Managing a wide range of service catalog items becomes a formidable challenge in rapidly changing business sectors, where the complexity of services offered resembles a maze. From ITSM services and energy efficiency solutions to asset management, the sheer volume and variety of offerings require a strategic approach to ensure operational efficiency and responsiveness.
This article outlines the complex process of transforming an extensive catalog of 1138 items from one energy company into a more sophisticated and efficient set of 130 catalog items for another energy company, achieved through the skillful application of the ServiceNow platform’s advanced capabilities.
Initial analysis of catalog items – understanding the scope
Before starting the transformation, the most important thing was a meticulous analysis of the existing 1138 catalog items at the first power company. These items were not just commodities; they represented a spectrum of:
- core energy services,
- ancillary offerings,
- and complex internal processes.
For example, a core service might be “electricity supply,” a cornerstone of the energy sector. At the same time, an ancillary offering might include something as specific as “energy efficiency consulting,” referring to the growing emphasis on sustainability.
In addition, catalog items were created over several years, allowing a wide audience (more than 23,000 people) to become accustomed to understanding and appropriately assimilating the limited logic and granularity (one comprehensive request to set up a virtual server could contain 7 additional catalog items – treated as separate requests).
The complex categorization process included identifying core power services, ancillary solutions, and internal processes critical to smooth operations. This fundamental step laid the foundation for a strategic approach to catalog transformation.
Another challenge was that 1 subcontractor carried out the current analysis, strenuously applying templates from similar implementations from pharmaceutical companies. In contrast, a second subcontractor carried out the design and implementation of the target item catalog.
ServiceNow’s capabilities as a centralized platform
ServiceNow and its modules, Service Portal and Service Catalog, are comprehensive service cataloging tools that became the basis for the transformation. Based on the configuration management database (CMDB) principles, ServiceNow was not just a tool but a strategic catalyst. The integration of ServiceNow brought a paradigm shift in catalog item management.
To develop the full potential of ServiceNow, the analyst team delved into the realms of Orchestration and Workflow Automation. These functionalities played a key role in streamlining and automating complex processes.
For example, repetitive and time-consuming tasks such as consolidating requests to prepare a computer for release, including installation and allocation of software licenses (customized image based on the employee’s roles and workstation), were seamlessly automated, reducing errors and reducing the number of requests to one (using Catalog Guide and also consolidating approvals inside Catalog Tasks) and significantly increasing processing efficiency.
Strategic deployment of ServiceNow functionality
Automation in action
To illustrate the impact of automation, let’s consider creating a workflow for migrated customers from one environment in the first company to a new environment in the second company. Using the capabilities of ServiceNow Workflow Automation, the project team prepared the deployment process, automating every step from account creation to service activation. This accelerated implementation time and ensured accuracy and consistency throughout the process.
Integrating a seamless transformation process
Integration was a key milestone in ensuring a smooth transition of the user transformation process. Connecting ServiceNow to the existing customer relationship management (CRM) system was necessary. This integration ensured customer data remained synchronized across platforms, eliminating redundant data entry and creating a unified view of customer interactions.
Data Governance
ServiceNow’s standardization capabilities were used to standardize the various catalog items. Consider a scenario where descriptions of similar services differ and are confusing.
Standardization made the various descriptions, such as categories and subcategories of directory services, consistent from the end user’s UX perspective. Descriptions in each type of catalog item due to distribution method (Intune, Automatic Deployment, Base Image, and others) were also expanded and automated to provide the user in the description area with a short guide on how to order a given service, what next steps will be performed and what the user will receive after resolving the request they have currently submitted,
Customized links to the specific article for a given service were also added in the item catalog description area, guided by the user’s hand to increase their confidence in the services offered and their quality throughout the request workflow.
Adapting to the needs of the energy industry
ServiceNow was not a one-size-fits-all solution; it was customized to meet the unique requirements of the energy sector. An example of customization included integrating a custom module for tracking renewable energy credits. This custom addition ensured that ServiceNow was not just a tool but an adapted solution tailored to the industry’s specific requirements.
Implementing keywords for optimization – strategic integration of keywords
With ServiceNow’s capabilities, strategic keyword implementation became a powerful optimization tool. Keywords such as “renewable,” “sustainability,” and “efficiency” have been elevated to director positions. This improved search functionality and aligned catalog items with industry trends and priorities, ensuring that users could easily discover relevant services.
Data-driven decision-making – leveraging analytics
The transformation journey was not based solely on intuition but on data-driven decision-making. ServiceNow’s analytics tools played a key role in this phase. For example, Performance Analytics and Predictive Intelligence were used to identify underutilized catalog items, detect gaps in which catalog items have low-quality descriptions in the description field, their frequency of use in terms of ordering, the success ratio of first installation, and configuration, and future trends.
This data-driven insight enabled stakeholder representing business sectors to retire or upgrade services based on their performance, ensuring optimal resource allocation and continuous improvement.
User training and adaptation – ensure smooth user transformation
It was necessary to ensure a smooth transition for end users as the technical metamorphosis unfolded. A comprehensive training program was meticulously developed, including theoretical knowledge and practical sessions. Employees were trained to access catalog items, place orders, and use ServiceNow’s self-service capabilities.
To this end, a communication matrix was established, and each trained user was added to service catalog-dedicated channels on Teams where they could ask questions and get immediate assistance in handling a request – before they submitted an Incident.
This hands-on approach facilitated a smooth transition and enabled users to realize the full potential of the transformed service catalog. Personalized surveys by category and subcategory of service requests were also sent – the results of which were meticulously analyzed and presented to stakeholders on a monthly basis for suggestions for improvement.
Summary
The transformation from 1138 to 130 inter-company catalog items was not a simple reduction in their number – it was a strategic and comprehensive transformation. The combination of ServiceNow’s capabilities – Service Mapping, Request Fulfilment, Knowledge Base, Change Management, Incident Management, and Release Management – resulted in a dynamic and flexible service catalog.
The organization has not only streamlined its offerings but also laid the foundation for continuous adaptation and improvement and the efficiency of its business processes, which have also been streamlined for these needs.
Final thoughts
Reflecting on this transformational aspect at ServiceNow, I encourage those supporting companies to take a similar approach. Beyond the technical complexities, incorporating user-friendly interfaces through tools such as the Service Portal and establishing service level agreements (SLAs) can improve the user experience and increase their confidence in the ServiceNow system and the quality of service provided.
Leveraging technology, strategic analysis, and a commitment to continuous improvement can ensure sustainable success for energy companies in an ever-evolving industry. The roadmap to a streamlined service catalog is not just about tools and processes; it’s mainly about fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability that directly impacts a company’s bottom line.
