How much does ServiceNow cost?

The cost of ServiceNow depends on many factors

The question from the title of this article is among the most common ones that we hear during our talks with the customers. The cost of ServiceNow is the issue that arouses great interest. One of the reasons that stands behind, is that ServiceNow does not officially publish its pricing. This is because it is changeable and dependent on many factors. Therefore, when you ask how much ServiceNow costs, we answer that it depends. To know the detailed costs of ServiceNow configuration and its implementation, the best solution is to contact our consultant. However, it is worth remembering that the final price is influenced by a number of issues that you should take into consideration. Here are the most important of them.

The cost of ServiceNow depends on what it is needed for

ServiceNow is not a single, closed system – it is a service management platform with multiple applications running on it. They are grouped into suites that respond to specific challenges and needs of the organization – such as ITSM, HR, Customer Service or IT Infrastructure and Operations Management. Most companies start to use ServiceNow software first in ITSM, and after successful implementation they decide to expand the system with new suites. So the answer to how much ServiceNow costs is hidden in the different question – what do you need ServiceNow for? When we know what problems should be solved, we can recommend specific suites for your company and determine their prices.

The cost of ServiceNow depends on the version

One suite can be available in three versions – Standard, Professional, Enterprise. They differ in the number of applications, and thus also in price. Although companies usually start their adventure with ServiceNow from the simplest version, sometimes it is different. The implementation of each version requires a similar amount of work. The Standard is a good choice when the processes in the organization are functioning and defined, but not yet developed enough to introduce full automation. Professional version allows you to use more advanced elements of ServiceNow such as AI, Virtual Agent or Robotic Process Automation.

The cost of ServiceNow depends on the license model

Each suite is licensed differently, which also affects ServiceNow pricing. There are two different licensing models. The first one is based on the number of users.

They are divided into three groups depending on their role – they are:

  • requester (user who initiates the request)
  • business stakeholder (user who accepts or rejects the request)
  • fullfiller (user who executes the request).

The requester license, unlike the others, is free. The other licensing model (used, for instance, in the IT Operations Management) is based on the number of monitored devices. The crucial step is to verify the licensing method – only knowing that, the cost of ServiceNow can be determined in a given case.

The cost of ServiceNow depends on the instance

ServiceNow is a cloud solution that offers two instances – production and non-production (development). The first one is used in the organization on a daily basis, the other is a place where you can experiment, update and change the system. New and changed configurations can be uploaded to the production instance. This division protects the system from errors and interruptions. Clients who plan a lot of changes often decide to buy an additional test instance. This also affects the final costs.

It is worth emphasizing that different ServiceNow suites can run on one instance – e.g. ITSM can function together with HR Service Delivery. As there is a separate licensing system for each module, two licenses must be purchased to give the employee access to both.

The cost of ServiceNow depends on its integration with other systems

ServiceNow integrates with external systems, such as e-mail, resource information database, users data or other databases and systems to which we transfer data. This also has an impact on implementation costs. ServiceNow offers many ready-made integrations as a part of the platform – for example in Tokyo release there are as many as 173 of them. The client has access to as many of them as it is set out in their selected package. It is worth emphasizing that to adapt ServiceNow to your needs, you usually do not need customization i.e. changing the code, but just a configuration. This solution makes it easy to upgrade the system.

The cost of ServiceNow is fixed within a monthly subscription

ServiceNow pricing is set on monthly usage. The system is available only in the subscription model. Customers usually buy ServiceNow license for 3 years. During this period of the subscription, the price remain the same. The shortest contract term is 12 months. The price of the ServiceNow subscription includes a dedicated instance of their data center – all security support, servers, network switches, firewalls, email security systems, 24/7 support, data archiving and redundancy – the customer’s instance always has a backup in another data center. The centers are built in pairs, in Europe they are in Amsterdam and Frankfurt, and in London and Dublin. The pricing also includes maintenance. As soon as an upgrade occurs, customers are entitled to the latest version of the system, and thus new functionalities in the suites they chose.

The cost of ServiceNow is a part of larger business change

Thinking about costs of ServiceNow, remember that its implementation should not be a single move, but a part of your company transformation. This system is not implemented to continue on doing what it used to be done differently, but to introduce a completely new quality. ServiceNow opens up new possibilities to replace those that no longer work. It means changing the way you work, simplifying, rebuilding and automating processes. It is a part of a larger process that is business change, with ServiceNow being the change medium. We always make our customers aware of it.

In addition to the implementation of the system, many other things should happen – such as discussion in the organization, communication, preparation for the emergence of a new tool. Thanks to it, the process of adaptation is much easier and as a result, success is more certain.

The cost of ServiceNow depends on the organizational complexity

To understand how much ServiceNow costs, you need to answer a few questions. What suite do you choose? In what version? How many of them? What is the scope of implementation? How is ongoing business change going? This is a set of questions we ask the customer before preparing a personalized offer. ServiceNow includes solutions for organizations from almost every industry. The character of business does not affect the price of the license, but it determines other things – the choice of the suite, its price and the final implementation costs (e.g. it is more complicated to implement ITSM than ERM).

The organizational complexity is also an important factor. If it has multiple departments, it is important to understand the specifics of how they work and then plan a training in each of them. This takes more time and also increases prices.

