Are You Funding Implementation, or Transformation?

Having spent over a decade immersed in the ServiceNow ecosystem, including four years directly with ServiceNow, one question consistently surfaces: "What do the most successful ServiceNow customers do differently to what we're doing?" While the answer is multifaceted, it fundamentally boils down to a core objective: technology investments must deliver tangible outcomes.

Organisations typically invest in platforms like ServiceNow to achieve critical business outcomes such as cost reduction, enhanced customer and employee experiences, and improved security and risk posture. Beyond these, more operational goals like reducing Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) are also often part of the picture.

However, as with any significant transformation, realising these business outcomes can be challenging and requires time. A common observation is that many organisations articulate ambitious business outcomes but then primarily plan and fund only for implementation. This often leaves them in the "Crawl" stage of maturity, far from unlocking the full potential of their ServiceNow deployment.

The frustration often expressed by customers is a perceived lack of value from their ServiceNow investment. A quick assessment often reveals the root cause: an absence of a clear ServiceNow strategy and a corresponding roadmap to achieve desired business outcomes. The significant risk here is the disconnect between platform activities and executive priorities. Sustained transformation requires two critical elements from executives: their engaged interest and their long-term investment.

Without a well-defined long-term roadmap and strategy, funding often diminishes. In my experience, the only phase that consistently receives sufficient funding is the initial implementation. Moreover, the imperative to deploy quickly often leads to a focus on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). While an MVP aims for rapid deployment, its inherent nature prioritises speed over comprehensive, longer-term business or operational outcomes. For organisations that adopt an MVP approach, it's crucial that subsequent phases (MVP+1, MVP+2, etc.) are strategically planned and adequately funded.  This demonstrates a commitment to ongoing innovation and clearly communicates that further benefits are forthcoming from their ServiceNow investment. 

So, this prompts a critical question for you: Are you funding for mere implementation, or transformation?