Are there any tools for tracking the data lineage within service now?

danssnowquests
Tera Contributor

3 hours ago

One of the challenges I often run into is that there are many users and many modules with service now where different teams use some data from other modules to drive there processes. 

The problem is its now clear who where each data point is and who owns what. Is there something that can give visibility of these interconnections within service now? 

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Matthew_13
Mega Sage

an hour ago

Hi Buddy,

Totally get this — you’re not alone, this is classic ServiceNow growing pains.

What usually happens is: teams build fast, reuse data from other modules, and suddenly no one knows where a data point actually comes from, who owns it, or who else depends on it. That lack of visibility is the real problem.

The honest answer is: ServiceNow can show these connections, but it doesn’t do it automatically or in one place.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • CMDB (with CSDM) is supposed to be the source of truth for ownership and relationships. If services, apps, and integrations are modeled even halfway decently, you can start answering “who owns this” and “what depends on this.” Without that discipline, though, it quickly becomes unreliable.

  • Dependency views / Service Mapping help you see which systems and services are connected. This is great for understanding shared dependencies, but it won’t always tell you who owns individual data fields.

  • Impact Analysis is your best friend for uncovering hidden usage. It shows where tables and fields are referenced in flows, business rules, scripts, and integrations. This is often where teams realize, “oh… three other groups are using this.”

  • Data Dictionary documentation is boring but powerful. When fields don’t clearly state their purpose, source, and owner, confusion is guaranteed. Some teams extend this with explicit data owner/steward fields.

The key thing most orgs are missing isn’t tooling — it’s data governance.
If ownership isn’t explicitly defined, everyone assumes someone else owns it.

So yes, visibility is possible in ServiceNow — but it takes:

  • intentional modeling,

  • basic ownership rules,

  • and a bit of cultural pressure to keep things documented.

@danssnowquests - Please mark as Accepted Solution and Thumbs Up if you found helpful

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