The cost of ServiceNow depends on the scope of implementation 

In SPOC, we developed implementation practices for our customers who start their adventure with ServiceNow software. Identifying the scope of implementation can be challenging. At this moment, it is worth trusting your business partner who can evaluate your organizations’s needs, offers features of the most value and plan the first phase of implementation. It is frequent that the customers, who find the opportunities of ServiceNow fascinating, decide to get too many of them at once.

We recommend getting familiar with the system at first and learning how to use it; after that, it is time to think about new requirements. Based on our experience, we prepared a fast-track way to implement ITSM tool (where usually the process of implementation of the entire system begins) at a fixed time and price. This solution is the best for all the customers who are new in the world of ServiceNow.

ServiceNow is not a cost, it is an investment

When talking about ServiceNow pricing, the question should sound differently. Instead of wondering how much the system costs, think about the benefits it is going to bring. Instead of seeing ServiceNow software as a cost, perceive it as an investment that makes your work easier and leads to significant savings of time, work and money.

Do not hesitate to contact us!

If you want to know the detailed costs of ServiceNow platform configuration and implementation for your organization, just contact us – our consultants will be happy to prepare a detailed offer.

Streamlined legal operations: unlock efficiency with a dedicated legal app 

The fast-paced digital landscape presents unique challenges for the legal practice, with a surge in case volumes, complex regulations, and the need for quick turnarounds. To meet these demands, you need to embrace cutting-edge technology. Dedicated apps built on the ServiceNow platform offer a promising avenue to enhance productivity, simplify workflows, and foster collaboration among legal professionals.

Corporate legal teams’ adoption of legal tech has gained momentum due to the exhaustion experienced in-house. According to Gartner, many organizations are cautious about increasing the headcount in their legal departments despite the growing workloads these teams face. This has led to a surge in interest regarding legal tech adoption. Gartner’s findings revealed that 68% of corporate legal attorneys struggled to manage their workloads in 2020, and the pressures have only intensified with the rise in business activity since then. 

As law firms recognize the need to alleviate the burden on their teams, adopting legal tech solutions becomes increasingly crucial. Building a great app for IoS and Android devices can empower legal teams to navigate the complexities of the digital era while improving efficiency and effectiveness in delivering legal services.

Meeting legal needs in a digital work environment with mobile apps

Legal professionals face many challenges arising from the increasing pace of technological advancements. The traditional methods and processes that once sufficed are no longer adequate to meet the demands of this interconnected era. Legal practitioners require dynamic solutions that adapt to their evolving needs and effectively support their daily tasks. Some of these challenges include the time-consuming nature of administrative tasks, which often distract lawyers from their core legal work. Additionally, the presence of multiple layers of communication and manual handovers can lead to information being lost or delayed, resulting in miscommunication and the potential for errors.

As legal professionals strive to navigate the complexities of a digital work environment and effectively manage client data, it’s imperative to embrace the transformative potential of legal apps. These innovative tools empower legal practitioners to streamline their legal practice, granting easy access to all your documents and enabling seamless completion of tasks on a mobile device. Embracing technology is no longer just a trend but an essential requirement to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. By harnessing the power of the best apps, which are tailored to the specific needs, legal professionals can overcome challenges, optimize their workflow, and deliver exceptional results for their clients.

Adam Bernaś, Chief Technology Officer – SPOC

How to transform legal workflow with a legal app?

At SPOC, we collaborated closely with our clients within the legal industry to develop dedicated apps, harnessing the robust capabilities of ServiceNow. These apps brought a transformative shift in their operations, eliminating the need for cumbersome paper-based processes. We thought that the best apps should be configured to support the secretarial teams in managing the lifecycle of tasks, reporting, feedback, and capabilities. And that is what we did! We addressed the specific challenges faced by the legal team and revolutionized their workflow:

  1. Streamlined request assignment: One of the primary pain points for the legal team was the decentralized inbox and service portal. The app provided a centralized mailbox, simplifying and automating the assignment of requests to the appropriate team members. It reduced the likelihood of misfiled tasks, duplication of effort, and missed assignments.
  2. Real-time task tracking: The app gave lawyers instant access to their tasks and cases, allowing them to track progress and monitor the amount of time invested in each one. This enhanced visibility, improved accountability, and facilitated efficient time management, ensuring that deadlines were met and resources were allocated effectively.
  3. Seamless communication: Integration with ServiceNow enabled seamless communication between lawyers and secretaries. By eliminating the need for manual handovers and multiple inboxes, the app provided a unified platform for collaboration, allowing swift and accurate transfer of tasks. Consequently, it reduced response times and minimized the impact on Outlook’s performance.

In addition, the app offered several other business benefits for the company. It provided a single portal with customized interactive forms, simplifying the submission process and capturing all necessary information and instructions. Mobile access allowed legal professionals to stay connected and productive while on the move. The app also automated manual processes within the team’s workflows, increasing efficiency and reducing the risk of human error. Management reporting capabilities provided valuable insights into utilization and resource planning, aiding decision-making and optimizing resource allocation.

Revolutionized operations for law firms

Dedicated apps built on ServiceNow can significantly benefit legal teams, including workload allocation, resource visibility, and enhanced efficiency. These apps automate task assignments, streamline processes, and provide real-time information access. By embracing these solutions, law firms gain a competitive edge, improve collaboration, and achieve significant business value in the digital era, being able to solve many problems via mobile phone.

