ServiceNow Customization versus Configuration

It’s clear to businesses that ServiceNow is a suite of feature-rich applications built upon a robust platform that makes the process of configuration and customization quick and easy. The challenge can come when they don’t have a clear vision of what separates ServiceNow customization from configuration. This challenge will ultimately affect the success of their search for ServiceNow professionals, as well as the success of the platform for the business.

Just like any technology, ServiceNow has its own language, best practices, and idiosyncrasies. When considering bringing on ServiceNow personnel, the IT organization must have clear goals for how ServiceNow will affect the business. These goals are shaped by a clear understanding of what defines configuration and customization.

What Is Configuration?

Configuration is the process of setting up an assortment of components to create the system. This can include:

• Applying settings, such as system property values, or adding configuration data, like LDAP servers, to enable a function or capability
• Modifying forms to add new fields, hide fields, or restyle the form layout
• Adding complicated elements, such as field elements, workflows, client, server-side scripting, script includes, etc.
• Changing anything that is non-functional to a ServiceNow application

What Is Customization?

ServiceNow customization involves actions in which existing ServiceNow applications are modified to function differently than originally presented by ServiceNow. This could mean, for example:

• Taking the change request and creating your own change approval workflow
• Adding new state values to the state field
• Anything that involves the creation of a new application, process, or unit of work (i.e. extension of task).

ServiceNow Customization vs. Configuration

ServiceNow customization can and often does overlap with configuration. Consequently, businesses require highly skilled and experienced ServiceNow professionals that are grounded in service management and ITIL.

At Solugenix, we partner with businesses as a professional IT staffing firm to help you define your goals as well as your needs. This builds the foundation for finding the right ServiceNow professional to become part of your team for ServiceNow customization, configuration, integration, and planning.