At Pathways Consulting Group, we specialize in helping organizations implement the ServiceNow platform as a cloud solution to help enhance operations. With proper setup, ServiceNow streamlines workflows, automates routine tasks, and provides mobile accessibility and flexibility. Achieving this, however, requires organizations to take the necessary time and work with a trusted partner to implement the platform correctly. The result is a company that runs more efficiently from top to bottom – saving time and resources to dedicate to core business processes.
At Pathways, we’re committed to helping clients tailor the ServiceNow platform to meet their exact needs, driven by the understanding that ServiceNow is one of the most flexible solutions available.
Configurations vs. customizations: Understanding the difference
As you begin your digital transformation journey with ServiceNow, it is important to understand the differences between configuration and customization. While customization is possible, best practices encourage configuration instead. This allows you to maximize the cost-effectiveness and long-term viability of the platform.
The fundamental difference between configuration and customization lies in scale and depth. Configurations within the ServiceNow interface cater to a wide range of business needs. They are automatically upgraded with the platform to minimize sunk costs. This baseline functionality along with configuration best practices will allow for faster deployment of the platform and value realization for the organization. Lastly, updates and enhancements of the configurations are all handled easily and seamlessly, freeing up your resources to focus on strategic initiatives.
On the other hand, customizations occur at the code level. These are typically incredibly expensive, regularly consuming money, time, and resources for implementation, maintenance, and updates. Each customization adds to the risk of compatibility issues during subsequent upgrades and will need to be manually maintained. There are very few situations where true customization is necessary – the ServiceNow platform as a whole is an extremely robust cloud solution that has been adapted over the years to meet practically all business needs.
The power of configuration
The key to creating a platform that fits your business model lies not in code customizations, but in strategic configuration. ServiceNow partners like Pathways have a thorough understanding of the configuration options available. The majority of businesses that employ ServiceNow can perfectly tailor the platform with the available configurations and the guidance of an experienced partner, rather than dealing with expensive customizations.
Striking the right balance
In an ideal scenario, businesses would leverage ServiceNow straight out of the box. For most businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, a configured implementation, performed with the help of an Elite ServiceNow partner, will be more than sufficient.
While some large enterprises with ample financial resources may opt for code-level customizations, it is likely that even they will eventually find them lacking the necessary cost-effectiveness to continue. As the platform evolves, ServiceNow continues to include more baseline configuration options, further improving the platform’s ability to address all professional requirements.
Your path to optimal ServiceNow implementation
Determining the best approach for your business requires expert guidance. Our professionals at Pathways Consulting Group specialize in guiding you through the entire implementation process and providing configuration options and solutions to address your organization’s needs. Our in-depth understanding of the platform means we can steer you to the right configurations for the challenges your company faces. We ensure your ServiceNow implementation aligns seamlessly with your professional goals.
Don’t settle for mediocrity. Make the smart choice for your business. Reach out to our experts today and unlock the full potential of your ServiceNow platform. Discover the variety of ServiceNow benefits and unleash the hidden potential within your organization — all with the confidence that comes from working with industry leaders.