We witnessed the transformative power of legal apps and Service Now in action when our clients, two leading law firms, implemented a tailored app to address their unique challenges. By leveraging this solution, they experienced remarkable improvements in operations and efficiency. With the app accessible on their mobile devices, they were able to effortlessly create documents, complete tasks, manage cases, record time, and add notes, all within a unified platform.

This comprehensive solution provided them with seamless access to vital information, enabling them to resolve cases in a fast manner, organize workflows, and enhance productivity. It’s worth checking out the ability of legal apps built on Service Now as the first step toward optimizing processes and mitigating common issues faced by law firms. By embracing these solutions, legal professionals can create, collaborate, and efficiently manage their work, unlocking a new level of efficiency and productivity.

If you and your legal company recognize the potential of such a solution, we invite you to contact us. As experts and an Elite Partner of ServiceNow, we have the expertise and experience to assist you in implementing and leveraging these dedicated apps to transform your legal operations. Contact us today at sales@spoc.eu to schedule a demo and explore how we can empower your team and drive greater organizational efficiency.

How to choose a ServiceNow partner? 10 tips to help you find the best partner for your organization

Few questions before you start

The decision was made – you are about to begin an extraordinary journey in the digital world of ServiceNow. Perhaps you are already the Platform user, want to add new capabilities and modules or upgrade your instance to the latest version. Maybe it’s your first time with ServiceNow. No matter if you’re planning a new ServiceNow implementation or developing an existing service or instance, you need a trusted ServiceNow partner to be your project guide. There are many ServiceNow partners, but finding the right one for your organization can be – but does not have to – quite a challenge. How to choose a trustworthy and committed ServiceNow partner? What criteria should you pay attention to?

Best practices – 10 things you should think about while looking for the best implementation partner

Define your expectations

There is no one way to choose a ServiceNow partner, but here are a few best practices, that will make your decision easier. To find the right ServiceNow partner, you need to answer a few questions about your organization. Why do you want to implement ServiceNow? What are your business needs? What do you want from your ServiceNow implementation partner? How do you imagine your business cooperation? What is important to you? Defining your expectations is the key to successful and long-term business cooperation. Having done it, choosing a partner will be much easier.

Verify the experience

One thing you should definitely pay attention to, is how experienced your ServiceNow partner is. What clients are working with the company, what implementations have been performed so far? The experience is a key factor that increases the chance of successful delivery, the customer satisfaction, customer success and project cooperation. Many years of practice are a guarantee of the ServiceNow company’s value, stability and expert position. A partner company who has done a lot of projects, but does not rest on its laurels, certainly has the potential to deliver value and be a good business partner.

Find a partner who shares the same values

There must be chemistry between you and your ServiceNow partner team. Your successful journey to success will not be simply about following your partners’ orders, but also about mutual respect and cooperation. It is a good start if you share the same views on work culture practices and values, and when you have a common denominator. Sharing the same values is not only the key to customer satisfaction. It is the crucial factor that makes a true partnership possible.

Find ServiceNow partners that work with the best

It is worth checking whether there are large, global companies in your partner’s portfolio of customers and business implementations. The market position, brand value and recognition of clients and customers your partner cooperates with, is a proof of its success and trustworthiness. If the partner works with the best customers, provide customer success and all sides are satisfied with this cooperation, there is a good chance that your business collaboration will also be fruitful.

Ask for industry references

In addition to strong market position and rich portfolio of clients, it is worth checking whether a partner has any references or expertise in your industry. If your client or organization deals with, for example, insurance, your partner should have already been responsible for consulting, implementation or servicing a client in this field. You can be sure that, as a result of previous consulting experience and expertise, your partner knows your business, its specifics, trends, challenges, problems and solutions. This knowledge facilitates further cooperation.

Check ServiceNow certifications

Detailed information on all certified partners can be found on the ServiceNow website. There, in the Partner Finder tab, you can read a description of the company, the scope of implementation it specializes in, areas of activity and a list of certificates.

Firstly, you should check whether a partner is certified in the services and modules you are interested in implementing. The certificate is a proof of your partner’s knowledge, expertise, specialization and capabilities and that these two factors are still developing. A good sign is that the potential partner has expert certificates, such as Certified Technical Architect and Certified Master Architect. In this case, you can count not only on extensive technical knowledge of ServiceNow, but also on real business support and expertise in translating your needs into the system architecture.

Ask your partner for a plan

The ServiceNow implementation is a part of a larger business & digital transformation. A good enterprise ServiceNow partner is not just a performer, but a real partner — your advisor, guide, and companion through this process. Your ServiceNow partner should support you and have a long-term plan for this cooperation.

It is really important to have business transparency. A reliable, trustworthy enterprise ServiceNow partner is ready to get resources and implement changes within the specified timeframe to your business needs and keep your organization running. However, you should be aware that implementing ServiceNow is a process. A good ServiceNow partner not only enables you to get resources and start implementations quickly, but also has a plan for the Platform development. Thanks to this strategy, you can fully use ServiceNow’s potential value for your own business needs.

