With the new release in Tokyo of its Now Platform on Sept. 21, Service Today continues to expand overall digital workflow capabilities.
ServiceNow started by focusing more on IT service management (ITSM) as its core offering on the company’s Now Platform. That has changed in recent years, as ServiceNow continues to add digital workflow modules to its Now Platform. With the release in Tokyo, ServiceNow is adding Enterprise Asset Management (EAM); Supplier Lifecycle Management (SLM); and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Management workflow platform capabilities.
The Now Platform will also benefit from a new Manager Hub tool designed to help organizations better manage staff to reduce the potential for burnout.
The Now Platform is more than just ITSM, according to Dave Wright, chief innovation officer at ServiceNow.
“With this release, we’re introducing many new features aimed at solving pain points for different personas, including sustainability teams, HR departments, operations teams, and more,” Wright said. ITPro Now. “Although we had humble beginnings as an ITSM solution, the Now Platform has evolved to become a cross-enterprise solution that streamlines work for every employee.”
ServiceNow Debuts New Modules in Now Platform Tokyo Release
Enterprise Asset Management is a brand new solution featured in the Now Platform Tokyo release.
EAM enables organizations to manage the entire lifecycle of their physical business assets to meet financial and operational targets, Wright said. With EAM, an organization can gain transparency into asset status to support better planning and decision-making in a dynamic business environment, he said.
Supplier Lifecycle Management is also a new capability in the Tokyo release. Wright explains that SLM automates and simplifies supplier interactions.
“Too much of the supplier lifecycle is managed through email and spreadsheets,” he says. “Our new Supplier Lifecycle Management capability automates the entire supplier process for employees and suppliers.”
Also, ESG management capability is being enhanced in the Tokyo update. ESG management allows companies to establish and document ESG goals, track performance, and create disclosures that align with key ESG reporting frameworks, Wright said.
“Carbon accounting is a key feature new to ESG Management as part of the Tokyo release that will enable organizations to calculate greenhouse gas emissions within an innovative user experience so organizations can meet the increasing demands for ESG data,” he said.
Reducing Burnout Is A Management Practice
IT management isn’t just about technology — it’s also about people.
Managers need tools that address the needs, well-being, and professional growth of employees, Wright said. Those can include digital tools to facilitate continuous learning and development, low-code tools, and a place to understand and track team performance and goals.
Among the tools ServiceNow provides today to support people is its auto-resolution for human resources capability that uses natural language understanding to analyze requests and then direct users to the right content. At the management level, ServiceNow is introducing a new Manager Hub to help businesses reduce the risk of burnout by helping to ensure employee satisfaction.
“The Manager Hub provides a single destination for managers to establish and review employee journeys and respond to requests while delivering personalized resources and training to help managers grow as leaders,” said by Wright.
About the author
Sean Michael Kerner is an IT consultant, technology enthusiast and tinkerer. He consults with industry and media organizations on technology issues.