The Only ServiceNow Go-Live Checklist You Will Need

The ServiceNow platform empowers organizations to establish top-notch services, provide user-friendly experiences, and boost customer satisfaction. However, businesses looking to leverage the platform’s full capabilities and maximize results need to design and execute the right deployment strategy. Therefore, organizations should begin their journey by creating a ServiceNow go-live checklist that promotes a strategic approach to implementation.

This article outlines critical inclusions on that checklist and explains why each step is necessary for a successful launch.

The ServiceNow Go-Live Checklist

One of the most common (and damaging) pitfalls in a ServiceNow deployment is jumping into implementation without first devising a plan. Organizations might consider taking the following steps to avoid the repercussions of a rushed and unthoughtful process:

1. Communicate With Team Members to Get a Clear Idea of What Success Looks Like

Employee adoption is crucial for a successful ServiceNow integration, and organizations should be transparent with team members about its adoption.

Management teams might consider implementing training sessions that:

• Highlight why the integration is beneficial to the business
• Teach employees how to identify the correct features for a given task
• Explain how team contributions via ServiceNow affect:
  •  Implementation
  • Workflows
  • Change management
  • Service management

Lastly, businesses should inform employees about upcoming system changes, why they are necessary, and how the disruptions will impact their workdays.

2. Develop an Implementation Strategy

Organizations should undertake ServiceNow implementations strategically rather than rushing to deploy the solution with no predetermined long-term plan.

First, businesses might define ServiceNow’s specific responsibilities and the anticipated strategic value it will provide. This process can help organizations:

• Develop their vision
• Identify that vision’s significant drivers
• Predict outcomes
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs)

Next, management should constantly monitor implementation progress, identify unexpected deviations, and conduct gap analyses between current and essential competencies.

Lastly, organizations should implement comprehensive ServiceNow change management processes to monitor how these ongoing alterations impact business operations.

3. Promote Agility

ServiceNow can universally integrate into current operations and offers extensive tailoring options. However, excessive tailoring can make the project prohibitively tricky. As such, organizations should personalize their ServiceNow solutions based on:

• Front-to-back lifecycle project management
• Current workflows
• ITSM and CSM industry standards

ServiceNow advocates agile platform implementation to support ever-changing company needs and achieve rapid user adoption. Agile implementation is a more efficient, tried-and-true methodology than other time-consuming methods.

After designing their plans, organizations should use agile implementation methods to preserve platform flexibility and allow for future alterations. It entails gathering requirements, capturing relevant data, and allowing real-time data mapping on tools to generate the appropriate metrics and validations. Instant configuration and reporting can assist the business in identifying and resolving issues as soon as they arise, promoting process-wide success.

4. Establish a Governance Plan

Processes will gradually deteriorate without regulation, meaning that organizations must hold team members responsible for their daily operations. They might consider establishing business goals, controlling objectives, and ensuring that teams meet both benchmarks.

Businesses should also determine which programs and processes support each objective, potentially necessitating a priority list that identifies which process/application goes live on the ServiceNow platform.

Management should also be mindful of stakeholder participation in the transition process to ensure more seamless business operations. After ServiceNow goes live, connected and unified team management can help prevent disruptions and unpredictable difficulties. A disconnected and uninformed stakeholder group might generate obstacles and inefficient cost escalations during future platform adjustments.

5. Work with an Experienced ServiceNow Provider

Finding an experienced and trustworthy ServiceNow provider can be challenging for organizations unfamiliar with the platform. However, employing the right development team might be crucial to a successful implementation.

Any provider should include a broad group of experienced and talented experts who can fill the assigned tasks and complete the project timely and efficiently. The critical roles that any development team should consider when upgrading or implementing ServiceNow include:

• Implementation consulting
• Engagement management
• End-to-end development
• Quality control testing
• Technical project management

Create and Execute the Best Checklist for Your Business

ServiceNow plays a critical role in simplifying work processes, streamlining workflows, and creating excellent employee and customer experiences. Electing to invest in the platform can be a terrific business decision that puts your organization on a course for success in the long run.

However, creating and executing the proper ServiceNow go-live checklist is critical in launching that campaign, and doing it the right way typically requires the guidance of an experienced ServiceNow provider, like Cask.

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