Elevating the Role of the ServiceNow Platform Owner: A Strategic Imperative for Growth

Ask any ServiceNow platform owner what their day looks like and you’ll likely hear a familiar story: one moment they’re keeping the system stable, the next they’re evaluating new features, all while fielding requests from the business to deliver faster, better, and cheaper. It’s a role that sits right at the crossroads of IT and strategy and the pressure can be relentless.

The challenge isn’t just technical. It’s about competing priorities. How do you maximise the value of a license investment while also driving innovation? How do you onboard new processes without overloading teams? How do you prove business impact when so much of the work happens behind the scenes?

This is where a new kind of platform leadership is emerging. The most successful ServiceNow leaders don’t just administer the system, they shape how it supports the organisation’s biggest goals. They think beyond tickets and dashboards to ask: How does this platform help us grow?

The answer lies in building a playbook that balances short-term needs with long-term vision. It means future-proofing the platform so it can evolve as the business changes. It means exploring innovations like AI not as “nice-to-have” add-ons, but as tools to reimagine workflows and unlock new value. 

And it means learning to tell the story of ServiceNow in the language of business outcomes, efficiency gains, cost savings, improved employee experiences, and ultimately, enterprise growth.

Think of it as a shift from custodian to strategist. A custodian maintains the lights; a strategist designs the power grid. When platform owners step into that bigger role, ServiceNow transforms from a useful system into a true growth engine.

This evolution doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a repeatable methodology, strong governance, and the courage to challenge “the way things have always been done.” But the payoff is significant: a platform that doesn’t just serve the business, but actively drives it forward.

In today’s digital-first world, organisations that empower their ServiceNow leaders to take this broader view will be the ones that thrive. Because the real future of ServiceNow isn’t about technology—it’s about the people who know how to turn it into lasting business impact.