Successful Platform Owner’s guide

7 ServiceNow challenges & recommendations

You finally work with the most effective platform on the market that defines, manages, automates, and structures services for your company. You are more productive while managing workflows and tasks but even the best products and most successful relationships face some challenges.

We have been listening to our clients and supporting their ServiceNow Implementations for over 10 years. We decided to collect their main challenges and share them with you. Get inspired and find the right path to your ServiceNow happily ever after!

1. I don’t see the expected results

Challenge
Your ServiceNow project came to an end. Together with your team, you put lots of work, time, and energy to make the most out of it. You chose the world’s finest solution, named a market leader another year in a row. Yet it is not as successful as it should be…

The business is skeptical, resistant to the use of the new platform, or not satisfied with “another ticketing tool”. To some managers, the results are disappointing, and they are not necessarily willing to talk about ways to improve the situation. You are asking yourself, what went wrong, or what you would have done differently.

Recommendations
You need to find the ‘why’. The reasons behind a not (entirely) successful ServiceNow project might be anything from improper implementation, misunderstood or missed requirements, to poor user experience. It is worth considering another ServiceNow partner to step in. An experienced company will help you to make a new opening and understand the issues in a better way.

With the right approach, the partner will educate and inspire both IT and business, consult you on how to develop and refine your platform. With exemplary commitment and the right motivation, natural transformation leaders and platform ambassadors will appear along the way.

2. I’m overwhelmed with demand & insufficient capacity

Challenge
You constantly have to overcome a considerable demand problem. Your stakeholders from different parts of the business have higher expectations, and knowing ServiceNow is faster and more powerful than any other solution – they think it is possible to get everything and to get it now! You find yourself trapped, as the demand grows, creating a steadily increasing backlog of unmet needs.

Recommendations
Putting your BAU in order is going to result in finding more time for your projects. An experienced ServiceNow partner can spot the problems, finding more of them in the fastest way. They are here to help you organize the work, prioritize, reduce the number of your stakeholders to a minimum.

Another way is to get direct access to the project progress on the fly through the portal – that means that whenever you need to control the process, you can do it by yourself without wasting time. Do not be afraid to use your partner’s expertise in work organization, which will sustain your workflow despite the changes and extensions during the development process. Your partner will help you to choose the most suitable methodology and tools for your needs.

3. I don’t know how to maximize ROI

Challenge
You don’t have defined processes, or they are a total mess. You know your end goal, but you feel lost when it comes to maximizing the investment in ServiceNow. How to get the best out of it?

Recommendations
First, you need to stop thinking about single applications. Instead, start to see the platform as a whole. Your partner can help you by providing you with the right steps and road maps. Their role is to give you the suitable form and indicate which features will turn out to be the most profitable for your business.

By putting you on the right track, the ServiceNow partner can help you to discover your real needs. Coming from business requires a lot of learning and understanding of the technical aspects of the project. The mentoring role of your partner is essential here. It will enable you to define your goals, benefits and respond to the question ‘why this solution and not others?’

4. It’s hard to keep up with the changes

Challenge
ServiceNow is dynamic, and every 6 months, there is a new version of the platform and hundreds of additional features. The platform policy provides support for the 2 most recent release families which means you need to upgrade at least once a year to stay current. It requires some extra work on the upgrades of already realized projects. You need to compare the new release functionality, deciding which one to keep.

Recommendations
The upgrades require testing to spot all the possible problems and make sure no damages are going to disrupt your projects. Don’t count only on yourself! Your ServiceNow partner should be able to help you with part of the tests and the bug repair.

Also, getting to know what should be particularly taken care of is an excellent weapon against the time pressure! The number of new features can feel overwhelming as well. Implementing automated tests (ATF) can take some weight off your shoulders! A professional partner will support you with up-to-date platform knowledge and provide you with a new roadmap. Ideally, he has the right resources like SPOC labs that are up to date with all the platform novelties.

5. The decision-making process limits me

Challenge
Before you take any decision, you need to consult it with a significant number of people. That is time-consuming and may create some problems with the project on-time delivery.

Recommendations
You are not alone. Your ServiceNow partner can support you in mapping and organizing the right work structure. It means that in the project, there should always be one decision-maker responsible for their department.

As a platform owner, you should focus on organizing the workflow most effectively instead of decision-making. By having a decision-maker on board along with your ServiceNow partner, you can get rid of the limits.

6. I feel a lot of pressure

Challenge
You are in the spotlight for the good and also for the bad. Any mistake that happens, and that is influencing the work of the business will be noticed. That is why you feel pressure and a huge responsibility to deliver fast without any errors.

Recommendations
Regular daily, weekly and monthly sessions enable you to react dynamically to problematic situations and update you on any changes in the estimates. While your project team will ensure the smooth implementation, the M&D team will take care of your needs in the next phase, when the project is running.

Transparency is essential! The more you know, the more you can influence the workflow and positive changes. Realizing how much time you have for each phase of the project might be extremely useful. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and get some of the tasks out off your shoulders. Remember, a trustworthy partner will ensure you with stability and minimize the errors in the production process.

7. I don’t know enough

Challenge
Jumping into the ServiceNow platform owner’s role, you might have felt that you don’t have enough technical knowledge. Perhaps it is a new role for you or you have not been working before with the ServiceNow solution. You feel unprepared and in the dark.

Recommendations
Ask your ServiceNow partner to recommend training and workshops that you should take to start to build your technical knowledge. The right partner will use the business language and tailor their communication to your needs, being ready to guide you instead of overwhelming you with technicality.