ServiceNow platform automation to streamline operations
ServiceNow is a recognized industry leader for managing all IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)-related processes on a single platform. The ServiceNow platform is an industry-leading, cloud-based platform known for its high availability, scalability, and flexibility. Increasingly, companies of all sizes are exploring the possibility of leveraging the multiple levels of robust automation tools available on this platform. One of the primary goals of the ServiceNow platform is to automate as much of the digital workflow process as possible. Through integrations to other platforms, ServiceNow is also able to automate information sharing across multiple platforms.
Automation has its benefits, from cost savings, to freeing up additional resources to focus on innovation and optimization. Automating your processes can improve both internal and external user experience – your employees can work faster and smarter, and your end users will feel the impact in improved support and a better customer experience.
In Part 1 of this series, we explored some of the ways the ServiceNow platform can streamline and optimize workflows for organizations of all sizes. In Part 2, we’ll look at some of the automation capabilities and the benefits they bring.
Helping agents via low-code process automation and integrations
An important differentiator for the ServiceNow platform is its ability to automate many aspects of IT service management (ITSM) processes into low-code digital workflows. Low-code workflows can increase the agility of your teams, reduce cost, and help you scale your operations more swiftly. Leveraging ServiceNow’s low-code workflows, for example, can help you with:
- Processing emails to create new or update existing tickets
- Auto-assigning tickets to the proper support team
- Retrieving data from external systems
- Proactively closing a ticket when the last step has been executed
Fundamental ServiceNow platform automation capabilities include tools, such as basic scripting, visual workflows, and pre-built integrations with external platforms. The cross-platform integrations primarily focus on information sharing. They are capable of process automation on the external platform, if that platform allows it through their application programming interface (API) offering. These integrations are implemented using a ServiceNow capability called IntegrationHub. Each pre-built integration is co-developed with the external platform’s technical team to insure robust information sharing. ServiceNow also offers a programmable interface to develop custom integrations to other platforms. This creates a more seamless environment, meaning faster and more efficient workflows.
Helping users via agentless hyperautomation
As speed and agility become more important to business continuity, companies of all sizes are looking to embrace hyperautomation to streamline their workflows. Hyperautomation represents the optimal state of your business processes, combining automation tools, technologies, and machine learning (ML) algorithms. The goal of hyperautomation is to create a comprehensive system that can automate processes that may have been problematic in the past. It can allow for simultaneous execution of tasks, preventing bottlenecks and facilitating seamless integrations and transitions; creating faster, smarter workflows to improve your end user experience.
For example, ServiceNow offers automated chatbot workflows that enable end users to perform self-service tasks without needing to rely on any human assistance. These workflows are managed through a low-code interface using a visual workflow interface. They leverage natural language understanding (NLU) via ML models. Other available hyperautomation tools include robotic process automation (RPA) and an automation engine that can be paired with leading-edge artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. These features allow for greater self-service in a time when fast service and solutions are the norm. Being able to offer this to your users reduces the amount of time and resources required to solve a problem, helping you work quickly and with fewer disruptions.
ServiceNow platform automation to save you time and resources
ServiceNow has reliable and robust integration and automation capabilities. They are primarily leveraged for process automation to remove lower value tasks from backend agents, increasing your team’s efficiency. More advanced capabilities are available to provide agentless self-service for end users through chatbots and RPA. Looking to the future, ServiceNow has also started to develop and deliver AI capabilities with their automation offerings. All these features can work together to deliver faster, more personalized service to end users, improving your workflows and saving you time and resources long term.
At CAI, we utilize a portfolio of industry-leading automation solutions and develop a best-for-you automation approach. Our ServiceNow team has the expertise to maximize your investment in ServiceNow solutions and deliver your projects on time and on budget. If you’re interested in learning more about automation within the ServiceNow platform, contact us.
