ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management Reviews

The main use cases of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management are project management and resource management. For example, resource management includes tracking the billing rate of architects, product owners, tech leads, or developers, which will be part of resource management. By using the rate card, it associates with a project to determine overall project costing and generates status reports. There's a proper format where Microsoft PowerPoint is used for presentations, and ServiceNow can generate a similar status report.

Additionally, onboarding projects from other tools such as Microsoft Project Planner into ServiceNow is a use case, including exporting Excel files for use in Microsoft Project Planner.

The integration of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management with other ServiceNow modules improves workflow efficiency by calculating overall project costs associated with vendor management. Each vendor is responsible for multiple projects, and costs can be derived from the project, asset, or contractual portfolio.

ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management integrates with the SLM, vendor management, and the contract management modules. When I open a vendor workspace, I can see associated costs, and in the CSDM implementation, services can be tagged against a project for better tracking. This process integration includes project portfolio management, CSDM, vendor management, and contract management.

The complete ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management suite is used for strategic alignment, allowing us to track projects, portfolios, costs, and vendors to make informed decisions based on project tasks. While I may not be able to specify exact strategic outcomes from the SPM, the overall cost can be reduced by eliminating scattered tools such as JIRA and Microsoft Project Planner, which were onboarded into a single platform for multiple processes in ServiceNow, especially with CSDM that offers services-based alignment.

The impact of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management's analytics and reporting features on decision-making processes includes utilizing reports based on milestones during project implementations.

Some tasks can be delayed or not aligned with requirements, such as in agile-based projects where features such as Sprint Burndown Charts are monitored. Reports can be fetched from SPM showing if milestones have been achieved, allowing for course corrections based on metrics indicating whether they are on track.

Based on observations, improvements in ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management could involve enhancing the project workbench, which currently shows every project to any project manager. Restricting access through ACLs for project managers can be cumbersome, so a portfolio or program workbench that avoids ACL requirements would enhance usability.

Additionally, the recommended export and import functionality could be developed into a real-time scenario to allow seamless data synchronization without manual interventions. Lastly, templating project status reports to cater to various project types such as AMS, Agile, or Waterfall could simplify usage across projects.

Technical support from ServiceNow is good, as the HI ticket system is available for any module, including SPM. A client manager is also available for specific use cases, ensuring good support from the technical side.

Positive

I would recommend ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management to others. My first impressions of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management are good because I am learning. I am enjoying using the platform. The solution deserves a rating of 8 out of 10.

We started off using ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management as an ITSM tool for workforce integrations, workflows, and creating integrations with other systems such as Microsoft Teams to give updates on different tickets that we have.

We create reports and dashboards based on the number of tickets that we receive on a day-to-day basis.

ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management has given us much more visibility and integration with different systems, and I would rate that an eight.

The Flow Designer is particularly fascinating, because anyone who is not experienced in coding could start creating automated workflows within ServiceNow.

I don't have a comment on what areas of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management could be improved or enhanced, which may be because we're not utilizing it properly.

I found the documentation difficult to figure out the basics of how it works. If the documentation could be improved to make understanding the basics easier, that would be beneficial, as I had to search through different videos and multiple places to find information.

Regarding stability and reliability, I would rate it a nine.

I have not faced any outages or downtime with ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management.

Based on my experience, while I am unsure about how scalable ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management is, it is very adaptable, and I would rate that an 8.5.

I have not communicated with the technical support of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management.

I used the ServiceNow documentation that's available on the portal to navigate through the product.

Neutral

There are other tools in the market, such as Freshdesk, and the user integration is even easier and quicker for somebody who doesn't code, which is why I gave a slightly lower rating.

I have experience with many tools that were mentioned, but at the moment, I don't have additional feedback.

I do not use ServiceNow's Demand Management or resource allocation on the platform.

I do not use any financial management tools of ServiceNow.

I was not involved in the pricing of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management, but I think it's reasonably priced.

I have rated ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management a 9 out of 10.

We have a lot of services and projects running, and our clients need to align these projects from the innovation phase. They start with an idea and align it with their strategy. Then, they orchestrate the teams performing these solutions or completing these projects so that they can finalize the projects and measure their performance.

The alignment feature between projects from the idea phase until it is finalized is highly valuable. The ability to measure efforts in terms of money and resources is beneficial. Moreover, aligning the portfolio with overall strategy and goals is essential for success. Resource management is another critical component. These features are instrumental in managing business investments effectively.

