Want a Successful ServiceNow Go-Live? It Starts Here…

Over the years, one pattern has become increasingly clear in every ServiceNow engagement I’ve led: A strong kickoff is critical to project success.

The kickoff isn’t just a formality - it’s the first delivery milestone, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

When the kickoff is rushed, issues will pop-up later in the project; unclear priorities, slow decisions, and misaligned expectations.  When the kickoff is done well, however, it becomes the roadmap for delivery success.

Here’s what I’ve learned to focus on:

[1] Clarify Outcomes, Not Just Features

A kickoff isn’t about reviewing a backlog of functionality.  It’s about anchoring everyone to the business outcomes we’re here to deliver.

Why are we implementing ServiceNow?

What will success look like at go-live?

How does this project tie back to organizational goals?

When stakeholders walk out with clarity on these answers, it's easier to ensure quick decisions during the project.

[2] Define Decision-Making

Tough calls are inevitable.  Waiting until you’ve uncovered a problem to figure out who the decision maker is will slow momentum and frustrate the team.
At kickoff, I ensure we have clarity on:

Who has authority to make scope decisions?

How escalations will be handled?

Where must business and IT leaders align?

This avoids analysis paralysis later.

[3] Put Risks on the Table

Too often, projects stumble because risks weren’t acknowledged early.  At kickoff, I invite the team to speak openly about what could derail delivery.  I call it a project “pre-mortem”.  
Whether it’s resource bandwidth, competing initiatives, or data readiness, naming risks upfront builds transparency and trust. From there, you can build mitigation plans before they become roadblocks.

[4] Set the Tone for Communications

This is the most overlooked element, and the one that makes or breaks collaboration.
At kickoff, I work with the team to establish:

Cadence: How often will we meet, and for what purpose?

Channels: Where do decisions and updates get documented?

Norms: How quickly do we expect responses, and how do we handle urgent escalations?

Getting this right sets a culture of accountability, reduces noise, and ensures that business and IT stay aligned.  When communication is clear, delivery is smoother.

A Quick Story

On one recent engagement, I spent extra time in the kickoff aligning communication norms.  It felt minor at the time, but it ended up saving weeks of confusion later. 

Because we had agreed on cadence, channels, and escalation paths, the team avoided endless email chains and conflicting updates.  When a critical issue surfaced mid-project, everyone knew exactly where to go, who to engage, and how fast to respond.  That clarity kept us on track and protected the timeline.

The Takeaway

A strong kickoff builds clarity, trust, and momentum that carry through to go-live.  It’s not a “checkbox.” It’s the foundation for every decision, every update, and every success that follows.  This is how Crossfuze ensures engagements start strong and deliver value for our customers.