Demand workflow
The demand workflow defines the stages a demand moves through, from initial intake to assessment, approval, and execution. At each stage, you can evaluate the demand, align it with business objectives, and set up the right processes before resources are assigned.
Workflow overview
The following table lists the end-to-end life cycle for managing demands. This workflow provides a process for demands so they are progressively refined, validated, and aligned with business and strategic objectives.
Note: This workflow describes the traditional demand management process. You can customize the states and activities by defining a custom playbook.
|
Task |
Description |
Demand states involved |
Roles involved |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Create a demand |
Demands enter the system via Service Catalog or Idea Portal, or being submitted directly by demand managers: - Business users can submit an idea via the Service Catalog or Idea Portal. The idea is then evaluated by demand managers after which they can promote it to a demand.
|
Draft |
Business user, demand manager, demand user |
|
Complete demand details |
The demand manager or demand user reviews and adds required details. The demand moves from the draft to the submitted state after the basic demand details are added. |
Draft → Submitted |
Demand manager, demand user |
|
Refine and finalize demand |
The demand manager completes all required information (size, impact, business case, timeline, resources, costs/benefits, stakeholder registry, strategy alignment). The demand manager can assign tasks or request SME (subject matter expert) support. |
Submitted |
Demand manager |
|
Move demand to screening |
The demand manager moves the demand to screening. Assessments are sent to the stakeholders to score the demand after it reaches the screening state. |
Submitted → Screening |
Demand manager |
|
Complete assessments |
Stakeholders complete and submit assessments for scoring. |
Screening |
Stakeholder |
|
Move demand to qualified |
The demand moves to the qualified state after the required assessments are submitted.- Next Experience for Demand Management updates the state automatically.
|
Screening → Qualified |
Demand manager, Next Experience for Demand Management |
|
Review demand |
Stakeholders review the demand for approval or deferral. |
Qualified |
Stakeholder |
|
Approve or defer a demand |
The demand manager sets the demand to approved (moves forward for execution) or deferred (moves to the Deferred state).Note: This is a description of a traditional demand management process. You can follow other management processes from it according to your governance requirements. For example, a demand can be converted to a work item at any state, including Draft. This is not restricted to support different types of governance processes. |
Qualified → Approved or Deferred |
Demand manager, demand approver |
|
Convert demand to strategic/operational entity |
After the demand is approved, the demand manager creates the selected entity such as project, enhancement, or Enterprise Agile Planning (EAP) entities.The created entity is based on the values in the Category and Type fields of the Demand record. Depending on the type of record created, the demand data is migrated to the created entity. |
Approved |
Demand manager |
|
Complete demands |
Based on the selection in the Close Demand field, a demand is completed automatically when the converted entity is completed, or manually by the demand manager at any state. |
Approved → Completed |
Demand manager, Next Experience for Demand Management |
--- title: Demand workflow description: The demand workflow defines the stages a demand moves through, from initial intake to assessment, approval, and execution. At each stage, you can evaluate the demand, align it with business objectives, and set up the right processes before resources are assigned. locale: en-US canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-business-management/portfolio-planning/demand-workflow-ppw.html release: brazil product: Portfolio Planning classification: portfolio-planning topic_type: concept last_updated: "2026-09-10" reading_time_minutes: 2 breadcrumb: [Explore, Next Experience for Demand Management in Portfolio Planning, Portfolio Planning, Strategic Portfolio Management] --- # Demand workflow The demand workflow defines the stages a demand moves through, from initial intake to assessment, approval, and execution. At each stage, you can evaluate the demand, align it with business objectives, and set up the right processes before resources are assigned. ## Workflow overview The following table lists the end-to-end life cycle for managing demands. This workflow provides a process for demands so they are progressively refined, validated, and aligned with business and strategic objectives. **Note:** This workflow describes the traditional demand management process. You can customize the states and activities by defining a custom playbook. <table id="table_mb5_3qp_13c"><thead><tr><th> Task </th><th> Description </th><th> Demand states involved </th><th> Roles involved </th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Create a demand </td><td> Demands enter the system via Service Catalog or Idea Portal, or being submitted directly by demand managers: - Business users can submit an idea via the Service Catalog or Idea Portal. The idea is then evaluated by demand managers after which they can promote it to a demand. - Business users can bypass the ideation process and submit a demand directly from the Service Catalog. - Demand managers or demand users can directly submit demands from the Next Experience for Demand Management. </td><td> Draft </td><td> Business user, demand manager, demand user </td></tr><tr><td> Complete demand details </td><td> The demand manager or demand user reviews and adds required details. The demand moves from the draft to the submitted state after the basic demand details are added. </td><td> Draft → Submitted </td><td> Demand manager, demand user </td></tr><tr><td> Refine and finalize demand </td><td> The demand manager completes all required information \(size, impact, business case, timeline, resources, costs/benefits, stakeholder registry, strategy alignment\). The demand manager can assign tasks or request SME \(subject matter expert\) support. </td><td> Submitted </td><td> Demand manager </td></tr><tr><td> Move demand to screening </td><td> The demand manager moves the demand to screening. Assessments are sent to the stakeholders to score the demand after it reaches the screening state. </td><td> Submitted → Screening </td><td> Demand manager </td></tr><tr><td> Complete assessments </td><td> Stakeholders complete and submit assessments for scoring. </td><td> Screening </td><td> Stakeholder </td></tr><tr><td> Move demand to qualified </td><td> The demand moves to the qualified state after the required assessments are submitted.- Next Experience for Demand Management updates the state automatically. - The demand manager manually sets the demand to qualified while it is in screening, for example, when assessments are delayed or not required. </td><td> Screening → Qualified </td><td> Demand manager, Next Experience for Demand Management </td></tr><tr><td> Review demand </td><td> Stakeholders review the demand for approval or deferral. </td><td> Qualified </td><td> Stakeholder </td></tr><tr><td> Approve or defer a demand </td><td> The demand manager sets the demand to approved \(moves forward for execution\) or deferred \(moves to the Deferred state\).**Note:** This is a description of a traditional demand management process. You can follow other management processes from it according to your governance requirements. For example, a demand can be converted to a work item at any state, including Draft. This is not restricted to support different types of governance processes. </td><td> Qualified → Approved or Deferred </td><td> Demand manager, demand approver </td></tr><tr><td> Convert demand to strategic/operational entity </td><td> After the demand is approved, the demand manager creates the selected entity such as project, enhancement, or Enterprise Agile Planning \(EAP\) entities.The created entity is based on the values in the **Category** and **Type** fields of the Demand record. Depending on the type of record created, the demand data is migrated to the created entity. </td><td> Approved </td><td> Demand manager </td></tr><tr><td> Complete demands </td><td> Based on the selection in the **Close Demand** field, a demand is completed automatically when the converted entity is completed, or manually by the demand manager at any state. </td><td> Approved → Completed </td><td> Demand manager, Next Experience for Demand Management </td></tr></tbody> </table>
| title | Demand workflow |
| description | The demand workflow defines the stages a demand moves through, from initial intake to assessment, approval, and execution. At each stage, you can evaluate the demand, align it with business objectives, and set up the right processes before resources are assigned. |
| locale | en-US |
| canonical_url | https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-business-management/portfolio-planning/demand-workflow-ppw.html |
| release | brazil |
| product | Portfolio Planning |
| classification | portfolio-planning |
| topic_type | concept |
| last_updated | 2026-09-10 |
| reading_time_minutes | 2 |
| breadcrumb | ExploreNext Experience for Demand Management in Portfolio PlanningPortfolio PlanningStrategic Portfolio Management |