Get information about additional services

If your ServiceNow partner provides additional Change Management services, it is a perfect solution. Advising on customer service management solutions during the implementation process and preparing your organization for the upcoming changes are additional values. Employees are used to a certain model of customer service management operation in the company. For example – holidays, purchases, incidents, requests, etc. have been reported in 10 different portals so far. Suddenly, employees can do it all in one place. This requires not only a change of approach and habits, but also a systemic change. A good implementation partner will support this. Training and proper communication of the upcoming changes are necessary. It’s good if your ServiceNow partner takes care of this issue.

Verify the number of specialists working for your ServiceNow implementation partner

The employees are the strength of your business. The strength of ServiceNow partners are the qualified specialists who deal with the Platform implementation, operations and development processes. Thanks to their knowledge, skills and experience, you are in good hands.

Information about the number of certified ServiceNow specialists in the company is also available on the ServiceNow website in the Partner Finder tab. In our many years of practice, it happened many times that large global companies asked us for help. Although they had a lot of work in the field of service and platform implementation, there was no one to do it. Our specialists with the appropriate certified qualifications, expertise, knowledge and experience were happy to help.

SPOC – your ServiceNow Elite Partner

SPOC is a ServiceNow partner you can trust. Since 2010, we have been cooperating with the largest companies and organizations in the world. We implement and own solutions, develop the Platform, conduct training, deliver, and provide customers and partners with the necessary support. We started as a team of a few people; today we are an Elite Partner, one of ServiceNow partners that works with the best. Furthermore, we are growing and developing together with ServiceNow. It will be a pleasure to become your business partner and work together on the success of your organization.

Feel free to contact us!

Service Portal with an Instagram Feel? Design cues in the social media era

In today’s digital age, user experience is the key. A well-designed portal can drive user engagement and satisfaction, leading to higher adoption and a more successful platform. One way to create a satisfying user experience is to incorporate elements of popular social media platforms, like Instagram, into the design. At the end of the day, most of the Service Portal users are social media users, aren’t they?

Common user complaints about ServiceNow user experience

Service Portals are an essential part of organizations using ServiceNow, but from a user perspective, they can often present challenges and feel simply unpleasant. The most common issue is connected to poor navigation, with not-appropriate labelling and categorization making it hard to find the right information or complete tasks efficiently. Since Service Portal is slowly being withdrawn by ServiceNow it’s worth considering to Employee Center – here you can find out three reasons why you should start the migration.


Image: Out of the box Service Portal


Image: Example of well structured Employee Center

According to a survey by Adobe, 38% of users will disengage with a webpage if they find the content or layout unattractive. Unfortunately, many Service Portals suffer from unappealing visuals, a lack of visual hierarchy, and ineffective use of colour, typography, and graphics. These issues can cause the portal to feel outdated, lowering user confidence in its purpose and functionality. Applying proper user experience knowledge, however, can draw users back in and create an enjoyable, easy-to-follow design.

Discover 7 ways to improve your Servicenow Platform User Experience in >>EBOOK<<

Losing user’s trust

Keep in mind that first impressions matter and most users form an opinion about your webpage or portal in under a second, influencing their decision to stay or leave. If they leave due to a negative user experience, statistics show that 88% are unlikely to return to the site. While users may need to return when the portal is part of their workspace, a poor user experience can compound negative feelings towards your Service Portal.

Many of our clients come to us frustrated by the low usage of their Service Portal, and we see firsthand how this can be directly attributed to poor design choices. A non-intuitive and unhelpful design can make it difficult for users to find the necessary information. If the design is unattractive, users accustomed to more visually appealing sites such as social media platforms may quickly dismiss the portal and its intended purpose.

Jacek Witek, UX designer at SPOC

Low rate of engagement

While the visual aspect is essential, it’s not the only factor contributing to a successful Service Portal. Unintuitive design and illogical user paths can lead to frustration, poor user experience, and, ultimately, low adoption rates. Conducting thorough user research to understand user needs and tailor the design to their specific requirements is essential to avoid these issues. By prioritizing user-centred design, you can increase adoption rates and set your Service Portal up for success.


Image: User-centered subcategorization

Giving up on the service portal

What’s the worst that can happen? Service Portal users in your company who are accustomed to the visual, usability, and accessibility standards of social media may give up on using a platform that doesn’t meet their expectations.

We all experience the same frustration when we enter e-commerce or any other websites that seem unintuitive. We don’t like feeling confused or lost. A tool designed to solve our problems should avoid creating more drama. How many times have you abandoned a cart of products because you couldn’t find the right button to make a payment? The same thing happens when using the Service Portal if it is not designed with UX in mind.

“We have a great tool – people just don’t use it”. Sounds familiar? Watch 3 ways to improve your ServiceNow usability and user experience in our >>VOD<<

Taking design cues from Instagram: best practices for UX in the Social Media era

Instagram is known for its simple, clean, and visually-appealing design. Users love its bright colours, bold typography, and user-friendly interface. Is there any way to translate that successful way of designing and experiencing a digital place into something as serious as a Service Portal? 

The importance of UX design in ServiceNow ServicePortal lies in the power of the tools and features developed to recognize and support users’ needs dealing with complex processes. By providing a user-based approach to building and measuring steps and options, ServicePortal enables organizations to provide seamless, efficient, and effective solutions for their customers.

Jacek Witek, UX designer at SPOC


Image: Simple Service Portal login page designed for visual appeal

Visuals & Colours

There are a few design elements to consider to create an Instagram-like feel in the Service Now Portal. First, let’s focus on the colours. Instagram is famous for its bright and cheerful colour palette, which is a departure from the traditional corporate blue and grey colour schemes. A portal with an Instagram feel would go for bright, bold, and vibrant colours that are consistent throughout the design.


