From Firefighting to Flow: How One Client Transformed ITSM with ServiceNow and ITIL

[BillMartin]

ITIL - What is it? (Introduction to ITIL & ITSM)

When we first met the client, their IT team was in constant firefighting mode.
Users submitted tickets, but no one knew where they went. Changes happened without approvals. Outages were frequent—and often, no one even knew what caused them.

The CIO described it best:

“We’re working hard every day, but we can’t tell if we’re actually improving anything.”

They needed structure. They needed visibility.
They needed more than a tool—they needed a new way of working.

That’s when we introduced them to ITIL.

What Is ITIL and Why Does It Matter?

ITIL—short for Information Technology Infrastructure Library—is a best-practice framework that helps IT teams deliver value, reduce risk, and align better with the business.

We explained it like this:

“ITIL is not a product. It’s a blueprint for how great IT should run.”

By aligning with ITIL’s core practices—Incident, Problem, Change, Request, and more—we’d build a consistent and scalable system on ServiceNow ITSM.

Step 1: Begin with Outcomes, Not Configuration

Before we touched the platform, we led workshops with stakeholders across IT and the business. We asked:

• What are your current pain points?

• How do you define success?

• What service metrics actually matter?

Only after we had answers did we start designing the ServiceNow solution.

Step 2: Align to CSDM and Get the CMDB Right

Their CMDB was incomplete—some assets existed, but relationships were unclear.
We used CSDM (Common Service Data Model) to structure their data:

• “Business Services” were defined and mapped

• Applications were tied to servers

• Relationships like “Runs on”, “Depends on”, and “Used by” were established

The result? Every Incident or Change record now had business context.

Step 3: Customize with Purpose

The client had built some custom forms before, but they were hard to maintain.
We helped them adopt out-of-the-box ServiceNow workflows, and used Flow Designer and Script Includes only where business value justified it.

They learned a valuable lesson:

“Stick to standards. Customize only when it creates measurable impact.”

Step 4: Build in Feedback and Continuous Improvement

With automation and workflows in place, we didn’t stop there.
We helped them launch regular feedback loops:

• Weekly reports from Performance Analytics

• End-user satisfaction surveys

• Monthly CAB meetings that reviewed trends, not just approved changes

These sessions became key to ITIL’s Continual Improvement practice.

Step 5: Secure by Design

Access to ServiceNow was originally wide open.
We implemented RBAC, scoped apps, and audit trails.
No more “super users” with unnecessary access—every role had just enough, and no more.

Security became a byproduct of smart service design.

Step 6: Empowering the Business

Perhaps the biggest win?
We didn’t just train the IT team—we trained service owners, compliance leads, and business stakeholders.

Together, they owned the outcomes.

“We finally feel like IT and the business are playing on the same team,” one VP said.

The Result: From Firefighting to Flow

Six months after go-live:

• SLA compliance increased by 32%

• Mean Time to Resolution dropped by 40%

• End-user satisfaction (CSAT) jumped to 4.7/5

Today, the client runs a mature ITSM operation built on ITIL principles and ServiceNow capability. And they’re expanding into ITOM, SAM, and beyond.

Takeaway

ITIL gave them the blueprint. ServiceNow gave them the platform.
But the real transformation happened when people, process, and platform aligned.

If you’re early in your journey—or stuck in firefighting mode—know this:
With the right foundation, clarity is possible.

Want to see these best practices in action?
Watch my full video breakdown on YouTube where I walk through the real-world setup, ITSM Best practices used in this implementation:

Let me know your thoughts in the comments—and feel free to share your own ITSM story below!