Does customization of your ServiceNow implementation add value, or add complexity and cost?
The answer is yes (maybe), and yes (maybe). The point is that customization can add to the value you realize from ServiceNow, but it can also create additional cost due to testing and potential technical debt. Customization should always be 'business-smart': the value that any customization delivers should outweigh its potential complexity and cost.
Knowing what's business-smart is a matter of good governance. We recommend building a scorecard to help evaluate new demands for customization (and configuration) for value. You can use a simple 1-to-5 scoring framework, as shown below, that your demand managers can use to make this evaluation.
You can then put your value scores alongside a rating for complexity/cost. We've done that for you, in the table below, using common customization and configuration scenarios.
The bottom line is that you should apply cost-benefit analysis to get to business-smart customization. The more complex or costly your customization, the more value it needs to deliver for your enterprise.
Good governance shouldn't stop here. To make this work, you need:
- Clear processes and responsibilities for demand evaluation and management
- Clear design guidance for development teams, particularly around scoped applications
- Regular reviews - even 'audits' - to ensure that the customizations you've implemented still deliver on a clear business need
And don't stop at a scorecard or process level. Interview your agent and rep teams -- the teams working in ServiceNow regularly -- to find out if the value intended by customization or configuration is actually realized in day-to-day experience. Involve your service desk agents and reps in the definition of what's business-smart: it's not just what's in the original request for customization, but in whether you're truly realizing value in action.
Learn more: Avoid customization pitfalls so you can innovate and meet demand at scale
