Imagine you could report issues with just a quick scan of a QR code. In this article, I’ll show you how to set up a system in ServiceNow that lets users scan QR codes to create incident reports. This method makes it easy to report problems with meeting rooms, printers, or any other equipment in your office.

Use Case: Reporting Incidents with QR Codes

Let’s start with the use case. Picture QR codes placed in various locations like meeting rooms, printers, or other office equipment. These QR codes contain URLs with parameters that correspond to the sys_id of the Configuration Item (CI) or asset in the ServiceNow CMDB. When a user scans the QR code, it directs them to an Incident Record Producer with important fields such as Location, Asset Information already filled in. This links the reported issue directly to the correct asset and location, allowing the helpdesk team to quickly identify and resolve the problem, while freeing the user from having to manually enter all the details.

Technical Solution: Catalog Client Script for Parsing URL Parameters

To make this work, we need a catalog client script that reads the URL parameters and maps them to variables with the same name as the “key” in the URL. Here’s the script:

/**
 * Populates catalog variable fields with values from URL parameters.
 * @function
 * @throws {Error} Throws an error if an unexpected situation occurs.
 */
function onLoad() {
    try {
        /** Get the parameters from the URL */
        var _window = window ? window : this.window;
        var urlParams = new URLSearchParams(_window.location.search);

        /** Iterate over each parameter in the URL */
        urlParams.forEach(function(value, key) {
            try {
                /** Check if a variable with the same name exists in the catalog form */
                var variable = g_form.getControl(key);
                if (variable) {
                    /** Set the value in the catalog variable field */
                    g_form.setValue(key, value);
                }
            } catch (innerError) {
                /** Handle errors that occur during iteration */
                console.error('Error during parameter iteration:', innerError);
            }
        });
    } catch (error) {
        /** Handle errors that occur during the main execution */
        console.error('An unexpected error occurred:', error);
        /** You may choose to throw the error again or handle it differently based on your requirements. */
    }
}

How the Script Works

1. Get the Parameters from the URL: The script starts by checking if the window object is available. It then creates a URLSearchParams object from the URL’s query string, which allows easy access to the URL parameters.
2. Iterate Over Each Parameter: The script uses the forEach method to iterate over each key-value pair in the URL parameters.
3. Check for Matching Variables: For each parameter, the script checks if there is a corresponding variable in the catalog form with the same name as the key. It does this using the g_form.getControl(key) method.
4. Set the Variable Value: If a matching variable is found, the script sets its value to the corresponding value from the URL parameter using the g_form.setValue(key, value) method.
5. Error Handling: The script includes error handling to catch and log any errors that occur during the main execution or the iteration over parameters. This ensures that any issues are logged for debugging purposes.

Implementation Steps

Here’s how you can set up the QR code solution:

1. Create a Variable Set: Go to Service Catalog > Catalog Variables > Variable Sets and create a new variable set. Name it something generic and understandable, such as “URLParameterMapper” or “URLVariableBinder,” following your organization’s naming conventions. Add the catalog client script provided above to this variable set.
2. Generate QR Codes: Create QR codes that encode URLs pointing to the Incident Record Producer. Make sure the URLs include parameters for the CI/asset sys_id.
3. Create Record Producers or Catalog Items: Set up record producers or catalog items with their own variables or variable sets. Either match the variable names to the keys in the URL parameters, or create the QR code URL so that the keys match the variable names in the record producer. Otherwise, the variables won’t map correctly and won’t populate from the URL.
4. Add the Variable Set: Add the variable set from step 1 to the record producers or catalog items created in step 3.

Conclusion

By following these steps, users can easily raise incidents by scanning QR codes, with the incident form pre-filled with relevant information from the URL parameters. This streamlines the process of incident creation and ensures accurate reporting of issues related to specific CIs or assets.