"Are you getting the most from your ServiceNow Investment?"

“Are you getting the most from your ServiceNow investment?”

It’s a compelling question—one that customers often hear from system integrators, and increasingly, one they find themselves asking internally. It’s also an effective sales opener. The challenge is that this question often leads to a wide range of proposed enhancements, add-ons, or new capabilities that the organization may not be prepared for—or, in some cases, may not need at all.

For customers who aren’t equipped to evaluate their own maturity, architecture, or outcomes, this question can unintentionally open the door to unnecessary functionality and long-term technical debt.

A Homeowner’s Analogy:

Knowing When to DIY vs. When to Call an Expert

As a homeowner, I’m constantly faced with opportunities to improve my house. It’s an older home, but I’ve upgraded it throughout the years. Some improvements made total sense for me to do myself—largely because I spent my early career apprenticing under a highly experienced remodeler. He taught me foundational skills, which empowered me to perform major repairs and upgrades independently.

However, there were many other projects—some I knew about, some I didn’t—that required expertise beyond my comfort zone. Even so, I often moved forward because my home is one of my most important investments, and I wanted to take care of it responsibly.

My experience with ServiceNow customers has been remarkably similar.

You Can’t Make Good Decisions Without Understanding the Current State

Imagine trying to remodel your home or negotiate with contractors without any understanding of construction principles. If there were underlying structural problems, you would want to address those before installing a new home theater or investing in a high-end kitchen renovation.

The same logic applies to ServiceNow.

I once needed electrical work on my home because my microwave kept tripping a 15-amp breaker. When a contractor recommended replacing the entire panel and rewiring the kitchen, it initially sounded reasonable—until a friend of mine, an electrician, explained that the real issue could be resolved with a higher-rated breaker or a more efficient appliance.

That conversation transformed my vague problem statement (“my microwave keeps shutting off”) into a clear need (“I need enough power for normal kitchen usage”). The solution wasn’t a full panel replacement; it was a targeted, inexpensive fix.

I was fortunate to have someone I trusted to guide me.

Experience Matters—But So Does Being an Informed Consumer

That experience taught me the value of educating myself before making major decisions. It also reinforced how important it was to have a trusted advisor—someone who could help me interpret my needs, validate assumptions, and protect my investment.

As I prepared for larger kitchen upgrades, I leaned on that experience and was far better equipped to speak with contractors. I knew what questions to ask, what risks to look for, and when recommendations didn’t align with my actual needs.

This is exactly how ServiceNow customers should feel when evaluating their platform.

The ServiceNow Parallel: Assess Before You Invest

Organizations frequently invest in new modules, capabilities, integrations, and automations without a clear understanding of:

• their current state

• their actual business outcomes

• the readiness of their processes

• technical debt already accumulated

• what improvements will truly drive value

Just as with home improvements, it’s essential to assess the foundation before adding new features.

A trusted architectural perspective—whether internal or external—helps transform problem statements into precise needs, validates readiness, and prevents unnecessary cost and complexity.