InServiceNow,Number Maintenanceis the application used to manage and modify numbering schemes for different tables, including theIncidenttable. Since the default prefix forIncident numbersis"INC", an administrator can modify it to a company-specific prefix (e.g.,"IN") by following these steps:
Navigate to the Number Maintenance Application:
Go toAll # System Definition # Number Maintenance
Search for theIncident table (task.number record for Incident).
Modify the Prefix:
Open the existingIncident numbering record.
Change thePrefixfrom"INC"to"IN".
Ensure theNext Numberfield is correctly set (e.g.,"IN0001001").
Save the Changes:
ClickUpdateto apply the new prefix.
All newly created incidents will now follow the new format (IN0001001).
Existing incidents are NOT affected-only newly created records will reflect the new prefix.
Steps to Change the Incident Number Prefix:Why Option A (Number Maintenance) is Correct?The Number Maintenance application is the correct place to modify prefixes for tables like Incident.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect?B. Create a Business Rule that modifies the prefix before the Insert operation# Incorrect Business Rulesdo not control number generation.
Number generation is managed byNumber Maintenanceat the system level.
C: The prefix of an incident cannot be changed because it is a built-in feature# Incorrect The prefixCAN be changedusing theNumber Maintenanceapplication.
Only existing records retain their original prefix; new records follow the updated format.
D: Submit a Change Request to ServiceNow Technical Support# Incorrect
This isnot necessary, asadministratorscan make this change directly throughNumber Maintenance.
ServiceNow Docs - Number Maintenance Configurationhttps://docs.servicenow.com ServiceNow Learning - Customizing Numbering Schemes ServiceNow Developer Portal - Number Prefix Best Practices References from Certified System Administrator (CSA) Documentation: