ServiceNow Implementation: Everything You Need to Know

ServiceNow is a powerful artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based automation platform for enterprise businesses. It unifies processes and improves efficiency across industries such as IT, HR, legal, customer service, supply chain, telecommunications, and more.

The platform provides powerful enterprise AI automation capabilities with Workflow Data Fabric to integrate enterprise data and a Vault to secure it, along with RaptorDB, an intelligent and scalable database system, and more.

ServiceNow’s comprehensive features and use cases make it complex to implement. It requires thoughtful planning, from identifying the right resources to deciding which services to deploy first. But the benefits are exciting.

Take Standard Chartered Bank’s success as a case study. They saved 104,000 annual productive hours, achieved 85% case deflection, and ensured rapid live chat responses.

Read this guide to ensure successful ServiceNow implementation. Let’s get started!

What Is ServiceNow Implementation?

ServiceNow implementation involves planning, configuring, deploying, and monitoring the platform to automate business processes. You can deploy it to automate processes across industries, including but not limited to  IT service and business management, HR service delivery, security operations, governance, risk, and compliance.

It’s also convenient to build custom applications and integrate external and internal apps using zero-copy connectors.

The implementation process typically includes defining business requirements, choosing the right service, configuring the platform, data migration, and integrations, rigorous testing, and end-user training and support.

A successful implementation drives efficiency, reduces costs, boosts productivity, and enhances service delivery.

However, the process is complex, demanding careful planning, platform expertise, and adherence to best practices. Therefore, partnering with experienced experts is crucial for guidance and support throughout the ServiceNow platform implementation lifecycle, maximizing the platform’s benefits and ensuring a successful outcome.

7 Steps to Implement ServiceNow

Implementing ServiceNow requires a structured approach to ensure effective setup and alignment with your organization’s needs. It’s important to follow a clear process to navigate the complexities of the platform.

Here are seven steps to implement ServiceNow, ensuring a smooth and successful outcome.

Step #1: Define Goals and Requirements

Before diving into the technical setup of ServiceNow, it’s essential to establish clear goals and requirements. This foundational step ensures that the platform addresses your organization’s most pressing needs and aligns with your strategic objectives.

To define these, thoroughly analyze your current processes and workflow, preferably in one pressing area: IT, security, or customer support. Then, collaborate with stakeholders to identify pain points and gather requirements and feedback.

Once the necessary information has been collected, set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound (SMART) goals. For example:

• Reduce incident resolution time by 30% within six months
• Increase employee use of self-service HR portals by 50% over the next quarter
• Decrease the average response time to security alerts from X to Y within three months

Finally, map ServiceNow’s capabilities to your business needs. For instance, use the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) to gain visibility into IT Infrastructure, the IT Service Management (ITSM) Suite for streamlined IT service management, and so on.

Step #2: Plan the ServiceNow Implementation Roadmap

After goal setting, create a plan for achieving them

Divide the implementation into structured phases: planning, design, development, testing, and deployment; each with defined milestones and timelines.

Start with high-impact areas that will deliver immediate value, such as IT service management or HR workflows. Prioritize these processes to build momentum and gain early successes.

As you move through the design and development phases, focus on scalability. Plan for future needs, even if certain features won’t be used initially.

Take into account available resources and potential risks to create realistic timelines that keep the project moving forward. This approach will help ensure that your ServiceNow implementation roadmap delivers both immediate benefits and a solid foundation for future growth.

Step #3: Build a Skilled Team

To execute your roadmap, assemble a skilled team aligned with your objectives and goals. Review the functions required for each phase of implementation and identify the expertise needed. For example, during the design phase, you’ll need system configuration and integration experts, while the testing phase requires quality assurance specialists.

According to ServiceNow, here are some key roles during implementation:

• Executive Sponsor: Provides strategic vision and secures the necessary resources
• Platform Owner: Oversees the platform and ensures alignment with business goals
• Project Manager/Scrum Master: Manages project execution and timelines
• Organizational Change Management (OCM) Lead: Handles change management, training, and communication across the organization
• Business Analyst: Captures business requirements
• Platform Administrator: Maintains platform stability and manages user access
• Platform Architect: Ensures technical alignment and creates the platform design
• Infrastructure Security/Security Administrator: Supervises security and data protection
• QA Lead: Validates platform functionality by conducting thorough testing to confirm it meets requirements
• Developer: Customizes the platform to align with your workflows and processes

As the platform matures and usage expands, organizations should consider adding roles to the core team. For example, a demand manager to handle service requests, a data insights and analytics owner to oversee reporting and KPIs, data manager for accuracy and governance, and an expert to manage platform integrations.

