ServiceNow Foundational Data - Challenges and Solutions - Recorded June 6th 2024

[John Spirko]

Files: Shared Below

Panelists:

• Alan D Prochaska - IT Service Management Process Architect
• Etta Wilson - Thought Leader in Strategic Portfolio Management
• Craig Talbert - ServiceNow Architect
• Mike Jones - Business Process Consultant
• Donna Olsen - IT Manager & Process Owner of SACM

Discussion Topics:

• Thoughts on completeness and priority of foundational data classes
• Sources of foundational data
• Deep dive on locations and location data persistence

Digital Services Forum Jun 5th 2024 - ServiceNow Foundational Data - Challenges and Solutions.pptx

[John Spirko]

This is ChatGPTs Chat summary....

The meeting focused on foundational data management in ServiceNow, particularly around organizational structure, location data, and user management. Here are the main topics discussed:

1. Organizational Structure:
   • Understanding and mapping organizational structures is essential, especially in complex environments with multiple companies or departments.
   • Challenges in automating the update of organizational structures and assignment groups.
2. Location Data:
   • Managing and normalizing location data from multiple sources (e.g., HR, ERP, GIS).
   • Using tools like ArcGIS and USPS for normalization, and dealing with discrepancies between different systems.
   • Considerations around location life cycle stages and the importance of having a single source of truth for location data.
3. User Data Management:
   • Integrating user data from multiple systems (e.g., HR, AD, IAM) and dealing with inactive users or users with multiple roles.
   • Challenges in maintaining accurate user information, especially in matrix organizations or environments with transient users like students and contractors.
   • Automating processes to manage user roles, group assignments, and deactivation.
4. CSDM (Common Service Data Model):
   • Discussion on whether to focus on CSDM v4 or v5 due to significant changes.
   • Differentiating between technical and business service offerings and understanding their interdependencies

Potential Follow-up Topics:

1. Advanced Organizational Structure Mapping:
   • Deep dive into best practices for mapping complex organizational structures.
   • Automation strategies for keeping organizational data up-to-date.
2. Location Data Normalization:
   • Case studies on successful location data normalization using GIS and other tools.
   • Best practices for managing location life cycles and integrating data from multiple sources.
3. User Data Integration and Management:
   • Strategies for integrating user data from diverse systems and maintaining accuracy.
   • Managing transient and multi-role users effectively.
4. CSDM Implementation:
   • Detailed comparison and implementation guidance for CSDM v4 vs. v5.
   • Practical examples of differentiating and managing technical and business service offerings.
5. Governance and Data Stewardship:
   • Establishing governance frameworks and data stewardship roles for foundational data management.
   • Tools and processes for ensuring data accuracy and accountability.

These topics can help address the ongoing challenges and enhance the understanding and management of foundational data within ServiceNow.

[Miklos Palfi]

In this session the detailing of locations was discussed. What are the best practices for aggregating location information and building a taxonomny / hierarchy above it? We have two primary use cases: the first is GDPR (possibly related to the GRC module), where we need to identify the hosting location of an application and the storage location of the data (which European country?), as well as the management location of an application and its infrastructure.

The second use case involves end user device support: determining the country in which a laptop is being used. Additionally, network management requires site classification, categorizing locations as VIP, normal, or other.

What is the optimal location for managing these hierarchies/taxonomies? Should it be at the foundational level or within specific modules (such as GRC, HAM/SAM)?

[CMDB Whisperer]

It would be great to hear discussions about hierarchical querying capabilities which are currently lacking in the platform.  For example, I would like to be able to query whether an assets location is within a location hierarchy.  This should be a basic capability using condition operators.  It is a basic logical function that should exist in the platform in order to make location hierarchy actually useful.  There are so many areas where this is missing, such as Discovery setting the location based on a Discovery schedule, which is probably much higher level than what would be set by synchronizing the location to the assigned user or moving it as part of an IMAC process.  Or if you are subscribing Service Offerings by location, you should be setting it to the higher level location where users are going to consume it, but the only way they will see the Catalog Items for that Offering is if each individual location (e.g. Building, Floor, Room) is subscribed to.  Location subscriptions should instead be inherited by child locations.  These are just a couple of examples to illustrate what is a glaring omission in the querying capabilities of hierarchical data in ServiceNow, which also goes for other foundation data such as Groups, Departments, Business Units, and Companies.

[Richard Nelson]

I would also be interested in hearing discussions on Location hierarchy. Some of my stakeholders are asking for improved location data. As an example a very simple use case is logging incidents against meeting room equipment CI to a more detailed level.  However viewing the full location path is not catered for out of the box and reporting on the data also presents challenges.  Just to add, is it possible to get a recording of the session?

Regards and thanks

[david_legrand]

Hi John,

Great session, regarding users/groups/companies, I have created an idea because it isn't just foundation data but also tightly linked to licenses.

If the idea makes sense to the right people, I think it would be quite a game changer to allow flexibility.