Question on Configuration vs Customization

[Suggy]

1. Writing NEW Business rule is  Configuration or Customization?

2. Writing NEW scheduled job is  Configuration or Customization?

3. Creating a simple scheduled report is Configuration or Customization?

4. Creating a simple scheduled report with "condition" (scripting) is Configuration or Customization?

5. There is an OOTB UI policy making a field mandatory. Now I will make it as not mandatory. Is it Configuration or Customization?

6. I will create a new business rule. No coding. Just aborting the record submission if the CI field is empty on incident form. Is it Configuration or Customization?

For sure I will receive different answers from different people 🙂

Is there really any hard and fast rule which tells what qualifies a Configuration or Customization?

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Suggy 

This is based on my experience, and it can vary from comment to comment. Here are a few user-friendly links:

1. Writing NEW Business rule is  Configuration or Customization? ---> Customization

2. Writing NEW scheduled job is  Configuration or Customization?  --> Configuration

3. Creating a simple scheduled report is Configuration or Customization? -> Configuration

4. Creating a simple scheduled report with "condition" (scripting) is Configuration or Customization? --> Customization

https://developer.servicenow.com/blog.do?p=/post/configuration-vs-customization/

https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-articles/servicenow-configuration-vs-customization/ta...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa7lMOHjSTs

[Vasantharajan N]

@Suggy - It's simple answer.

Anything that comes OOTB and you make changes to it then it is considered "Customization" and creates a technical debt as the customized records are skipped while upgrading your instance. 

If you create a component to achieve customer requirement say a new BR on incident table is NOT considered as customization. Instead considered as "Custom" solution.

Configuration is a simple change to achieve any your requirement by not doing any development. Say UI Policy, Data Policy

[Suggy]

Hi @Vasantharajan N 

1. Say there in oob UI policy making a field mandatory. Now I will make it not mandatory.

Here I am not doing any development. This will created a skipped record

Now Is it customisation or configuration?

2. I will create a new business rule. No coding. Just aborting the record submission of configuration item field is empty on incident form.

Is this custom solution or configuration? (No coding here)

[Vasantharajan N]

HI @Suggy 

Please find my answer prefixed with "Response >>>>" for your query,

1. Say there in oob UI policy making a field mandatory. Now I will make it not mandatory.

Here I am not doing any development. This will created a skipped record

Now Is it customisation or configuration?

Response >>>> It's a customization through configuration

2. I will create a new business rule. No coding. Just aborting the record submission of configuration item field is empty on incident form.

Is this custom solution or configuration? (No coding here)

Response >>>> It's a custom solution by configuration

Note: "Customization" or "Custom solution" can be done either by configuration (no development) or by development