ServiceNow is a pretty popular platform among IT management companies, and it is rightfully so. ServiceNow can reduce a lot of the manual work that was previously highly hectic. However, with the introduction of ServiceNow and other such platforms, all manual work is now eliminated. It is converted into simple tasks automated by workflows powered by artificial intelligence.

Due to this fact, the ServiceNow platform has limitless options and opportunities to ensure a system that works to make any organization’s proceedings a lot smoother. However, even in this day and age, many companies and institutions fail to recognize this and do not acknowledge the accessibility and usefulness of such platforms. As a result, they fall behind compared to the other companies using such platforms to enhance their consumer experience.

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ServiceNow Common Mistakes and Their Solutions

Here are the top five ServiceNow mistakes along with the solutions so that you can avoid them

1. Bringing in too much data

When different organizations embark on their journey of using service now as a platform to help assist them in their work, they create one major problem. That problem is adding so much data onto their ServiceNow integration that it becomes more of a problem than a solution to their manual work, which was hectic.

There are a lot of companies that tend to be overambitious when they are integrating ServiceNow with their organization and systems. There is indeed a lot of data, and the universe is full of it that can be used and utilized in a manner that can be efficient. However, there are several problems with it.

Adding data that is not going to be used

First of all, when you upload this much data onto the ServiceNow platform you will be using, there is no plan present in a place that can use that data for good use. It can cause irritating problems down the line. When there are no plans to use the data, it becomes obsolete over time because it is not being used for efficient processes and solutions.

May produce inaccurate outcomes

As a result, the ServiceNow platform, which the company initially introduced within that organization to have a smoother experience of proceedings, becomes a problem itself. When so much data is uploaded to the ServiceNow platform that your organization is using, It will produce inaccurate outcomes and further problems.

Put a clear plan

So, to solve this problem, all we have to do is put a clear plan and strategize what type of data we will be uploading onto the platform for our organization. Make sure that every piece of information we upload onto the platform has a specific need to create a smoother experience for both the employees and the customers.

The data you are going to introduce onto the ServiceNow platform must be used with a proper plan that has already been in place before uploading that detailed data so that consultant can manage it efficiently.

Upload only the basic information initially

So initially, when you are integrating your organization with the ServiceNow platform, it is ideal to upload only the basic information that is fundamental to your proceedings within that organization. It will help you determine what other additional information you need to get the process running in a much smoother manner than it initially was.

2. Creating functionalities that weren’t required

Another common mistake is that new companies who were trying to integrate ServiceNow platforms within their organization commit. When new organizations add this particular software to their organization to create results that would eventually benefit the company, they create many functionalities.

Rather than taking one step at a time to jump the stairs, they fall. Whenever you try to integrate complex software such as ServiceNow onto your organization, it is best advised that you walk slowly and take one step at a time. Organizations usually think that since now they have integrated their platform with the ServiceNow application, all of the problems they previously faced must vanish with a snap of fingers.

May lead to over-complexity

However, this is not possible overnight, and it is something that may require time. This approach can become problematic for the organizations, but it also can lead to over-complexity within their platform, which is why the company had introduced ServiceNow that it would make things simpler.

It creates problems for the organization over time, but it has also been noticed that these unnecessary functionalities that have been created are not needed at all. They are creating a hindrance to the smoother experience they introduced the platform for, but they are also not addressing the issues faced by the organization’s end-users.

Upload only the required functionalities

The solution to this problem is quite simple if you look at its root. When you are running an organization, it is best advised that you customize those integrations around the priorities and the problems faced by your end-users.

They are the primary reason you are using this software to smooth things out, and if there are too many functionalities that are not required but are making the system more complex, it creates further problems for the end-users. That’s not a good thing because end-users must always be comfortable with all functionalities and eventually have a smoother experience with the organization.

Take the feedback from the end-users

Keeping all this in mind, you must consult the people facing the problems directly and integrate those specific points around the customized integrations you will use on the ServiceNow platform. So, you must take into consideration the problems that are being faced by your end users and customize your current integrations for the service now platform in a defined manner.

Another piece of advice would be to create several integrations for your end-users before you arrive at the final one, which would most definitely be the best customization for your consumers because it has been tried and tested.

