What is Data Certification and How to Use it in ServiceNow?

[Mohit_Gupta]

Introduction

Data certification is a crucial process for ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of data within an organization. In ServiceNow, data certification allows users to periodically review and validate critical data to maintain data integrity and support compliance with organizational standards.

What is Data Certification?

Data certification involves reviewing and verifying data against predefined criteria to ensure its accuracy and validity. This process helps organizations maintain high data quality, which is essential for making informed decisions, ensuring regulatory compliance, and achieving operational efficiency.

Importance of Data Certification

• Accuracy: Ensures data is correct and free of errors.
• Completeness: Verifies that all necessary data is present.
• Compliance: Helps meet regulatory and internal compliance requirements.
• Decision-Making: Supports reliable data-driven decision-making.

How to Use Data Certification in ServiceNow

1. Define Certification Criteria

• Navigate to Data Certification > Administration > Certification Criteria.
• Click on New to create a new certification criterion.
• Define the criteria by specifying the table and conditions that the data must meet.

2. Create Certification Task Definitions

• Navigate to Data Certification > Administration > Certification Task Definitions.
• Click on New to create a task definition.
• Include the certification criteria you defined and specify the task details such as frequency and certifiers.

3. Schedule Certification Tasks

• Navigate to Data Certification > Administration > Certification Schedules.
• Click on New to set up a new schedule for the certification tasks.
• Define the schedule frequency (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly) and assign the appropriate task definitions.

4. Assign Certifiers

• In the certification task definition, assign users or groups who will be responsible for certifying the data.
• Certifiers will receive tasks based on the schedule you defined.

5. Monitor Certification Tasks

• Navigate to Data Certification > Tasks to monitor the progress of certification tasks.
• Certifiers can review and certify data directly from their task list, ensuring ongoing data quality.

Best Practices for Data Certification

• Regular Reviews: Schedule regular reviews to keep data accurate and up-to-date.
• Clear Criteria: Establish clear and measurable certification criteria.
• Effective Communication: Utilize automated notifications to inform certifiers about pending tasks.
• Audit and Compliance: Maintain audit trails of certification activities to support compliance and accountability.

Conclusion

Data certification in ServiceNow is a powerful tool for maintaining data integrity and ensuring compliance. By following best practices and utilizing ServiceNow's robust data certification features, organizations can ensure their data remains accurate, complete, and reliable.