What is our primary use case?
ServiceNow has evolved beyond just a service desk. They offer configurable workflows that are applicable to multiple parts of the business, putting them closer to something like Salesforce Lightning, where many custom solutions can be built.
We use it for workflow management within certain business functions, and some customers use it across their operations and engineering lifecycles. It's a pretty good tool.
How has it helped my organization?
ServiceNow Now Platform improved our incident response times. Earlier, the service desk team would catch and dispatch incidents from ServiceNow to various resolver groups.
We needed a lot of follow-up outside the platform to get issues resolved. With customizable workflows for different business functions, we track incidents entirely on the Now Platform (assuming workflows are well configured).
This leads to a 25-35% improvement in process flow. Plus, having multiple departments on the platform gives us a single view of where we need to optimize.
What is most valuable?
The ability to create custom workflows is the best part. Other platforms like Microsoft Power Platform have similar features, but ServiceNow's focus on service management means we can reuse standardized components. That's a significant advantage.
We leverage other technologies on top of the Now Platform to handle the AI components. For example, we integrate Azure OpenAI and AWS AI to build an additional layer on top of ServiceNow.
The integration feature has simplified our multi-tool ecosystem. The inbuilt integrations significantly improve our solution delivery timelines. Also, standardized adapters and integration adapters reduce failure rates due to compatibility. This boosts productivity and eases maintenance.
What needs improvement?
Currently, it's very technologically complex and requires IT specialists to fully understand the platform's potential. The user experience and usage perspective should be simplified for wider adoption, especially in smaller organizations.
So, simplifying the user interface for both users and administrators is key. It is not very intuitive.
In my experience, learning the tool takes months. Even then, it often requires a few years of on-the-job experience before users become fully comfortable. Newer tools on the market address the complexity issue ServiceNow faces, as its legacy base can be a limitation.
Also, pricing can be a barrier for smaller organizations. With the rapid advancements in cloud-based technologies, particularly generative AI, ServiceNow may need to revisit its pricing to stay competitive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used it on and off for about four or five years but more consistently for the past seven. I've been both a user and a leader who provides services using ServiceNow to other enterprises.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. It is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. So far, scalability has supported our business growth.
The templates and workflows have really helped, allowing us to scale quickly. Even when we have to configure some things, it's manageable.
We are a larger enterprise, so we've got around 8,000 to 10,000 users. Then there's our admin team of roughly 100 and 150 people doing customer support.
We also offer Now Platform as a service to other customers. we have around 10,000 to 15,000 people providing customer services to other customers on the Now Platform.
How are customer service and support?
ServiceNow Now Platform scaled pretty rapidly, but with the number of customers it handle and certain complex aspects, it can take many weeks to optimally resolve a problem due to communication challenges between teams.
The main thing with most legacy software is that it's built for a specific purpose. Now, Platform was originally incident management software, and it's been scaled into other areas, such as IT service management.
The user interfaces and modules are still similar across functions. Simplifying the user interfaces and reducing complexity – maybe better UX/UI – could be helpful.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
I would rate my experience with the initial setup a seven out of ten, with ten being easy for this product.
Large enterprises prefer it within a private controlled instance. Various smaller enterprises are okay with a cloud instance. As controls improve and more people move towards the cloud, that's becoming the more typical deployment method.
The deployment time depends on the complexity of the use cases, processes, departments, and the size of the enterprise. It can range from a few weeks to a few months.
What was our ROI?
We have seen good ROI. We're a larger-scale company offering Now Platform as a service, so it's given us ROI over the years.
However, with newer technologies and solutions emerging, especially with generative AI transforming service management, we're also evaluating other options.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being very expensive solution.
There are other solutions in the market that might be better suited for simpler use cases.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
ServiceNow Now Platform is the preferred tool for most companies, although Freshdesk is gaining ground due to cost advantages.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend understanding the business requirements clearly. It's best to optimally configure the platform optimally and use only the features they need. This can help align the price with the requirements.
Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten because there are many new-gen solutions that are coming, which are very agile and quite easy to configure now.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.