At ServiceNow, they have updated their platform to a new version. Each new version is named after a city and this time it was Tokyo’s turn. In this new version, ServiceNow focuses mainly on additional features and tools to support companies in these complex macro economic times.

Organizations currently face many challenges and uncertainties. We have only just emerged from COVID, and now a war is causing high inflation and there are labor shortages in many countries. This in turn is creating supply chain problems and sometimes making it difficult to retain talent. While these challenging macroeconomic situations cannot be solved quickly, you can manage and control them better.

According to CJ Desai, COO at ServiceNow, “Now is not a good time to start experimenting, organizations need solutions that are easy to implement and use, and that help do more with less.” The ServiceNow platform can provide this digital business management and accelerate desired transformations.

Also read: ServiceNow’s McDermott tells a story but the chances are it’s true

Supplier Lifecycle Management (SLM)

One of the new solutions offered by ServiceNow is Supplier Lifecycle Management. This allows all communications with a supplier and spreadsheets shared with the supplier to be captured together in one solution. In this way, communication is carried out in a uniform manner while the overview remains clear to everyone. Colleagues can also see more quickly what has been discussed and agreed with a supplier. It can also ensure that documents are signed on time and legal approval is given.

All the processes involved in new contracts with suppliers can easily be captured in workflows on the ServiceNow platform. In many organizations that do not yet work with an SLM, processes and documents sometimes get stuck in employee mailboxes. This in turn causes delays in the supply chain that organizations really can’t use right now.

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)

Many large organizations in industries such as healthcare, financial services, retail, manufacturing and the public sector deal with many physical assets. This does not include IT, but assets such as machines and vehicles. This involves things like lifecycle management, so how long should an asset last, when should it be maintained, what are the risks, how many should we have or keep in use. What is the best time to replace them, for example, because of high maintenance costs or too high risks. Through EAM, you can manage all this.

More and more organizations are realizing that corporate responsibility is important. The impact on the environment must be reduced. To do this, you need to set goals, start recording your impact and track performance. For example, it is possible to use this tool to calculate CO2 emissions. Organisations can report according to the major ESG reporting frameworks on how their organization is doing. For this tool, ServiceNow collaborates with major parties in the market. Think KPMG, Deloitte, Fujitsu and NTT.

However, it became clear to us in conversation with ServiceNow that the tool is still very non-committal. The tool offers you the possibility to report everything, but has no algorithms of its own to calculate things. For example, you can specify the CO2 emissions of a trip yourself. So it makes it easy to cheat with the numbers, which is still a point of criticism. If we compare this to Salesforce Net Zero Cloud, for example, this platforms has algorithms to calculate CO2 emissions based on frameworks for a specified trip. Then the emissions figures cannot be tampered with so easily.

However, we should also immediately point out that in the absence of an internationally recognized standard to create this kind of reporting, there is not much to compare either. It would be good if all organizations started using the same methodology. Now organizations often choose the methodology most favorable to them.

Improve productivity and efficiency

ServiceNow has also introduced several things in the Tokyo release that should help improve productivity and efficiency.

Manager Hub

With Manager Hub, managers in the company get a simple tool at their disposal to keep an eye on their employees. This allows them to see what work is being done and at what pace. Tools can also be made available to employees to help them do their jobs better. If an employee starts to deviate and there are signs that they may be close to burnout or the workload is very high, the manager can be informed. This way, timely action can be taken and more employees can be retained.

Admin Center

ServiceNow has developed an AI algorithm that can analyze a customer’s entire ServiceNow environment. This allows it to determine which ServiceNow solutions are being used and how effectively or efficiently solutions are being deployed. The AI model can determine what opportunities the customer is still leaving behind. That is, solutions that are available on the platform that the customer does not have to pay extra for and that it can deploy through a self-service experience. These could be additional applications, for example. The goal is to make organizations more productive and efficient.

Auto Resolution for Human Resources

ServiceNow made an improvement in the Tokyo release in handling “natural language.” In other words, the language a user speaks or searches for. This improvement will helps employees who are looking for a solution to help themselves. They can use a self-service module, rather than requiring an HR employee. Or in the case of ITSM, an IT employee.

For example, if someone searches for their last paycheck, the system can present it immediately. Instead of a ticket being created and an HR employee having to provide it. Or if someone wants to request time off, they will be directed directly to the right application and workflow.

ServiceNow Platform

This is just a sampling of the new capabilities the ServiceNow Platform has to offer. We understand there are hundreds more additional enhancements, many of them smaller in nature. ServiceNow has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and the platform is bigger than ever. Possibly this is also a pitfall for ServiceNow, as it must, of course, remain understandable to customers and potential customers.

A couple of years ago, we wrote an article about ServiceNow that outlines at least the basics of the company.

Also read: Nobody knows what ServiceNow does, or what it can do for you