Kicking off #IAmACreator
We all want our workplace operations to be as efficient as requesting an Uber or ordering on Amazon. We know that when it comes to managing the complexities and interworking of a business, email and manual tools don't cut it. We need to automate work with apps.
We've seen many Creators take the challenge of consumerizing work tasks through innovative app development on the ServiceNow platform. To profile the faces of these Creators and their 'work hacks,' apps developed to create efficiencies in everyday work, we're kicking off a campaign called #IAmACreator. Over the next few weeks, we'll be uncovering some of our favorite work hacks and spotlighting their Creators through a blog series.
Why We Need Creators
Most companies operate on archaic systems with a dependence on email that keeps employees bogged down with mundane administrative tasks, preventing real work from getting done. In our recent survey, managers said they spend 2 days a week, on average, on administrative tasks that prevent them from doing strategic work.
Take ordering a new iPhone from IT, for example. Should it really take dozens of back-and-forth emails with zero visibility into the status of your request? Frustrated by the status quo, Creators refuse to accept "business as usual" and instead push the business forward, no matter where they sit within a company. They create a more intuitive experience for fellow employees, while also driving workplace productivity.
What Are Work Hacks?
A work hack replaces manual or email-based tasks with applications and accelerates the way we work. Check out our application showcase to see the range of apps that ServiceNow Creators have already developed. A few examples:
- US Postal Service created an app to manage stamp inventory to meet holiday season demand. It was built in 3 weeks and saved USPS more than $1.6M.
- The NBA manages opposing teams, game times, attending vendors, media assets and facilities needs for every game played through a single portal.
- A State Department of Fish and Wildlife has an app to track endangered animals.
A Platform for Creators
Founder Fred Luddy cited his mission as, "Build a cloud-based platform to enable regular people to create meaningful applications to route work through an enterprise." Our cloud platform was designed to support and foster creativity, productivity and collaboration. It empowers employees to rapidly create, deploy and manage cloud‑native business applications by bringing together all required tooling in one familiar, integrated development environment (IDE).
A Snapshot of a Creator
There is no one type of Creator. They come from a variety of levels, titles, backgrounds and skillsets. They are united in the desire to improve their workplace for themselves and those around them.
As the lines continue to blur between IT and business users, application development can be carried out by almost anyone within the organization. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2020, 60% of all fast-mode application development projects will be done outside of formal IT teams, driven by the rise of aspirational developers. This means employees across different departments will be able to harness the knowledge within the workplace in an automated and systematic manner, driving widespread transformation.
One Creator who succeeded in just that is Bror Andrigna, senior manager of Enterprise Tech/Support Services at Latham & Watkins LLP. With more than 600 secretaries worldwide, the law firm needed a way to offer streamlined and consolidated support for its first-year associates. Sheila Stanton, senior manager of Policies and Procedures, came to Bror with a request to create a single portal. Watch this video to learn how together they created a Secretarial Services Application and improved employee experience across the organization.
How To Get Started Creating
Below are some resources to help you get started:
- Take the ServiceNow platform for a free test drive.
- Get inspired by checking out our library of existing applications.
- Visit our solutions page to learn why developing new cloud business applications is important.
- Get to know ServiceNow developers in this infographic.
- Join the ServiceNow Developer Program.
- Participate in our active Developer Community.
What's Next?
Over the next few weeks leading up to #CreatorCon at Knowledge16 (#Know16), we'll be highlighting Creators and sharing their motivations, challenges and successes in changing the way work is done. We'll also be showing how you can use the ServiceNow Platform to create your own work hacks. Be sure to share your experiences in our Developer Community and by tagging @ServiceNow and #IAmACreator on Twitter.
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