Taking the step towards a ServiceNow instance transition has many benefits, including saving on maintenance costs, reducing upgrades and effort, getting the most out of ServiceNow, and the opportunity for continuous improvement. However, change is not always easy. Organizations first need to decide if they’re ready to make the transition and if the benefits outweigh the costs.
As a Chief Tech Marketing Officer, Anca Acatrinei has had the opportunity to interact with many customers and partners, which has allowed her to learn about the challenges that organizations face today. Whether it’s specific technologies or important decisions around specific platforms, change is viewed through different lenses and can be difficult to accept.
This is why, after selecting the right tool for your organization, Anca says it is critical to also choose the right implementation provider. In this article, we’ll discuss how a ServiceNow instance transition happens and how to approach it to make change easier.
Before we dive into the details, let’s make sure we’re familiar with some important terminology:
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ServiceNow Instance Transition: Process and Technology
Anca believes that “there are three essential aspects that every organization needs to keep in mind when deciding on ServiceNow instance transition: people, process, and technology”. She continues with “This framework has been in use for more than 60 years for a reason: it provides a full picture of the transition’s scope and it’s designed to increase employee and tool efficiency. Leave out one of these elements, and the transition will not be successful.”
To better understand ABIT Puresoft’s approach when implementing a new version of ServiceNow, let’s take a closer look at each element.
Process and technology: This involves connecting the existing ServiceNow version with the new one. It’s important to ensure that the data is in sync, and the out-of-the-box processes are agreed upon with the various process owners.
Onboarding fulfiller user groups: Next, we onboard the first fulfiller user group – those who work on ServiceNow backend and solve tickets for end-users. This onboarding can only be done once the data available in the old version is also available in the new version, meaning the complete migration of tickets and processes to the new ServiceNow environment.
Onboarding larger user groups: The following steps involve onboarding even larger user groups and transitioning the integrations between the old ServiceNow and various partners or suppliers.
Migrating end-users: Lastly, we migrate the end-users to the new version. It’s important that the end-users – also called portal users – continue to focus on their core business, as this is the purpose of ServiceNow: supporting the day-to-day operations of an organization. In order to keep the transition’s impact as minimal as possible, we make sure to deploy the new version when all other technology-related aspects are ready.
Because the old ServiceNow environment might need to stay open for a while due to HR and compliance regulations, access to it can be heavily restricted. That way, we also ensure the company-wide adoption of the new ServiceNow version.
ServiceNow Instance Transition: People
As for the people side of migration, this is where we make sure that the internal and external end-users actually know how to use the system, through communication, training, and stakeholder management.
From our past experience with ServiceNow implementation, we know that timely communication is vital, so we share information with the client as soon as it’s available. We use multiple channels to inform end-users about the change, such as communication apps and intranet.
Before the go-live, we ensure that the portal is intuitive and uses the client’s branding guidelines. A good practice here is the Pareto principle or the 80/20 rule, where 80% of users should be able to use the portal with no instructions, while the rest should be provided with minimal guidance.
Tip: Don’t try to surprise users with a completely new design, they will have a hard time adjusting to it.
ServiceNow instance transition requires careful planning and execution. By considering the essential aspects of people, process, and technology, and following best practices for communication and training, organizations can make the transition as smooth as possible and reap the benefits of ServiceNow.
If you’ve decided that now is the right time for a ServiceNow instance and have any questions about ABIT Puresoft’s approach and its benefits to your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
