How ServiceNow Enables the Shift from Project Management to Product Management

For years, organizations have managed initiatives through projects, temporary endeavors with start and end dates. But today’s digital landscape demands more than one-off projects: it requires continuous delivery of value. That’s why so many enterprises are shifting to a product-based model, where the focus is on outcomes, customer experience, and long-term value streams.

The Problem with Traditional Project Management

• Projects optimize for output, not always outcomes
• Teams disband after delivery, losing knowledge and continuity
• Funding is tied to project start/end, not ongoing value realization

The Rise of Product Management in Enterprises

• Products represent continuous investment in customer and employee experience
• Agile and DevOps encourage persistent teams aligned to product lines
• Business stakeholders want visibility into value delivered, not just milestones

Where ServiceNow Comes In

Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM):

• Move from project-centric planning to funding products/value streams
• Tools like Investment Funding and Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) ensure strategy aligns to products

Workspaces for Product Owners:

• Strategic Planning Workspace provides visibility into roadmaps, outcomes, and capacity
• Product Managers get a single pane of glass to manage demand, features, and delivery alignment

Agile Development in ServiceNow Platform or Via an Integration:

• Use Agile Development 2.0 or Enterprise Agile Planning (EAP) to manage backlogs directly in ServiceNow
• Alternatively, connect Jira/Azure DevOps to ServiceNow so product roadmaps and team sprints stay linked
• Ensure Continuity between strategy and execution

Performance Analytics:

• Shift reporting from “% complete” to “value delivered”
• Real-time KPIs to track product health and business outcomes

Case Example:

Instead of funding a one-year “HR Portal Project,” I worked with an organization who funded an Employee Experience Product. The product team continuously delivered enhancements through ServiceNow Employee Center, measured adoption with analytics, and iterated to improve experience: all visible in SPM.

Closing Thought:
The future belongs to organizations that stop thinking in terms of “projects delivered” and start thinking in terms of “value sustained.” With ServiceNow, leaders have the platform to make this shift by aligning strategy, funding, delivery, and outcomes around the products that matter most.