Custom apps on ITSM

[MD4]

How has been your experience creating custom apps (scoped application) within ITSM? Apps to drive functionality for business processes like Finance Service Management / query management etc.

Has it caused any long term issues on the platform? Also - have you been ok to widen the scope of these apps to include more custom scope functionality. 

[bammar]

Hello,

 I have created many custom apps. I prefer Non-Scoped as scoped are really a huge pain to maintain having to jump in and out of scopes. If you have your access and security acls in order - I think it takes care of many concerns why one would scope the app.  Thats just my opinion- now about custom apps.

If you boil it down often a custom app is a custom table inherited or not that you build the App /module layout/ fields access acls , Business rules, client scripts and connection/relationship to other tables. 

I find that when you build a custom app its to fill a need that currently cant be filled by existing functionality. Also since ServiceNow is an open platform and people take all these dev courses - this is where one could really flex their creativity and problem solving skills. Now keeping apprised if an OOB solution comes later may lead you to retire a custom app or function.  But a custom table and all new Business rules etc 

Rules of the road - if your not building a complete new area but sort of updating an existing.- Check all existing fields to avoid creating a dup custom field, try to avoid updating BRs that exist and make new ones- or else stay on top of skipped updates to make sure you still retain OOB functions as well as your custom. 

 Out of box updates will connect to OOB fields in terms of Workspaces, Dashboards, scripts.

Sorry for the random tapestry of feedback but ill say you can sleep better if you make a complete new table with all the aspects- it poses hardly any risk as OOB updates will be on existing tables known to ServiceNow. 

The custom apps I have created have filled a need to my org- automated processes and saved us so much time , money and effort- so if you have room to do the same go for it! There are people and companies out here making piles of money consulting and implementing custom solutions for companies out here and I argue you will gain even more mastery of the platform by endevouring to custom areas.