Image: Onboarding portal utilizing vibrant brand colours

Discover how to attract users to your ServiceNow and what questions should you ask yourself

Typography

Next, the typography should be clean and easy to read. Instagram’s typography is simple and uses a sans-serif font, making it easy to read on any device. Using clear, easily-readable and visually appealing fonts could be another hint.


Image: Helpdesk portal before a redesign


Image: Typography and visual improvements on the helpdesk portal

Simplicity 

Instagram’s design emphasises clarity, visual impact, and instant information decoding for users. One way to achieve the same effect is to simplify the design and layout of the portal, allowing users to scan and find the information they need quickly. As Da Vinci once said: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Especially when it comes to design! That is why by following the Insta-logic, you could minimise clutter, ensuring that key features and functions are easily accessible.


Image: Instagram’s post in a modal window

Categorization

What about the effective categorisation of content? Instagram’s design makes it easy to navigate through different content categories, such as posts, stories, and reels. You can apply a similar categorisation approach to your Service Portal by grouping related content and creating intuitive navigation to help users quickly find what they need. An easy way to do it is to use clear and concise category labels and utilise icons and other visual cues to differentiate categories. As a consequence,  portal navigation and finding the information becomes a breeze. This can enhance the user experience and improve the company’s engagement and adoption of the Service Portal.


Image: Example categorization in an Employee Center portal


Image: Example of how categorization looks on Instagram

Service Portal for millennials

The Instagram platform has become an undisputed visual design and user experience leader. With millions of users and a highly engaged community, it is no wonder that Service Now designers are looking to incorporate the same “Insta-feeling” into their designs.

By taking a cue from Instagram’s design clarity, easy way of scanning and instant information decoding, Service Portal can become a user-friendly platform that is focused on visual impact. The benefits of an “Insta-style” ServicePortal design are clear: users engage with the portal more happily, and the portal can become a more integral part of their daily routine, especially if your target group is millennials or generation Z.  This increased engagement can lead to higher usage, better ROI, and a more satisfied user base.

At SPOC, we have seen first-hand how an “Insta-style” Service Portal design can make a difference. By incorporating Instagram’s design elements and user experience into our Service Now portals, we have noted a significant increase in user engagement and adoption. So, if you are wondering if an “Insta-feeling” is possible on your Service Now platform, our answer is: yes, it is, and it can become very profitable for your organization. Let’s do it together.


Busting the 6 myths around ServiceNow Predictive Intelligence

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive intelligence have been hot topics for many years, and the presumptions around new technologies still bring mixed feelings in the business area. You might have heard some of these before, or perhaps you are still very cautious regarding machine learning. We are here to debunk these beliefs and set the record straight about what embracing predictive intelligence can bring to your organization and the ServiceNow platform.

MYTH #1   Using AI and predictive intelligence is not safe

Using the ServiceNow Predictive Intelligence function is as safe as having ServiceNow. The infrastructure and data security are highly resilient with its cloud-based services. Predictive Intelligence, formerly known as Agent Intelligence before the New York release, works on dedicated servers, which are as safe as the instance itself. Of course, cybersecurity requires regular checks. That is why ServiceNow enables you to access dashboards, which are crucial to the security and give the proper insight into what is happening with your data. 

Source: ServiceNow

Additionally, by using performance analytics, you can foresee any safety threats. Since the decisions are based on data, the risk of errors is lower with artificial intelligence. Analyzing data through AI tools, you are less likely to commit any bias – the machine is objective and does not choose one data over the other.

MYTH #2   Giving space to AI makes me lose control

Concerns about losing control of the technology are standard. Fortunately, ServiceNow gives you complete power over the AI function. You are the one who determines how to configure the Predictive Intelligence and when the algorithm should be decisive.  

Source: ServiceNow

For example, using Virtual Agent Professional, you can set an 85% accuracy threshold to automatically assign incoming requests from your users. This allows for the agents’ last word on giving less straightforward cases. At the same time, the most apparent tickets get posted automatically, improving the response time and customer satisfaction.  

By choosing the correct parameters, you check random cases occasionally to verify the predictive intelligence correctness. Thanks to the generated reports, you see the comparison between the agent and machine decisions and have the proper insight to take further actions in customer service management. So, long story short – you are in charge.

Source: ServiceNow

MYTH #3   My ServiceNow platform doesn’t need AI

What is wrong with service desk manual work? The agents have managed it until now, so they can go on without artificial intelligence. Indeed, they can. But isn’t it worth using predictive intelligence to make things quicker, more convenient, and more accurate? Wouldn’t automatic ticket assignment or predicting possible problems make your agents more effective? Also, what about the user experience? Nobody wants a separate channel just for sending requests.  

Virtual Agent lets your users contact the agents through their channel of choice, with integration in Microsoft Teams, Slack or Messenger, and many others. That leads to customer satisfaction and less frustration when the bot guides the user, resulting in fewer mistakes. So you get improved workflows, smooth and fast user experience, resources for more complicated tasks, fewer human errors, and predictive capabilities based on raw data. It’s a win-win.  

