Operational efficiency has always been key to business success, but this has become even more important now that artificial intelligence (AI) is accessible to everyone. AI-powered process automation is becoming the standard, and those who don’t adopt it will be left behind. ServiceNow is a leading digital workflow platform built to streamline operations, enhance service management, and drive business performance.
“With the latest capabilities around AI and ML on the ServiceNow Platform, we are able to open new doors to our customers, enhancing customer experiences, increasing operational efficiency, improving agent productivity, and enabling leaders with valuable data insights,” says AndrewOrtiz, ServiceNow Practice Director at Advizex.
To reap the full rewards of the ServiceNow platform, companies must adopt specific strategic processes. This article will outline the best practices for maximizing operation efficiencies with ServiceNow. We’ll go through each stage and give real-world examples so you fully understand how ServiceNow can transform your operations.
Understanding ServiceNow and the Now Platform
Before we discuss the implementation strategies, let's understand exactly what ServiceNow is. Founded in 2004, it has grown from a simple cloud-based app to a comprehensive platform with various tools to drive digital transformation.
ServiceNow is a System of Action® that integrates with existing systems and data to automate business-wide tasks. This automation allows companies to boost operational efficiency and improve customer experience.
What is the Now Platform?
The Now Platform is ServiceNow's core offering. It provides the tech stack that ensures data flow across departments and systems. Built-in AI and machine learning empower workflow automation, simplify operations, and improve organizational flexibility. The Now Platform has diverse functions, from IT service management to customer service, making it applicable to various industries.
The Importance of Thorough Planning and Preparation
Careful planning and preparation allow you to align the ServiceNow platform’s capabilities accurately with your business objectives.This time investment at the start ensures that ServiceNow will drive meaningful improvements in operational efficiency.
KeySteps to Successful Planning
Follow these simple steps for precise planning:
Define Objectives
Lay out precisely which aspect of your operations you want to optimize.
Stakeholder Engagement
Get buy-in from everyone who will be affected by the change, from executives to IT managers to end-users.
Tailored Configuration
Once your objectives have been defined and all stakeholders are onboard, customize ServiceNow modules to align with these organizational goals to ensure a seamless fit with your current IT infrastructure.
Outsourcing Instance Management of Optimized Efficiency
Managing a ServiceNow instance requires specialized expertise.Outsource your instance management to a trusted partner so your team can focus on its core business activities.
Benefits of Outsourcing Instance Management
Expertise Access
Guarantee your ServiceNow instance is configured, maintained, and optimized according to all best practices.
Cost-Effectiveness
Reduce costs related to the in-house management of hiring and training specialized staff.
Scalability
Scale your ServiceNow operations as your business grows without the need for significant internal resources.
Leveraging ServiceNow as a Service (SNaaS) for Cost-Effective Efficiency
ServiceNow as a Service provides organizations with a cost-effective way to access ServiceNow’s powerful capabilities without needing large upfront investments.
Advantages of SNaaS
Lower Initial Costs
SNaaS eliminates the need for significant upfront investments in infrastructure and personnel.
Flexible Pricing Models
Flexible pricing means you only pay for what you use, so increasing or decreasing spending as required is straightforward.
Maintenance Free
When you opt for an SNaaS provider, everything is handled for you. Maintenance, updates, and upgrades are all taken care of to ensure your instances run optimally.
Staff Augmentation To Fill Skill Gaps and Ensure Success
Staff augmentation involves bringing in external personnel to fill skill gaps within your team. Importantly, with staff augmentation, these skills are brought in on a temporary basis without a long-term contract commitment.
Value of Staff Augmentation
Access to Specialists
When you search outside your company, you can hire ServiceNow specialists skilled in development, administration, and process to oversee a successful implementation.
Flexibility
You can quickly scale your team up or down according to your project's needs without worrying about the long-term commitments of full-time staff.
Knowledge Transfer
Ensure your staff members are ready to learn from the experts you bring in. This will help you build in-house capabilities in the future.
Best Practices for Ongoing Maintenance, Updates, andOptimization
Using ServiceNow goes beyond just the setup and implementation stage. Constant maintenance, regular updates, and ongoing optimization are critical to ensure long-term success.
Best Practices for Ongoing Optimization
Regular Health Checks
Conduct periodic reviews of your ServiceNow instances to identify issues before they become problematic.
Automate Updates
Automate the update process to minimize downtime and reduce reliance on team members.
User Feedback
Regularly gather feedback from your users to ensure you are providing value.
Real-World Examples of Successful ServiceNow Implementations
Here are some examples of how ServiceNow can help organizations from different industries succeed.
Healthcare Provider
A healthcare organization can use ServiceNow to automate incident management and improve patient care and operational efficiency.
Retail Manufacturer
ServiceNow can be integrated with existing IT infrastructure to reduce downtime and boost production efficiency.
Public Sector Entity
A government agency could implement ServiceNow for IT operations management, streamlining processes and reducing reliance on manual input.
“Our number goal is to guide customers through their service management journey and leverage the ServiceNow platform as the foundation of their digital transformation. We focus on starting where our customers are today on that journey and then develop a comprehensive roadmap and implementation strategy that leads them down a path of continuous improvement and increased efficiency and productivity,” Ortiz explains.
Get Started with ServiceNow
If you have seen how ServiceNow could be implemented into your business for ongoing operational success, contact us today to learn more. We will tell you exactly how ServiceNow can be tailored to optimize processes to save you time and money.
