Your organization has chosen ServiceNow to be the strategic platform for digital transformation but, chances are, there’s going to be resistance to adoption. Who can help ease the fears of change and provide feedback from the field back to the ServiceNow project team?
Champions are important because they help inform implementation planning and activities with an understanding of what people in the organization need to be able to effectively adopt ServiceNow. But what are the responsibilities of your Champions and how do you train them?
To help with this, we’ve highlighted four questions to consider when understanding the ServiceNow Champion role:
1. “What is a ServiceNow Champion?”
ServiceNow Champions are people from different teams and roles (e.g. team leads, process users, users, etc.) who are affected by the ServiceNow implementation and who are willing to help make your ServiceNow project more successful. Champions understand the nuances in culture and specific needs that are unique to their teams and provide that insight to the ServiceNow project team. They are also well positioned to convey information from the ServiceNow project team back to their peers because they are trusted insiders.
2. “What are the responsibilities of a ServiceNow Champion?”
ServiceNow Champions are responsible for:
- Providing constructive feedback on ServiceNow service/process design
- Advocating for ServiceNow and convincing their peers of the value of using it
- Providing perspective on how to communicate implementation plans/progress and avoid barriers to adoption
- Distributing information about the ServiceNow implementation to their peers (e.g., team leaders, process users, users, etc.)
- Supporting ServiceNow go-live by helping peers learn to use the platform
- Acting as ‘super-users’ to help train team members on the best use ServiceNow
- Conveying feedback to the ServiceNow project team on what is working and/or needs additional support after go-live
3. “What do the best ServiceNow Champions do?”
The best ServiceNow Champions are individuals who have built strong personal networks, are well-respected, and are influential among their peers. They use their influence to:
- Help their peers understand and buy-in to the value of using ServiceNow and prepare them to leverage the Platform
- Help identify where and how ServiceNow can be expanded to support other parts of your organization
- Use marketing tactics to promote ServiceNow through various forums including ‘lunch and learn’ sessions, manager meetings and social networks to raise awareness of ServiceNow successes
4. “What training do ServiceNow Champions need?”
Take these four steps to prepare your ServiceNow Champions to effectively support your ServiceNow project:
Learn more:
- Success Checklist – Build a community of champions
- ServiceNow Champion Enablement
- Maximize Success with Champions
- ServiceNow Foundations eLearning Course
What are your thoughts on the champion role? Please enter comments below...
Eric Gerstein, Sr. Research Manager, Best Practices Center of Excellence – Customer Success at ServiceNow