Improving configuration activities and productivity would be beneficial, as fresh graduates using the system require training to adapt. Additional online help or materials would ease the configuration process. Furthermore, the integration of artificial intelligence is something my customer is considering for future upgrades.

I have used ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management for around six months within the last twelve months.

The solution is stable. I would rate its stability as nine. We have not faced any complaints or issues with its performance.

The solution's scalability is rated as nine. Scalability is critical for our clients as they deal with numerous projects and changes. It helps in managing the pipeline efficiently.

I received support from system integrators rather than directly from ServiceNow. However, support is accessible for urgent needs, although they should improve vendor compliance to align with ServiceNow's strategy.

Neutral

The initial setup is rated as seven. It requires vendor support, as the integration process isn't simple enough for the team to handle alone. Additional online resources could simplify the process.

We worked with system integrators for implementation. Proper identification of necessary customer features was essential to ensure cost-effectiveness.

The pricing is rated six, as it's relatively low-medium compared to other solutions. However, the value isn't fully justified when not all features are used. A pricing model adjustment is needed for better alignment with customer usage.

I rate the overall experience with ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management as eight. The pricing model should be adjusted to fit the user's needs better. It would be beneficial for them to consider how features are priced according to usage. I rate the overall solution as eight out of ten.

We define business strategic goals in the latest SPM. Last year, the new ITBM was changed to SPM, and we have updated to SPM accordingly. We align our demands towards the business strategies and goals. Additionally, we are integrating APM with SPM, linking our applications to understand the priority and business value of each application.

The new feature includes different lenses, like the organizational lens or project manager lens, allowing us to view data through various perspectives. Previously, the journey started with demand, project, and idea management. Now, strategies and goals are aligned with demands and partners, making it a strategic approach for the enterprise. What was once an operational tool focused on maintaining the project center has evolved into a strategic tool. The introduction of objectives and strategic goals is a game changer.

SPM is definitely strong for project management, but its finance capabilities are not as robust. While there is a separate Financial Management product, it would be beneficial to have more out-of-the-box support for finance integrations within SPM. I’m not suggesting replacing systems like SAP for finance, but there should be better support for financial integrations. Currently, connecting to SaaS solutions is complicated, and getting into detailed financial calculations is challenging. Forecasting is manageable, but handling actual financials is not as straightforward. 

The finance area needs improvement, specifically making finance application integrations easier. Generic finance capabilities should be more user-friendly and integrated into SPM. Although they have started this journey, it hasn’t been fully released yet. There seems to be a roadmap, and once complete, it will be very useful. Additionally, incorporating a Q&A feature for entire strategies or project demands and enhancing text analytics within SPM would be beneficial.

I have been using ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management for over eight years.

I rate the solution’ scalability a six out of ten. 

In the workspaces, some features are not working well, particularly the UI actions. When migrating from legacy UI actions to the new workspace available in SPM, there are technical issues and some actions are not supported. Since the workspace feature is relatively new, it still needs to mature.

We develop the software instances, and once it is stabilized, we move to the integration instance. From there, we progress from development to testing, and finally to production.

The deployment process takes around four months to complete.

I rate the deployment process as six out of ten.

Any initiatives or scenarios can be effectively managed and controlled using the new dashboards and workspaces. The workspaces provide a clear vision for managing and controlling various initiatives, including cross-functional and cross-departmental efforts. Users can handle multiple tasks in the same window using tab structures, and the navigation menus are very user-friendly. Overall, it is easy to maintain and align complete initiatives with project goals and strategic objectives from the same workspace.

We have a separate operations management team that handles deployment plans for various projects, whether it’s ITSM, HR, or others. To answer your question, clear deployment instructions need to be prepared in advance. Based on these instructions, one person can handle the deployment. However, if there are any issues, developers will need to support the process. Typically, two developers will be on call during deployment. Once a solution is deployed, it doesn’t mean it will stay unchanged. It is a continuous process requiring ongoing support and handling of upcoming work. Therefore, we always need people to support and manage the system.

I recommend the solution as It’s evolving, and the upcoming releases are much stronger than the current version. Right now, it’s in the adoption phase, so there might be some teething issues. 

Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

Neutral

I have integrated Splunk with ServiceNow as part of my work. I am a ServiceNow expert, although my knowledge of Splunk itself is limited.

The best feature is the effective reporting system for project portfolio and program management. It allows us to track tasks easily, create cost budgets for individual tasks, and is aligned with AI features. 

