ServiceNow, which provides configurable workflow software for various functions within an organization, today launched a new version of its core platform that gets more granular than ever — even as detailed as guiding the a procurement officer through requests for indirect employee purchases.
ServiceNow has a long-standing reputation for software that serves as the blueprint for operations managers, marketing and sales professionals, accountants, human-resource specialists, and other mainstream corporate functions on a regular basis. But the operational universe is constantly branching inward — and outward — with suppliers, contractors, corporate partners, and potential customers. So new and enhanced workflows are required on a frequent basis.
With its release at Now Platform Tokyo, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company. has added several new workflow modules, including options for supplier lifecycle management, enterprise asset management, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management — a topic that is gaining more and more corporate traction as lasts
“For example, we’ve streamlined the procurement function for you and your critical suppliers,” Chief Operating Officer CJ Desai told ZDNET. “While we can’t fix supply-chain issues, Supplier Lifecycle Management can help you with automation. Your suppliers will be able to go to our portal and request an item, check the status, and create a streamlined experience for how they deal with your company. The new efficiencies can be huge.”
According to Desai, the Tokyo edition provides auditable, investor-grade sustainability data in the following new modules:
- Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)that automates the entire lifecycle of physical business assets from planning to retirement for industries such as healthcare, financial services, retail, manufacturing and the public sector.
- Supplier Lifecycle Management (SLM)enabling organizations to transform traditional high-effort supplier interactions that reside in email and spreadsheets into modern, digital experiences, allowing teams to reduce operational costs.
- Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Management. is enhanced to enable companies to establish and document ESG goals and KPIs, monitor performance, collect and validate audit-ready data, and create disclosures that align with key frameworks of ESG reporting. ServiceNow is working with KPMG, Deloitte, DxC, Emissionsbox, Fujitsu, LTI, Mindtree, NTT, and RSM to expand the reach and capabilities of this feature in the market.
Other new features in the Tokyo edition include:
- Manager Hub addresses managers’ biggest pain points, like burnout and mounting pressure to keep employees happy and engaged in dispersed teams. It provides a destination for managers to establish and review employee journeys and respond to requests while delivering personalized resources and training to help managers develop as leaders.
- Admin Center — part of ServiceNow Impact — enables system administrators to discover, install, and configure ServiceNow software through a self-service portal. The new Adoption Blueprint guides admins through application recommendations based on instance maturity, increased visibility into application entitlements, and simpler application installation and configuration—all from within their in-instance applications.
- Issue Auto Resolution for Human Resources extends Issue Auto Resolution capabilities for IT service management to HR teams. The solution applies natural language understanding (NLU) to analyze requests and deliver self-service content that meets employees where they are through channels such as Microsoft Teams, SMS, and email. It also identifies urgent HR cases and takes them directly to an employee care representative when a higher level of support is needed.
ServiceNow competes in the same market as Salesforce, IBM, Zendesk, Freshworks, SolarWinds, and Jira.
Any feature can be selected from a menu
How does the integration of the new release affect existing ServiceNow customers?
“So at the platform level, they’re upgrading to the new database schema, and then the additional features — support that’s been laid out for them,” Desai said. “Then they can turn on whatever product they’re using — it automatically has the new features enabled. Then the customer has the option to turn on any other functionality they want.”
Each function is separately priced in the ServiceNow business model. Early users of the Tokyo platform include NTT DATA Corp., the City of Copenhagen, UC Irvine, and King’s Hawaiian bakeries. The software is available starting today.