SNC Development

STEP 1: PRE-PLANNING: 

Get to know the tool you’ve just purchased and the resources available to you and your organization.

• Research IT! For tips on learning ServiceNOW and/or resources available. Review my post “5 Steps To Learning ServiceNOW, NOW!”
• Use IT! Most customers who’ve purchased ServiceNow will have at least a PROD and DEV instance available for there organization. If you’d like to stay away from using your DEV instance for playtime; then my recommendations would be to either navigate to the ServiceNow DEMO site or ServiceNow Developer site.
• Populate IT! Get your stakeholders on-board and in the tool.

STEP 2: PLAN

1. Make Sure Everyone Understands and Agrees on Strategy. 
2. Identify, Examine, and Correct Process Gaps (Where You Can)
   1. Before you start a “project” to implement ServiceNow take a few steps back and really examine your supporting cast. You wouldn’t build a house without making sure the foundation was solid. Well the same goes for implementing ServiceNow. Yes, ServiceNow is a powerful platform for your business but its not the genie in the lamp and you don’t get three wishes!
   2. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!
3. Communication is the KEY!
   1. People need to understand “Why”
      1. Send out a community newsletter or set up regular town hall meetings with users so they understand project items and goals.
   2. Schedule internal workshops
   3. Establish internal user groups
      1. These groups should meet at least twice a week for starters and then twice a month post GO-Live for enhancements and improvements.
   4. Groups should be made up of stakeholders from various business areas and titles.
      1. HR, HR Manager
      2. IT Finance, IT Associate
   5. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!
      1. Train users to be internal SME for “X Group” and empower them train this groups users
4. Assign A Business Analyst and Project Manager 
   1. This may seem like a no brainer but I cant begin to tell you how many projects I’ve been on where the client decided NOT to have a BA or PM assigned and label themselves as BAPM along with Project Sponsor, while you might be able to get away with this for small projects isolated to just your group of 5 people. This is a bad idea when we are typically talking about supporting and coordination efforts for multiple groups all while you do your day to day duties.
   2. Below are a few more reasons I’d recommend assigning a BA and PM to project team
      1. Conduct, Collect Analysis, Assist with training and testing procedures.
      2. Communicate with Stakeholders
      3. Schedule the work
      4. Manage time
      5. Manage Project Risks
      6. Handle Procurement issues
      7. Closure of Project
   3. Interview stakeholders at all levels not just IT team.
      1. After initial interviews have been completed establish a cadence for regular check ins with these stakeholders to ensure project success beyond GO-LIVE.
      2. Ensure interview representation covers all effected business areas.
      3. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!
5. Start Small; Small wins NOW pay big dividends later
   1. Immature IT Organizations:
      1. Defined as having multiple asset process libraries, where none are the organizational standard.
      2. Start with Incident and Problem, only adding Change Management once you’ve completed and fully understand processes in place and those where you see opportunity for improvement.
   2. Mature IT Organizations:
      1. Defined as having established and defined process standards that are accepted and followed organizational wide.
      2. Start with Incident, Problem, Change, and Configuration (Business Services)
   3. REMEMBER–Every Step is a Training Opportunity! This is your opportunity to enhance or replace ineffective and/or inefficient processes and provide a superior level of service to your customers.
6. Leverage Templates: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you can simply improve its performance.

   1. 

      Understand and leverage best practices – ITSM, ServiceNow, and/or COBIT

   2. The terms “OOB” or “Baseline” should be removed from your Project language, its simply not a reality. Every project has its own requirements and unique situations which require organizations to customize even a little bit.
      1. You can use these to start
         1. BASE LDAP INFORMATION
         2. SETTING UP A LOCAL MID-SERVER
         3. sys_user_group
            
         4. Incident Management Requirements Dictionary (ServiceNow)
   3. Every Step is a Training Opportunity! Your Implementation is only as good as the processes its supporting and the people supporting them.

EXCERPT FROM PART 2: HOW TO DRIVE A SUCCESSFUL SERVICENOW IMPLEMENTATION

Step 3: Build

1. Now that we have our Plan taken care of lets starting BUILD!
   1. For Starters; I’d recommend activating the SDLC/SCRUM Plugins within ServiceNow.
   2. Example – Project Plan “Build“
   3. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!

Step 4: Test

1. Establish regression testing tools and processes
2. UAT – Plan Documentation
3. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!

Step 5: Deploy

1. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!

Step 6: Support

1. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!

Step 7 : Training 

1. Send System Administrators to ServiceNow System Administrator Training.
2. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!

Step 8: Post Implementation Review

1. Every Step is a Training Opportunity!

ABOUT ME

I am an Independent ServiceNow Consultant, SME, Engagement Manager, Developer, System Admin, Trainer & documentation expert, and the Principal Consultant for EcoStratus Technologies. We Specialize in ServiceNow utilization beyond IT and across the enterprise.

I have more than 15 years experience within complex enterprise IT environments, 50+ successful ServiceNow implementations across various industries and have trained more than 400+ ServiceNow System Admin.

I am a focused self-starter who is passionate about technology, happy customers, and driving continued customer success by understanding customer requirements, promoting a full view of products/services within ServiceNow portfolio as a trusted advisor and then follow it up with the right mix of tenacity, ingenuity, and integrity resulting in deeper relationships, extension of ServiceNow throughout customer ecosystem, higher retention rates, and increased customer satisfaction scores.

SERVICENOW, ITIL, AND PMI CERTIFICATIONS:
* ServiceNow Knowledge 14 & 15 Trainer
* Certified ServiceNow System Admin, Implementation Specialist, and System Admin Trainer
* Certified ITILv3 Foundations, RCA, and OSA
* Certified PMI CAPM

How to contact me: ——– Send me a LinkedIn message or use Contact sheet below.