Source: ServiceNow

MYTH #4   Predictive intelligence is too expensive

Applying tools like Virtual Agent Professional or Performance Analytics might not be the cheapest solution, but it depends on how you look at it. AI in ServiceNow brings pretty fast ROI, not only improving the work but also letting you rearrange the assignments to your resources. It is more of an investment.  

The agents get time for other, more complicated tasks while machine learning solutions are doing repetitive jobs. In the long run, it should result in time and money savings. Obviously, every company has different needs, so machine learning capabilities should be adjusted to these specific requirements. By knowing how to optimize the ServiceNow paid solutions, you can get a pretty good deal.  

Source: ServiceNow

MYTH #5   Introducing AI solution is too confusing and complex

Every new implementation takes a little effort. If you look at the outcomes, though, there is no confusion or complexity. On the user end, it gets easier. They receive the right help and instructions straight away, through the communication channel of their personal preference. It becomes a streamlined path leading to a resolution. 

Source: SPOC

Conversely, agents have access to everything in their Agent Workspace, which is very convenient. Predictive intelligence is there to get all the information and displays it in a user-friendly way through the dashboards. All the historical data is in one place, and the overview is straightforward. Your agents do not need to know how to code due to the simplicity of the Predictive Intelligence feature.

MYTH #6   ServiceNow Predictive Intelligence is designed for simple tasks

The functionality is expected to affect the automation of repetitive tasks, solving issues faster, based on machine learning. All this is true. But Predictive Intelligence is a more advanced solution.

Predictive Intelligence ServiceNow is just opening the door to the world of AI capabilities. And what is behind those doors? Machine learning, automation, ticket rewriting, ticket clustering, performance analytics, event prediction, and response planning, Classification Framework Dashboards – and still only a part of the possibilities that ServiceNow Predictive Intelligence provides. You will be able to get acquainted with the description of all the possibilities and functionalities in the next article dedicated only to ServiceNow Predictive Intelligence. Stay tuned!

Source: ServiceNow

Maximized ServiceNow or the basic ITSM version? 

Adopting predictive intelligence is a great way to take your ITSM process maturity to the next level. But since it’s an important step, we always advise our clients to analyze their needs and see how such a solution might streamline processes and workflows.

With your implementation partner or even alone, you should be able to determine the most critical areas – sometimes the essential solutions can address your needs, e.g., when users mainly send requests about resetting passwords or ordering equipment. It can be easily handled by the Virtual Agent Lite solution and does not require a high investment or a long time. On the other hand, an experienced implementation partner can help you with more advanced needs and get the best value for the chosen solution. 

Sylwester Jassa, ServiceNow Presales Manager & Business Solutions Consultant at SPOC

Machine learning solutions are great tools, ensuring a better work experience and more satisfied agents and users. There are many scenarios in which the Predictive Intelligence feature makes sense, e.g., you want to cut time spent on resolving tickets, improve customer experience or know about possible issues through predictive models. Different frameworks, like classification or similarity frameworks, can be used to fulfill these various goals.  

Indeed, deciding to maximize your ITSM instance with predictive intelligence is not easy, especially when you consider that you need historical data in significant volumes to benefit from it fully. If you are interested in more and want to know how you can adjust the AI processes to your needs, contact us. 

How to choose the right Virtual Agent for your platform?

Every business can take advantage of an automated tool to assist its users quickly and efficiently. The question is, which type of Virtual Agent is the right choice for your company to enable a better user experience on your ServiceNow platform? We are here to help you find the right solution!  

The power of ServiceNow Virtual Agent

To make it simple, a Virtual Agent is a sort of chatbot that uses Artificial Intelligence to take communication to the next, more sophisticated level.

With Virtual Agent, you can create tickets, manage them, respond to questions, and fulfill user requests. If it is needed, it transfers the user to the live agent. Thanks to the natural language processing engine, the tool does not only analyze the keywords but also takes into consideration the context of a conversation. Smooth integration with all communication channels like Slack or Microsoft Teams makes it easy for the user who doesn’t need to login into the ServiceNow portal.  

ServiceNow Virtual Agent is proven to help organizations in achieving better results in a number of areas, including ITSM, HR, and CSM, while constantly improving user experience and satisfaction.

Axel Starosta – SericeNow Developer at SPOC
Source: ServiceNow

The idea behind Virtual Agent is to save users’ and agents’ time and lower the effort and the mistakes in the process. Faster, easier, and more pleasant. And greater customer satisfaction with the use of the chatbot. And it learns over time! The Virtual Agent technology is constantly improving through data analysis to give your users the best conversation path. The more data, the better results. Analyzing the user’s request helps the Virtual Agent to become a well-oiled machine, better understanding the user’s communication patterns and guiding the user through the process. The Virtual Agent currently supports 8 languages, but as every organization uses its own, ‘inside language’, the tool’s learning skill is priceless. Preparing a chatbot for work is very simple. It is based on the popular no-code or low-code platform model. As shown in the graphic, an example conversation just needs to be prepared in a drag-and-drop interface.

Source: SPOC

Building a chatbot in Servicenow via Virtual Agent is as easy as doing it on different competitive cloud solutions like Google Dialogflow or AWS Chatbot!

Adam Goździewski – ServiceNow Developer at SPOC

Empower your users by finding the best match 

Respond to a few questions to determine which type of Virtual Agent fits you the most. Choose your answer and check which kind of Virtual Agent you need.

