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Clear the stalled problems out of your ServiceNow backlog
For problem managers who want unowned, stalled and ready-to-resolve ServiceNow problems found, by asking their AI assistant.
On this page
Connector
Connect ServiceNow, pick your AI tool and paste the prompt.
The problem
A problem backlog full of stalled investigations
Problem records pile up: some never leave triage, some have no owner, some have all tasks done but were never resolved. Known errors without an article leave the service desk solving the same issue from scratch.
Without PopdockAI
- Filter problems by state one at a time
- Open each to count its tasks
- Spot unowned and stalled problems by eye
- Miss known errors with no article
With PopdockAI
- Open problems in every state are read with task counts
- Unowned, stalled, taskless and ready to resolve problems are flagged
- Known errors are checked for a matching article
- Read only, with an action list grouped by flag
The prompt
Use this prompt
Copy it into any AI tool connected to PopdockAI. Swap the values in braces for your own.
**Objective:** Review the open problem backlog, optionally for `{assignment-group}`, and flag problems that are stale (open more than `{stale-days}` days, default 30), unowned or stuck.
**Step 1: Pull the open problems**
Call `servicenow-get-problem` with assignment-group `{assignment-group}` if given, once for each open state: New, Assess, Root Cause Analysis and Fix in Progress.
**Step 2: Read their tasks**
For each problem call `servicenow-get-problem-task` with problem set to its number. Count open and closed tasks and note the most recent closed date.
**Step 3: Apply the rules**
Flag a problem when:
* it has no assigned-to (Unowned)
* opened is more than `{stale-days}` days ago and it is still in New or Assess (Stalled in triage)
* it is in Root Cause Analysis with no open or closed problem task (No investigation)
* all its tasks are closed but it is not Resolved (Ready to resolve)
* known-error is true (Known error: check a workaround is recorded and a knowledge article exists)
* related-incidents is high relative to the others (High impact)
For each known error call `servicenow-get-knowledge` with short-description.contains set to key words from the problem to see whether an article exists.
**Step 4: Report**
A table: number, short-description, state, priority, assigned-to, age in days, open tasks, related-incidents, flags. Then a short action list grouped by flag.
**Rules & Guidelines:**
* Read-only. Do not call `servicenow-update-problem`, `servicenow-update-problem-task`, `servicenow-add-problem-task` or any other add- or update- tool.
**Validation:**
* If there are no open problems, say so and stop.Who it's for
One answer, three teams that use it
Problem managers
Know what is stuck and why
Get an action list grouped by flag, from unowned to ready to resolve.
Review the open problems in ServiceNow and tell me which are stalled.
Knowledge managers
Get known fixes to the desk
Find known errors that still have no knowledge article.
Which known error problems in ServiceNow have no matching knowledge article?
Team leads
Tidy your group's problems
See your group's problems that could be resolved or need an owner.
Review open problems for the Application Support group, treating 21 days as stale.
How it works
What PopdockAI does when you ask
You optionally name a group and what counts as stale, and your AI assistant reviews the whole problem backlog. It changes nothing.
01
Ask
You optionally name a group and what counts as stale.
02
Read
It reads open problems in every state and counts their tasks.
03
Check
It flags unowned, stalled, taskless, ready and high impact problems and known errors.
04
Report
You get a table with age and flags, then an action list grouped by flag.
What PopdockAI provides
The tools behind the answer
Ready made tools for ServiceNow and one secure connection to your AI tool. No code, no exports.
servicenow-get-problem
servicenow-get-problem-task
servicenow-get-knowledge
This report is built from Get data tools only. PopdockAI applies the row, field and parameter rules your admin sets, and every query is written to the audit trail.
The outcome
Move stalled problems forward
Related use cases
More ways to put this data to work
One prompt template with infinite possibilities.
Your AI assistant adapts its approach, tone, and capabilities to match each unique context while you maintain a single, manageable workflow.
Join forward-thinking companies that are transforming their operations with intelligent, secure AI automation.

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