How to migrate the data from a third party ticketing tool to Servicenow

[sanga2]

HI All,

We have a requirement where we need to migrate the data from a third party ticketing tool to servicenow. 

What is the best format we can take the data in order to migrate in to our servicenow instance. what are the best practices we need to follow.

Thanks in advance.

[Tony Chatfield1]

Hi, at a high level

• Ensure your source data is standardized\consistent, this will reduce all sorts of issues once in ServiceNow instance and is normally easier to fix in source, especially as post migration anything that's a result of substandard source will still be seen by the business as an SNC issue. 
• Map your reference data, eg users\locations\assignment groups etc
• Map your process(es), task states, priorities etc
• Upload your data.

It is common for people to upload all data including reference in a big bang solution, IE over a weekend when the source platform cannot be accessed by users.

But if possible, use a delta based on closed\inactive\records that never change records and migrate these first leaving just active\changeable data for the big bang. For reference records that do not change, you can also test load\import this data to dev instance and then export the results as xml from dev tables and import direct into Production.

Test\stage the migration, even if it's from third party prod to SNC dev

if things go bad, or if you want to validate the process, you can always delete data in SNC DEV (or reclone from prod) and repeat the migration process as often as you like with no real world impact.

 - you can do this over and over until the result is 100%

Make sure you have each migration step\action clearly identified and complete them all in sequence.
If the source has record sys_ids'\GUID's or any form of unique identifier, make sure it is mapped to a field in your SNC records (at least for staging\testing) as this will make identification and remediation of unexpected issues a lot simpler.

[Kat Radner]

Hi @sanga2 

regarding the best format this may depend on the third party tool in question;

as for best practices the SIAM methodology may provide a useful guidance in terms of considerations and standards, even for one tool to be integrated.

If there is a chance that this is the first one in a series of tools to be integrated at a later point, the SIAM methodology will equip you with a lot of knowlede regarding setting up a Service Integration Layer to facilitate scaling; I'd personally also look into middleware solutions to facilitate technical integration even further.

Hope that helps!

[Tetiana Belevsk]

Hi, 

When migrating data from a third-party ticketing tool to ServiceNow, the best format typically depends on your import method. Common formats include CSV, JSON, or XML, depending on whether you're using ServiceNow’s import sets, APIs, or a staging database.

Best practices include:

• Cleaning and standardizing data before the import
• Mapping fields accurately to ServiceNow’s data model
• Preserving relationships between records (e.g., tickets, users, attachments)
• Testing the import in a non-production environment first
  

If you’re looking for an automated approach, some organizations use third-party tools like Help Desk Migration.

[JamesBuckla]

Hi @sanga2 

Transfer of data versus data format... here's my recommendation regarding "data format"...

Data Export (CSV/XML/JSON)

• For routing data (e.g., assignment group mappings), export via reports or scripts.
• Use Import Sets or Data Sources to bring them into the new instance.

Regards,

James