3. Overly customizing the platform.

It is common for a particular person in an organization to try to take control of the platform all by himself. When they try to take control of that particular integration all by themselves and try to make amends in it by adding several customizations, it eventually becomes a personal goal for them which should have been teamwork.

Only a single person doing the integration

When a single person creates such integrations, that single tends to over-customize that particular integration, leading to several problems. The primary problem is that when a single person does this and it takes control of that particular integration, not only does he over-customize the integrations.

The end-users who will experience this might not be able to notice the flaws at first sight; however, the integrations will be fundamentally flawed. It is inevitable because it is not teamwork but rather a single person handling the maintenance all by himself.

This sort of behavior is encouraged because rather than explaining to the person who took control of that particular customization why it is a problem doing it alone, it is somewhat encouraged by looking at the person who took control as a sort of hero.

Difficult for the other person to understand the overly customized integration

This behavior is applauded which is something that encourages other IT professionals and leads to disaster. The secondary problem that any organization faces when working is when that particular architect who took control of that integration leaves. The company cannot hire another person to maintain that platform because it is so overly customized that only the person who seized control would be able to do it.

Not let only a single person take over the complete control

Therefore, the solution to this problem is not to let a single person take over and complete integration. Instead, ServiceNow IT professionals must make any customizations with the consent of an entire team.

So that flaws are minimized, and automated processes are used as much as possible rather than the work of own human customizations.  This way, if an architect leaves the team, the other team members will be able to maintain that platform and make changes or configurations to it if need be.

4. They are not acknowledging the efforts of the ServiceNow integration consultant.

Often when a company hires a ServiceNow consultant, they think of that person as an implementer rather than a leader of that particular integration. The leaders of the internal management of that particular organization indeed understand the priorities of their end-users and the company in a more in-depth manner as compared to a ServiceNow integration consultant.

The problem with this is that the company leaders then do not value the advice given by the ServiceNow consultant. IT professionals can customize the ServiceNow platform in myriad ways and manners. Even though there are many ways that ServiceNow consultants can integrate customizations into the platform, it is not a very good idea to do so every time.

Listen to the highly trained and skillful integration consultants

Integration consultants are highly trained and skillful people who can understand whether particular customization to that integration is necessary or unnecessary. They can make these judgments because of their years of experience in implementing different customizations for companies they have worked with before.

Therefore, the solution to this problem is that when working with a ServiceNow consultant, it is best to listen to their advice and heed it. On the other hand, if you think that particular customization is not needed for your company, and the ServiceNow integration consultant is offering his recommendations on that particular movement.

Devise a strategic plan

Then it is advised that you find common ground between the two and devise a strategic plan to implement particular customization. It is the only way you can progress and not make things even more complicated than they are because this is a problem that often happens at our fault without us realizing it.

5. Making the wrong choice and selection of integration consultant

Often when companies are trying out on the service now platform, it is seen that the initial person they had chosen to integrate the software with their organization is also the same person who the organization chose for the implementation of those particular customizations.

Lack of experience and skillset required

It is problematic because the person who has chosen to implement ServiceNow into their organization often does not have enough experience integrating service with the organization. Keep in mind that implementation of the service now platform and integration of that platform are two very different things and require different skills.

Choose an expert

Therefore, it is best advised that you choose a person who understands and has a knack for implementing and integrating the ServiceNow platform. However, if his expertise is lacking in either of them, then you should hire another person who is an expert in either implementing or integrating the ServiceNow platform.

Conclusion

So if you address these five problems, we will be on the right track to implementing and integrating the systems offered by the ServiceNow platform within any organization. We have to keep in mind that including so much data that it becomes obsolete over time is unnecessary and can create several problems and inaccurate solutions to the problems that a company’s problems.

Creating functionalities that are not needed will also create problems over time. It will lead to several problems that will be difficult to eradicate because you have to repeatedly go to the root of the problem.

Overly customizing the platform is another issue that most companies face. Therefore, it is imperative that when you are hiring an IT professional, you must supervise the individual customizations being done by that professional and assign a team to him so that they can look after the work if that person leaves.

Acknowledging the efforts of the IT professional who integrated the customizations with your organization is also crucial so that they are given the do value they are rightful. Making the correct choice of the integration consultant is also essential. After all, you have to understand that implementation and integration of the ServiceNow platforms are two different things and must not be taken under a single roof because it will create Thousands of problems. These problems will cost you your time and your resources for the organization.