Lessons learnt for portal implementation

[Vivekanandan]

I would needed to know a rich list of lessons learnt while at and more importantly after implementing portal be it service portal or Employee center portal. From Development aspects and very much focused on with production issues post implementation.

Thanks a ton! 

[Amit Gujarathi]

HI @Vivekanandan ,
I trust you are doing great.

1. User-Centric Design: Always design with the end-user in mind. User experience (UX) should drive the layout, flow, and functionalities.

2. Responsive Design: Ensure the portal is responsive across various devices and screen sizes. Mobile accessibility is crucial.

3. Performance Optimization: Focus on optimizing scripts and widgets for performance. Avoid unnecessary server calls and leverage client-side scripting when appropriate.

4. Scalability and Flexibility: Build the portal with scalability in mind. Anticipate future changes and make it easy to add or modify features.

5. Testing and Validation: Conduct thorough testing, including user acceptance testing (UAT) to catch issues before going live.

6. Security Considerations: Implement robust security measures, including role-based access control, to safeguard sensitive data.

7. Documentation and Training: Maintain detailed documentation for future reference and provide adequate training to both users and administrators.

Post-Implementation and Production Issues

1. Monitoring and Maintenance: Regularly monitor the portal for any performance or functionality issues. Set up alerts for unusual activities.

2. User Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback mechanism to gather user input post-launch, which is crucial for continuous improvement.

3. Issue Resolution Process: Have a clear process for addressing and resolving production issues, including a dedicated support team.

4. Performance Tuning: Continuously monitor and optimize the portal's performance, especially after major ServiceNow updates or added functionalities.

5. Regular Updates and Patches: Apply updates and patches in a timely manner to ensure stability and security.

6. Change Management: Manage changes carefully to minimize disruptions. Use a staging environment for testing before deploying to production.

7. Analytics and Reporting: Utilize analytics to track usage patterns and identify areas for improvement.

Coding Specifics

1. Efficient Scripting: Write efficient, clean code with comments for future reference. Avoid redundant or overly complex scripts.

2. Use of APIs: Leverage ServiceNow's REST APIs for integrations and data manipulation where appropriate.

3. Customization vs Configuration: Prefer out-of-the-box configurations over customizations to ease future updates and maintenance.

4. Error Handling: Implement robust error handling in your scripts to avoid system crashes and provide meaningful error messages to users.

5. Version Control: Use a version control system for your code to track changes and roll back if necessary.

6. Compliance with ServiceNow Best Practices: Always adhere to ServiceNow’s recommended coding practices and guidelines.