ServiceNow offers a platform for improving IT service management (ITSM), boosting efficiency, and enhancing the overall experience for users. Yet, its real strength comes to light with the wide range of customization possibilities it offers. By customizing ServiceNow to fit your organization’s specific needs, you can unlock its full potential and achieve significant enhancements in your ServiceNow workflows. A workflow strategy is required for this purpose. But what is workflow strategy, and how can workflows be customized? Let’s find out in this post.
Workflow Strategy: An Overview
A workflow strategy is an approach for organizing and optimizing processes and tasks within a business. It is essential for a business's functioning as it ensures efficient operations, resulting in enhanced productivity and profitability.
ServiceNow workflow is an integral component of the ServiceNow platform that streamlines the multi-step process through automation. It is defined as a sequence of activities that follow specific execution paths.
An activity consists of a collection of instructions that may involve scripting, logging, approvals, record processing, timers and wait times.
Activities can process inputs from other activities. They can also yield results for other tasks to handle. The workflow progresses as the Activity determines which course of action to take after finishing its work.
Workflows rely on conditions and their table connections to decide when to initiate, carry out, continue and end.
Customization in ServiceNow
Customization in the context of ServiceNow means changing the workflow to fit an organization’s needs. It involves developing new applications, adapting the applications that are already out there, and tuning the platform enough to suit a firm’s business processes and operations.
This usually occurs when a client chooses to switch from the conventional ServiceNow flows and wants to modify the platform's flexibility to match the business process and flows. It involves any modifications made to the original installation code of an instance.
Tips for Customizing Workflow
Before diving into ServiceNow customizations, it's essential to examine your current workflow closely. Begin by examining your current processes to pinpoint the main areas that are inefficient, overly complicated, and not easily visible. It's important to connect with everyone involved in your business to truly understand their challenges and what they hope to see improved.
ServiceNow provides a variety of ready-to-use features and functionalities that can be tailored to suit your requirements. Configuration means adjusting current settings while keeping the original code intact. This method is frequently suggested because it is quicker, simpler to manage, and more resilient against issues during upcoming updates.
ServiceNow offers a comprehensive array of tools to customize the platform according to your unique requirements. A few of them are:
- UI Builder: This convenient ‘drag-and-drop’ functionality can help you build unique forms, portals and dashboards for data collection and display.
- Service Catalog: Tailor the service catalog to showcase your organization’s unique IT services and offerings.
- Business Rules: Streamline particular actions and choices within workflows by utilizing rule builders.
- Utilize scripting languages such as JavaScript to enhance capabilities and streamline intricate processes.
- APIs: Connect ServiceNow to other applications, including collaboration applications or databases outside of the ServiceNow platform through the API set of ServiceNow.
After understanding your various customization needs, the next logical process is to plan and develop your solutions. When you make plans to customize, consider the importance and complexity of each need.
Based on the complexity, you can create customizations internally with a team of ServiceNow developers.
Testing is crucial to confirm that your customizations work properly and do not lead to unexpected issues. After completing thorough testing, you can deploy your customizations. Remember that tailoring is a continuous journey.
Below are some of the important tips for customizing the ServiceNow workflow:
- Get a grasp of the process
Prior to implementing any modifications, take the time to grasp the current processes fully. Engage essential contributors in the improvement process. Recognize their challenges and needs to make sure the process accommodates all individuals involved.
- Streamline and unify
Streamline intricate processes by removing redundant steps. Streamline processes whenever you can to maintain uniformity throughout the organization.
ServiceNow Orchestration can simplify repetitive tasks and integrations, greatly lessening the need for manual work and minimizing the chances of mistakes.
- Make use of Flow Designer
Leverage ServiceNow's Flow Designer to build visual workflows. It enables a natural approach to design and automation, simplifying the understanding and management of intricate processes.
- Performance analytics
Utilize ServiceNow's Performance Analytics to keep track of and assess how well workflows are functioning. Examine the information to pinpoint opportunities for enhancement and monitor the effects of adjustments.
- Enhance your scripting
When utilizing scripts, ensure they are fine-tuned for optimal performance. Steer clear of excessive scripting and opt for asynchronous processes whenever you can to keep workflow execution smooth and timely.
- Training and communication for users
Provide training on the improved workflows to help users grasp the changes and adjust to the new processes. Effective communication is essential for achieving successful implementation.
- Consistently assess and refresh
Processes must remain dynamic. Consistently assess and refresh them in response to feedback, evolving business needs, or technological advancements.
- Best practices for security
Adopt effective measures to safeguard data and processes and ensure their security. Manage access to workflows according to individual roles and responsibilities.
- Observe and review
Establish systems to observe and review modifications to ServiceNow workflows. This will help you spot problems early and ensure that organizational policies are followed.
10.Think about mobile access
If relevant, enhance workflows for mobile use. Make sure that individuals can carry out essential activities smoothly on mobile devices.
As your organization's needs change, your ServiceNow workflow should adapt as well. Assess your customizations and tweak them as frequently as necessary.
Bonus Tip: Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest trends and happenings going on in the industry. And the best way to do so is to be a part of a ServiceNow community like NowTribe that fosters engagement and knowledge sharing.
NowTribe not only lets you collaborate with professionals but also helps you access training and learning pathways. It’s the best place to go if you have questions about how to become a ServiceNow developer or which certification path to take to thrive in the ServiceNow ecosystem.
Best Practices for Customization
- Start with impactful and simple customizations, then progressively expand
- Make certain that your customizations are intuitive and offer adequate training to encourage engagement
- Design and implement customizations while considering potential future upgrades to prevent any issues
- Make sure to record your customizations for future reference and upkeep carefully
Wrapping Up
By adhering to the best practices, you can successfully tailor ServiceNow to fit your organization’s workflows. A carefully customized ServiceNow workflow with a sound workflow strategy can greatly boost efficiency, improve user satisfaction, and enable your organization to reach its strategic objectives.