The extended platform team provides crucial business support and typically comprises roles that would exist even without ServiceNow. These include:

• Process/Service Owners
• Process Managers
• Subject Matter Experts
• Enterprise Architect
• IT Risk & Compliance Lead
• User Experience Engineer/Architect
• Program Manager
• Resource Manager
• Training Program Owner
• Release Manager
• Reporting/Analytics Developer

In a Reddit thread about what people wish they knew before starting their ServiceNow implementation, a user mentioned that having someone on the team who oversees the entire process from start to finish is crucial. They added:

“Unless your consultants are also providing your long-term support, someone internal needs to work with them every step before it gets loaded. Our implementation consisted of higher-ups telling the consultants how they wanted things to work, and the consultants loading it into our instances. The result is we had a lot of modules configured in multiple different ways, and nobody really understood what was done without digging through each and every line to be able to support it. 5 years later, I still find updates/scripts/settings that I can’t understand why anybody would do it the way it was done. If I had been part of the implementation, I could have asked and had how it works be explained to me, and I could support it. I spend as much time figuring out how they built things as I do actually fixing them.”

Step #4: Data Migration and Integration

Next, evaluate your existing data types, volume, and dependencies, and ask:

• What data needs to be migrated?
• What is the quality of the existing data?
• Are there any data dependencies or relationships to consider?
• What is the volume of data to be migrated?
• What transformations might be needed?

After you’ve assessed what to move and how to move it, clean the data to remove inaccuracies, redundancies, and outdated information. Then, map and transform your data from previous and legacy systems using ServiceNow’s data structures and requirements.

It’s a best practice to migrate data in batches and test the process to identify and resolve potential issues before full-scale migration. Consider executing the migration during a planned downtime to minimize business disruption. More importantly, monitor the process in real time to address any issues promptly.

Step #5: Customization and Configuration

Post-data migration, configure ServiceNow’s out-of-the-box (OOTB) settings to meet your requirements without altering the underlying code. This includes modifying workflows, forms, and user interfaces through built-in tools.

After configuring the platform to meet your business requirements, limit customization to only what’s necessary. Customization offers flexibility but complicates system upgrades and maintenance. It often requires additional testing to ensure compatibility with future updates and can make troubleshooting more difficult.

Striking a balance by relying on out-of-the-box features whenever possible keeps the system manageable and ensures smoother long-term operations.

Step #6: Testing and Feedback

Once you’re done configuring and customizing, test, test, and test to gauge how it’s working in production and the issues you may face. This involves:

• Different Testing Types: Unit testing (individual components), integration testing (module interaction), User Acceptance Testing (UAT; real-world scenarios by end-users), performance testing (system responsiveness under load), and security testing (vulnerability identification).
• Using Testing Best Practices: Develop comprehensive test plans, create detailed test cases, try automated testing tools (like ServiceNow’s ATF), conduct manual testing when necessary, engage end-users early, and document/track defects.
• Collecting Feedback: Usability testing (observing user interaction), surveys/questionnaires (structured feedback), focus groups (in-depth discussions), and feedback forms (in-system submissions).
• Improving Continuously: Adopt iterative testing cycles to refine the platform and monitor post-deployment performance and user feedback. Track KPIs like adoption rates, usage, and support tickets to identify areas for improvement.

Step #7: Deployment and Training

The final step is to deploy your ServiceNow service, train users, and ensure user adoption. How? Let’s see:

• Create a deployment strategy that comprises phased rollout of high-impact processes, pilot/beta testing, and comprehensive change management.
• Apply different training methods to empower users. Role-based training using diverse methods (workshops, online courses, simulations) and comprehensive materials (manuals, guides, tutorials). Also, invest in an AI-powered Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) to provide in-app assistance.
• Offer user support in the form of a dedicated help desk and knowledge base for self-service issue resolution.

5 Common Challenges in ServiceNow Implementation? 

Although the rewards of implementing ServiceNow can be transformative, some challenges may hinder success.

We’ve listed five common hurdles organizations face during ServiceNow implementation and how to address them using Apty, an AI-powered DAP.

1. Low User Adoption

Companies experience low user adoption rates for several reasons, including insufficient stakeholder engagement, fear of change, poor change management, or inadequate training.

However, even with adequate training, research on the forgetting curve shows that humans forget 50% of all new information within a day and 90% of all the latest information within a week.

Well, enter Apty.

This platform provides in-app guidance, step-by-step walkthroughs, contextual onboarding, and tooltips to ensure users quickly understand and adopt ServiceNow functionalities.