1. What processes do you wish to make self-serviceable? 

a) basic ITSM actions like checking ticket status or reporting an issue – A 

b) more advanced ITSM actions like password reset, run knowledge base search or transform a caller to the Live Agent aid queue – B 

c) my own, custom, not necessarily ITSM processes – C 

2. What languages should your chatbot be able to understand? 

a) English – A 

b) any of the following: – B 

Italian, Norwegian, Japanese, Canadian French, Finnish, Polish, Korean, Danish, Swedish, Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, German 

c) other

3. Is there a need for Teams/Slack Integration with your system? 

a) yes –

b) no – A 

5. Should a chatbot have access to a knowledge base to suggest helpful articles? 

a) yes – B 

b) no – A 

6. Are their surveys required to gather user feedback to supervise virtual agent activity? 

a) yes – B 

b) no – A 

Basic needs for self-service
– Virtual Agent Lite 

Your answers indicate that the lite tool is probably enough for your needs. The limited version of Virtual Agent gives you access to the keyword-based conversation in web chat and other messaging apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Messenger. It has an introductory collection of topics for your IT support. Virtual Agent Lite can improve your ITSM system self-service experience, giving you a primary conversational interface. Your users can check their ticket status or report an issue. It is a stiff path, but if you want to improve the response time and do not have many complicated tickets, then go for it.  

This version is free for ServiceNow license owners, so it is the most economical option. Keep in mind that the lite version does not allow any modifications to topics in Designer, like creating new topics, topic blocks, or custom controls. You will not have access to Virtual Agent Analytics Dashboard or Natural Language Understanding support either. The two available paths let the user check the ticket status or report an issue.  

Source: SPOC

Extended support with natural language
– Virtual Agent Professional 

Virtual Agent Professional might be a perfect choice for you. The extended version of the tool offers all core functionalities plus customization and NLU. What does it mean for you? The tool improves over time and can give a better, more personalized customer experience by applying the information from previous conversations. With NLU, your Virtual Agent understands, processes, and responds in an improved way to the users’ needs. Thanks to access to Virtual Agent Designer, you are free to develop, test and deploy tailored automated conversations. It allows you also to build new topics and topic blocks that can perform certain functions or custom controls during the interactions with your users. 

Virtual Agent Professional covers different communication channels and third-party messaging apps, making it more convenient and easier for users to resolve their issues. The available channels are broader than in the Lite version, thanks to conversational custom chat integrations. Your users can choose a channel familiar to them, making the whole user journey smoother. The technology in the full version of the tool supports also: 

  • answering FAQs; 
  • providing tutorial (“how to”) information; 
  • querying or updating records, e.g., to get status on cases or incidents; 
  • gathering data, such as attachments, for the live agent; 
  • capabilities performing diagnostics; 
  • resolving multi-step problems. 
Source: ServiceNow

Specific needs for improved customer satisfaction
– a dedicated solution 

Sometimes even the extended version does not meet the company’s needs. You might as well need a customized AI bot for your ServiceNow, written accordingly to your specific requests. Perhaps you have different communication channels that need to be covered, or you want to automatically assign tickets to a particular person. You might also want to take a step further and make your Virtual Agent more fun, enabling it to chat about the weather or the latest news. The sky is the limit thanks to unlimited integration possibilities with NLU engines like IBM, Watson, Microsoft LUIS, or external APIs. Your Virtual Agent solution can be anything you want and need. 

Read about the 6 most common myths around ServiceNow Predictive Intelligence.

We helped AMS to build a customised chatbot with the app engine. With 400K recruitment interviews organised each year, the custom solution was a perfect choice. It allowed AMS to automate and coordinate the interview process at every step of the way – from the first online to the last face-to-face meeting. Results?

Using ServiceNow, and its elite partner SPOC based in Poland, AMS Interview Scheduling automates and co-ordinates every aspect of the process, enabling everyone involved to focus on getting the maximum value from the interview.

Natalia Mikrut, Head of Digital Automation at AMS

Read more about this success story. And find out more about our experience in developing custom applications

Source: ServiceNow

How to get better business outcomes with Virtual Agent? 

Based on 10 years of experience and extensive ServiceNow knowledge, we believe that choosing the right version of the tool is critical. First, consider your company’s needs and how this tool can improve the user experience. Do you need more advanced help, or is it just a question of a basic solution to improve the response time from your agents?  

So our tip is to go for adjusting the tools towards the needs, keeping in mind that any automation will be positive for your agents to free them from repetitive tasks and let them focus on more complex user needs. When we analyze our clients’ instances and provide them with a health check, we usually come up with a reasonable solution that will be both appreciated by the agents and end-users.  

Please tell us more about what you want to achieve, and what are you prerequisites or expectations – contact us.

How to improve the work-from-home experience with ServiceNow?

The last three years and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the way we work. Despite the vaccinations, the World Health Organization has said that Europe will experience a challenging autumn and winter of 2022/23 with the new infection wave. How can your company be prepared for another potential work-from-home season? What are the best practices to improve self-service?  

Hybrid is the new normal

The digitization of the workplace has been one of the most impactful trends of the last decade. In 2021 Okta pointed out in their report that the average amount of apps at organizations has increased by 22% in the past four years. Many of these solutions were introduced to provide easy self-service to employees. More apps mean more problems and increased work for service desks. But the higher number of tickets hasn’t been the only challenge during the pandemic.  

