow or run as business rules when records and tables are accessed or modified. This is part of the main application logic and can be used as is or can be changed as part of self-service. See ServiceNow Documentation for more information.
User Interface
Assessments
Assessments are used to evaluate, score, and rank records from any table in the system. Bearing offers an out-of-the-box assessment that contains 7 metric categories and 30+ metrics. These can be used as is or can be changed as part of a self-service. For more information, see the ServiceNow Documentation.
Catalog/Record Producer
A record producer is a specific type of catalog item that allows end users to create task-based records, such as incident records, from the service catalog. Bearing offers a number of out-of-the-box record producers along with variables, catalog scripts, and catalog UI policies. These can be used as is or can be changed as part of self-service. Please see the ServiceNow Documentation for more information.