It's a comprehensive strategic project management tool, Agile tool, and business continuity tool. The platform consolidates multiple offerings into one module, eliminating the need to invest in siloed applications.

There is always scope for improvement. As of now, making the product more cost-beneficial would help more organizations consider investing in it.

I have been working with ServiceNow for eight years.

ServiceNow support is awesome. They have knowledgeable teams across all levels, and both their support and sales teams are fantastic.

Neutral

It's a bit costly currently. Efforts are being made to explore cost-benefit measures for investing in it.

There are many competitors offering various tools for project management, Agile, and business continuity.

I would give an eight out of ten. 

There is always room for improvement, and nothing can be truly perfect.

We primarily use ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management for demand management, resource management, and Agile Management. It's integrated with another solution where our portfolio data resides, but ServiceNow supports our information and processes enabling seamless connectivity to our portfolio. We've utilized certain aspects of the platform during this time, although not the entire range of features, focusing more on specific functionalities rather than a comprehensive implementation across all areas from idea management to HR.

The most valuable feature is the end-to-end processes, which enable us to manage strategies from start to finish. It covers idea management to implementation and beyond. Real-time analytics in ServiceNow SPM significantly support our operational decision-making processes.

The main challenge we face with SPM is its flexibility, which can sometimes lead to lengthy discussions and slow down implementation. As for improvements, integrating IT finance management tools like AppTio or Nearos would be beneficial. We already have data mining capabilities, but continuous updates and enabling of new features would be great, considering the rapid pace of DevOps advancements in the market. In terms of forward-looking analytics and comparison to tools like Power BI, there are areas that could be enhanced, especially in drill-down reporting.

It's been about four years since we began working with ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management, or SPM.

We've experienced performance issues with SPM, but the support team is quick to resolve them within a couple of weeks, making it stable overall. 

SPM is scalable, supporting around 120 users globally across multiple locations.

The technical team is highly responsive and helpful.

Positive

The setup process for SPM was complex, taking around four to five months. However, compared to today, the setup time has reduced to around three months. The maintenance is relatively easy since we stick to standard processes, minimizing the need for extensive maintenance.

Regarding ROI, we've seen improvements in time to market, which is great.

The pricing is negotiable based on the contract and licensing perspective.

The main advantage of ServiceNow SPM, from my perspective, is its end-to-end processes and integration across various functionalities on one platform, making it easy to measure from idea inception to operational implementation. However, a drawback is its excessive flexibility, which can lead to challenges in Standardisation and adaptation within the organisation.

I would recommend ServiceNow SPM to others. My advice would be to negotiate for a flexible contract initially to avoid unnecessary costs.

I would rate ServiceNow SPM as eight out of ten.

There were specific use cases. We focused on the technology portfolio, trying to understand how to reduce the impact of software end-of-life on various business services. We had to integrate the data structures associated with the technology portfolio with the CMDB to understand which applications or services would be potentially impacted if the particular hardware or software associated with them or supporting them wasn't upgraded or updated over the next few months or so, based on their technology life cycle. That's one use case that was prominent for one of our customers in the UK. We use it across programs to track and manage our requirements. The requirement management process is handled through the Requirement Application, and delivery is tracked via a separate classification.

Anything that has to do with the application and technology portfolio is important because it reduces part of your tech depth, as that is one of the parameters enabling you to identify technical depth in your organization. It has a helpful capability. The PPM module is an excellent service.

The configurations are fine, but the user interface could be improved. ServiceNow generally introduces a lot of new user interfaces, workspaces, and other features. There is room for improvement, especially in bringing certain information together, such as persona-based information. Certain prebuilt configurations or dashboards could also help speed up the deployment of this service. The technical support could be improved.

I have used ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management as a partner for a year.

I rate the solution’s stability a seven or eight out of ten.

The scalability varies because we mostly deploy in customer environments. Our organization doesn’t use ServiceNow, as we only provide services. I work with some large enterprises where a few hundred users could manage the infrastructure across various IT departments. It is between 200-500 users. We serve clients of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. I rate the solution’s scalability an eight or nine out of ten.

The solution is an evolving strategic portfolio manager. It is part of an evolving landscape. Every organization has big challenges, and different customer challenges vary greatly. When the generic model caters to most of those challenges, specific use cases may require a good understanding and depth of the customer's perspective. However, we sometimes see a lack of technical support, as it is often more specific to what the product offers rather than how to tweak it to meet the customer's needs. This means there may not be a clear definition of progressing and addressing the customer's scenario. That is a challenge that we typically address, but we do not get extended support around the product.

