Best Practices for Creating New Business Applications and Services in ServiceNow

[Ravish Shetty]

Hi all,

I'm looking to understand the best practices around the creation of new business applications and their associated technical or business services in ServiceNow, particularly from a CSDM-aligned perspective.

A few questions I’m hoping to get insights on:

• How are these typically created in your organization?
• Do end users provide the necessary information? Is there a white glove service involved?
• Are end users given access to tools like the Service Builder? If so, are they trained to use it, or do they rely on knowledge base articles, recorded videos, or other resources?
• Or is this process managed entirely by a centralized team (e.g., CMDB or Service Portfolio Management)?

We are also considering building a custom catalog item that asks user-friendly questions and, based on the responses, automatically creates the required services and service instance records. Before we go down that path, we wanted to check if there’s a simpler or more standardized approach others are using.

Any insights into your workflows, governance models, or automation strategies would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Ravish

[TheJoeDC]

So maybe one question on your maturity, if you are ready to start building business applications out, do you your foundational data nailed down? Single source of truth for locations for example? Org structure to support reporting?

Business Apps aren't CI's and are manually managed. Building out the relationships is something that a dedicated trained team should do rather than the end user. Asking end users what applications they use to fulfill their job duties would help build out the Business Apps and Business Capability. 

[Ravish Shetty]

Hello Joe,

Yes the foundational data are in place and being used albeit with some duplicates.

Thanks, we are also considering driving it through a team to define these services now.

[Shilpa29]

Hi Ravish, 

We are also in the process of implementing CSDM and looking for some guidance on the best practise to create the Business applications, application services, tech service and offerings. I am just wondering I f you found a way forward for your above question ? If so, appreciate if you could guide please ? 

[Mathew Hillyard]

Hi @Ravish Shetty 

• Business Applications are usually created first and retired last. They should be created by EAs as a result of either research or a confirmed demand for a service that requires a new Application to be used by the org. If you have EA there is a "Register a Business Application" record producer and workflow ready to go.
• Not end users - EAs. Such applications will need to go past a review before for organisational fit, alignment to technology reference model etc.
• Not normally, no. Service Builder is really for service owners. FYI it is being retired in favour of what I understand is a much better tool coming soon-ish.
• Yes - EAs own the Design domain in CSDM so are the primary team that owns and runs processes around onboarding Business Applications.

I hope this helps!
Mat