Source: https://www.okta.com/businesses-at-work/2021/

Most companies addressed arising issues with data security, time tracking, and workplace safety by creating work-from-home policies. ServiceNow platform did everything to ensure employees’ flexibility and safety, having a home office or hybrid work environment. For example, a ServiceNow plug return-to-work product has been widely used by companies like Uber or Bank United, allowing them to shift from 100% remote working to hybrid mode safely.  

Predictive Inteligance
Source: ServiceNow
Predictive Intelligance

More than that, ServiceNow offers automation systems, workflow handling, and new ways to digitize processes usually done in person before. From an IT perspective, the most important elements to address are IT support and service desk team agility, making work from home much easier for the employees. Ensuring a business continuity plan for remote work scenarios is a safe way of facing the possible new COVID-19 waves.

Service management at its best with an office-in-a-box solution 

Different pandemic restrictions forced the business world to introduce change and remote work quickly. Facing this challenge, one of our clients reached out to create a tailored home office solution for the company employees. This leading supply chain solution company utilizes high-quality infrastructure, modern facilities, and proven IT systems like ServiceNow to meet and exceed the expectations of its customers.  

During several lockdowns, the company employees had to perform their duties from home. The managers saw how important it was to provide employees with a working environment and to keep efficiency levels high. That’s when the idea of creating a dedicated platform to order home office supplies was born.  

The collaboration with our client on this project has been very enjoyable. Responsiveness and knowledge from customer side part allowed us to create a novel solution fit for our times.

Magdalena Kurzymska, Project Manager at SPOC

We approached this idea with an MVP solution, choosing CSM customization to ensure high speed to market. CSM is a great choice to support several external users and company clients. The solution allowed people to order all the equipment needed for their remote work environment and resulted in quick service delivery. It made the process smooth and effortless without losing any additional time, improving both service desk staff work and employee experience.  

Automation, artificial intelligence & self-service 

As mentioned before, remote or hybrid work setup results in many IT tickets from the users. Usage of new software, VPN, and connection poor quality create an accumulation of cases that service desks need to cope with. How to handle the ticket pile-ups in the most effective way? Technology can help overworked service desks by automatically resolving common service desk questions and 24/7 availability for all users.  

Source: ServiceNow

With ServiceNow Virtual Agent, these numbers can significantly go down. Self-service solutions like chatbots responding to users’ questions and assigning tickets automatically save time on both service desks and users’ sides. A faster, easier, and more pleasant way to provide FAQs, give status on cases or incidents and resolve multi-step problems. All of it is in one channel of the user’s choice – without logging into the service desk portal.  

Read more about the Virtual Agent portal

Source: ServiceNow

With predictive intelligence as an additional tool, you can do even more. It helps you foresee what problems might arise, allowing your service management a better and quicker response. Machine learning is a great solution, ensuring a great work experience and more satisfied agents and users. 

Discover the most common myths around ServiceNow Predictive Intelligence

Source: ServiceNow

Go hybrid with ServiceNow 

Whether there is another COVID-19 wave or you plan to switch from remote work to hybrid, you need to improve the user experience on your ServiceNow platform constantly. The reason is simple – with well-working service desks, automation, self-service, artificial intelligence, and other solutions improving the ways of working, your employees will be more pleased. And it will have an impact on their work, meaning improved efficiency. Let’s talk about how we can help you to adjust the platform to your users’ needs. 

SPOC is an ELITE ServiceNow Partner!

We’ve been involved in the ServiceNow delivery for 10 years, getting promoted to an ELITE ServiceNow partner today!

To be in the Elite ServiceNow Partner segment, a partner needs to meet specific criteria in terms of the go-to-market and offering development maturity. Learn more about these below.

ServiceNow Partner segments

There are 4 maturity segments for ServiceNow partners to go through, going top-down:

  1. Global Elite (our next milestone to reach)
  2. Elite – SPOC promoted in 2020,
  3. Premier (SPOC promoted in 2017 – at that time this was “a Silver segment”),
  4. Specialist (SPOC promoted in 2016 – at that time this was “a Bronze segment”),
  5. Registered (SPOC joined the ServiceNow Partner Ecosystem in 2010, as a dedicated team in MWT Solutions).

The promotion from the down segments to the top ones takes place gradually, segment by segment. It’s all about:

OFFERING DEVELOPMENT MATURITY

  • Customer satisfaction – to deliver implementations valuable to customers, who are willing to share their opinion about the cooperation and delivery answering CSAT surveys,
  • Platform training – to get and further expand the platform knowledge with completing certified trainings and exams by all the stakeholders on the partner’s end who take part in the sales, pre-sales, consultancy, and delivery processes (check our results here),

The former is the end result, whereas the latter is the foundation for the success of the go-to-market endeavors.

GO-TO-MARKET MATURITY

  • Platform implementations – to gain ServiceNow project delivery expertise and gradually enrich it within the new areas (ITSM, ITOM, ITBM, Security, GRC, HRSD, CSM, App Engine,
  • ServiceNow apps development – to develop applications that successfully undergo ServiceNow certification and from then on are available on the Store.

The assignment to a particular partner segment is a 365-rolling result. Thus it’s a continuous enhancement process – for the benefit of the customer, partner, and the very platform at the end of the day.