Neutral

If you understand the CSDM, a framework of ServiceNow, it could take around three or four months to learn. It is not the easiest because you need to tie into the other data structures of the platform. Therefore, it is not the most straightforward topic for any developer, but you must access the platform. You need to understand the data structure, do some analysis, and know where it fits into the puzzle. You need to understand the CSDM well before leveraging the best of those capabilities. Deployment takes anywhere from one to two quarters, depending on the scope of the implementation. If you are covering multiple products, etc., it will take longer. If you have the necessary information to leverage, your application and technology portfolio will be much easier to integrate. It takes time, typically between one and two quarters or around three to six months. From an implementation perspective, we need a team of around five to six people for deployment. From a stakeholder perspective, we need a team of around ten people. I rate the solution’s setup a four out of ten.

The solution is expensive. In addition to the standard license cost, we may require specific applications, especially from an orchestration standpoint or additional plugins. Some of these plugins are provided by ServiceNow themselves, while others are not. If you purchase an app from a vendor partner or the partner ecosystem, that could be an extra cost. The additional cost could be where no standard applications are involved, and you need to build it from the ground up using a Greenfield approach. The utilization of ServiceNow as a product generally pertains to the license and the implementation or purchase of additional plugins. I rate the solution’ pricing a seven or eight out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Currently, based on our scope, we are mainly using Customer Service Management (CSM) and the IT Service Management (ITSM) part.

There is room for improvement in customer service and support in terms of response time.

Another area of improvement is pricing costs.

In future releases, I would like to see more AI and machine learning concepts to make the processes easier and more efficient.

I have been using this solution for 18 years. I am using it in my company, and I also recommend it to my customers. I've worked with ServiceNow in nine to ten different companies as a consultant. 

Currently, I've joined another company where we extensively use ServiceNow for in-house operations.

The solution is pretty stable.

It is a scalable product. It's more suitable for larger companies as the licensing cost is relatively high. Not everyone can afford this tool.

The technical support is pretty good. ServiceNow has consistently provided excellent assistance.

Competence is good; I haven't found any issues there. However, there could be a slight improvement in response speed.

Positive

I've used BMC remediation, FreshWorks, and a couple of other ITSM tools, but that was a long time ago.

I'm exclusively using ServiceNow, so it's mainly focused on ServiceNow.

The setup is a bit complex. It depends on the organizational needs, and sometimes, we make customizations based on those needs. 

However, it can be challenging during upgrades due to the customizations. There are various features, configurations, occasional server errors, and complex module setups. Adapting the out-of-the-box features to the organization's requirements can also be a little complex.

So, the setup's complexity is okay, but it is not straightforward.

In my experience, it typically takes one to two months to set up the complete flow, depending on the requirements.

The solution is too pricey with the market demand, although it could be more affordable. However, it makes sense considering the market demand.

We have a quarterly subscription for licensing. There might be additional fees for maintenance or support.

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

We use the solution for strategic management. We use the solution to plan the organization level to plan the overall picture or the KPI of the organization. Then, they decide on the management and the department's projects or department resources to align with their organization's directions.

Information management is very beneficial for our customers.

If the customer has accurate information and the vendor implements it correctly, the customer should gain a clear overview of their organization's strategic direction and current performance. If they need to adjust resources or focus more on dynamic KPIs, using the appropriate tools will make this process more convenient. They can review the planned outcomes they aim to achieve in their projects or KPIs and compare them to the results.

If we have enough information, we can address issues from the cloud to the top level of the organization. This allows us to see if our resources are being allocated properly from an executive perspective. 

Their packages often include advanced features, typically offered in Standard, Professional, and Enterprise tiers. New or advanced features are usually available only in the Professional and Enterprise packages, which require customers to pay significantly more.

I have been using ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management as a reseller for one year. We use the latest version of the solution.

I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.

It is suitable for medium enterprises. Everything tends to work well for the customer if it's properly configured and implemented and the right information is provided to the system.

I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.

The initial setup is easy. I rate it a nine out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.

The pricing is average. They always have some extra options to add.

I rate the product’s pricing a six out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

In SysML solutions, it's common for this to be just one module. When used with other modules in ServiceNow, they can function as a unified platform for the organization. All the data is in the same data model, making it easy to use other modules and expand across the organization.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.