So you're thinking about whether to build a custom business application on ServiceNow? 3/6

[Robert Maxwell]

This is the third article in the series. The previous article is here.

With the first iteration of your app off and running, its likely that you're still collecting and therefore working with predominately unstructured data (large blocks of text, dates, numbers) - this is one of those things that ServiceNow can collect and store, but its extraordinarily hard to get any secondary value from, that is the significance or utility of data for purposes other than what it was originally collected or created. Once you and your team build some confidence working with ServiceNow you could now consider creating a form that the end user, your customer, could fill out on a portal page versus sending that email. This step should involve identifying the pieces of data that are important to your business process, and could simplify a task if it was presented on screen to whoever is completing it. If I use an example of accounts payable in a finance team, this could include receipt numbers, due dates and PO numbers - all the things that would be in that email, but probably with no standard format.

Examining the data you have from both ServiceNow and any reports you might have maintained previously, look for a particular type of query that is a regular arrival to your queue. This should be one of the primary options to digitise, otherwise, look to a task that requires a lot of manual effort with that unstructured data. Once identified, adding some new fields onto your original table with the Table Builder to both store the collected data as well as defining how to present it internally, and then creating the webform (known as a catalog item or record producer in ServiceNow parlance) with the Catalog Builder to actually collect it would be the logical next step. 

Introducing this functionality would obviously be a change that will impact your customers, and going down this path will require some management and bring its own challenges including the potential for resistance. And again, as long as you plan, and act, on this early you'll be in a good position to meet any challenges that arise. Look to leverage anything that other parts of the organisation might have used, somewhere like IT who've probably gone through most of the hard yards bringing in a service request catalogue and a way for people to interact with them around IT issues. No need to reinvent the wheel, but obviously look for any improvement opportunities.

As more of these apps start to emerge, grow and iterate, those inside the organisation with governance responsibilities should make time to reflect on the value that is materialising and seek opportunities to expand it across other parts of the enterprise. You should also examine alignment to the procedures that you have set in place to control any risks and issues that were initially, or subsequently identified before scaling up citizen development practices as well as monitoring that any guardrails implemented are also being adhered to by your new creators. App Engine Management Center is an in platform workspace that is available for this specific task.