Where Do You Start? (Office Hours Reminder)

[jasminecole]

One of the most common questions in a large ecosystem like ServiceNow is simple: where should I start?

There are multiple entry points. Some people begin as admins. Others come for development, project management, consulting or business analysis. The path rarely looks the same twice. What tends to matter more than the exact starting point is understanding how different learning paths connect to real work and where you can begin building depth.

That's exactly what we'll be exploring in tomorrow's trainer-led office hours session. We'll be talking about learning paths, entry (and re-entry) points into the ecosystem, and how practitioners decide where to focus as they grow their expertise.

If you're still figuring out where to start or how to refine your direction, this conversation should be a helpful one.

To start this week's discussion: How did you first enter the ServiceNow ecosystem?

[David Nottingha]

I started into the ecosystem after ServiceNow ended up being a winner of an inquiry in nearly every Service Management Tool that was available at the time.

With ServiceNow and one other coming out on top of nearly 18 tools that responded to the RFI. The company I was working for at the time this was ongoing bought another org that was using ServiceNow and that made the final section process easier since it was now considered an in house tool - not to mention is was leading in the scoring across the other tools. At the time I was the  IT Change Manager for the organization.

[suraj sengar]

@jasminecole I have started with Cherwell and then moved to ServiceNow

Key Points: Cherwell vs. ServiceNow

• ​Code vs. Low-Code: Cherwell is known for its "codeless" blueprinting. ServiceNow, while offering low-code tools like Flow Designer, relies heavily on JavaScript (Server-side and Client-side) for advanced logic.

• ​Database Structure: In Cherwell, everything is a "Business Object." In ServiceNow, everything is a Table (extending from the Task or Configuration Item tables).

• ​Web-First Architecture: ServiceNow is natively cloud-based, meaning you'll spend more time working with CSS, HTML (Service Portal), and REST APIs compared to the Cherwell thick client.

Common Challenges in the Transition

• ​The "Scripting" Curve: Moving from Cherwell’s visual One-Steps to ServiceNow’s Business Rules and Script Includes can be intimidating if you aren't comfortable with JavaScript.

• ​Over-Engineering: In Cherwell, it’s easy to build custom objects. In ServiceNow, the challenge is staying "Out of the Box" (OOTB) to ensure easy upgrades.

• ​The Scope of the Platform: ServiceNow is massive. Unlike Cherwell, which focuses heavily on ITSM/ESM, ServiceNow expands into HR, SecOps, and ITOM, which can feel overwhelming.

• ​Update Sets vs. Blueprints: Managing deployments via Update Sets requires more discipline than Cherwell's blueprinting to avoid "colliding" with other developers' work.

Strategic Suggestions for You

​Master the "Big Three" Technical Areas

• ​Flow Designer: This is the closest equivalent to Cherwell’s One-Steps. Use it for your Service Catalog tasks to keep things modern and low-code.

• ​Service Portal/Employee Center: Since you are building catalogs, learn how Widgets and Instance Options work to create a better UI for users.

• ​Client Scripts & UI Policies: Learn when to use a UI Policy (no code) versus a Client Script (code) to control form behavior.