Apty helps reinforce key concepts and processes at the moment of need, improving retention and encouraging consistent usage. With Apty’s support, users can stay on track and effectively apply what they’ve learned, driving better adoption and overall success.

2. Complex Workflows and Processes

This is a case where a benefit starts to cause issues. ServiceNow is applauded for its unified and comprehensive services, but this can also become problematic.

ServiceNow’s robust capabilities often result in challenging workflows to configure and navigate. This complexity can lead to inefficiencies, errors, and frustration among users.

Apty’s solution?

Simplified workflow navigation with process guidance and automation of repetitive tasks, ensuring smooth execution and reduced errors.

3. Insufficient Training and Onboarding

As we’ve already seen with the forgetting curve, traditional training methods like one-time sessions or static documentation require ongoing support from training. Employees tend to forget what they’ve learned before having the opportunity to apply it.

This leaves them unprepared to fully adopt the platform, minimizing your return on investment (ROI).

In this case, Apty offers on-demand training with personalized learning paths so employees can learn ServiceNow functionalities at their own pace directly within the platform.

4. Lack of Data Accuracy and Standardization

During implementation, data accuracy and standardization issues may occur due to several reasons:

• Manual data entry leads to typos, formatting issues, and inconsistencies, degrading ServiceNow data quality.
• Inconsistent data entry practices create discrepancies and hinder effective data management.
• Poorly planned ServiceNow integrations lead to inaccuracies and inconsistencies in migrated data.
• Excessive ServiceNow customization complicates data structures, jeopardizing data accuracy and consistency.

With real-time data validation, Apty ensures users enter accurate and standardized data, minimizing errors during data migration or input. This proactive approach significantly enhances data quality, supports smoother migration, and reduces the risk of errors impacting overall performance.

5. Resistance to Change

Understandably, employees fear change because it’s human nature to question new things. When the new workflow differs from existing processes, employees will likely feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how the platform benefits them.

To effectively manage change, it’s essential to not only educate employees on how the change benefits them but also understand their resistance to it.

Apty supports change management by providing ongoing support and communication through tailored notifications, ensuring employees stay informed and engaged throughout the transition.

Apty OneX also provides a conversational UI that helps employees in their day-to-day tasks to streamline the transition.

Best Practices for ServiceNow Implementation

Here are some key best practices that can guide your ServiceNow implementation plan toward long-term success.

Select the Right Solution

Based on the workflows you want to automate and your business needs, choose the right ServiceNow modules and functions that align with your identified needs, whether ITSM, field service management, HR service delivery, or customer service management.

Also, check for compatibility with your existing IT infrastructure. Ensure it can scale as your business grows.

Train and Onboard Users

Equip your team with comprehensive training and in-app guidance for seamless adoption. This may comprise:

• Offering training users tailored to their different user roles for better outcome
• Providing ongoing support such as on-demand tutorials, FAQs, and in-app guidance
• Applying different methods like online tutorials, webinars, and in-person sessions. 
• Investing in a DAP like Apty for contextual in-app guidance and process compliance

Start Small, Scale Gradually

Implement ServiceNow in phases to minimize risks, allow incremental improvements, and manage change effectively.

Begin with a pilot implementation across a single department to test the process. Then, gradually roll out to other departments, keeping in mind learnings from earlier rollouts.

Monitor and Adapt

Assess performance continuously, adjust configurations based on feedback and evolving needs, and stay current with ServiceNow updates. When needed, utilize resources like ServiceNow community forums, documentation, and customer support.

Simplify ServiceNow Implementation Using Apty

Implementing ServiceNow can feel overwhelming with its long list of features and components. It’s important to collaborate with product experts to deploy, test, and train staff.

But even with thorough training, employees often forget key details just days later.

Your best bet is leveraging an AI-powered DAP like Apty.

Apty is a predictive DAP application that simplifies user adoption through contextual and in-app guidance, such as walkthroughs, smart rules, field checks, checklists, and tooltips. It also tracks user flows and behavior, reduces friction during software usage, and ensures task completion.

Case in point: Mattel partnered with Apty during its Workday HCM transition to provide tailored, interactive guides. Within 60 days, 90% of the users adopted the guides, which reduced support tickets and improved task efficiency globally.

FAQs

How can we improve ServiceNow adoption? 

You can enhance user adoption through role-based training, in-app guidance (through DAPs), robust change management, and continuous support via help desks and self-service knowledge bases.

How to analyze ServiceNow usage rate?

To analyze usage rates, set the right KPIs (login frequency, module usage, completion rates), gather user feedback, and apply analytics tools to understand user behavior and system utilization.