What is ServiceNow: Benefits & Use Cases
Discover how ServiceNow automates processes, boosts efficiency, unifies systems, and improves data visibility. And see how to get it for a low price.
ServiceNow’s comprehensive cloud-based platform automates complex processes, oversees change management, optimizes resource management, and improves service delivery. It also helps businesses achieve greater operational efficiency.
With solutions for IT service management, HR, and security operations, it can unify disparate systems, automate tasks, and enhance service management. But this complexity also makes ServiceNow hard to understand, both in terms of its features and suitability for different use cases.
To help you learn what ServiceNow is, how it’s designed, and its potential benefits, this article explains:
- Core services, products, and features
- Industries and applications it’s most suited to
- Three example case studies
- How to secure it for a low price with fair terms
What is ServiceNow?
ServiceNow is a business workflow platform that’s designed to streamline a wide array of business functions. The flexible, integrated solutions it offers can help you digitize processes and enhance operational efficiency.
Originally known for its IT service management (ITSM) capabilities, ServiceNow has expanded its services to cover other critical departments such as HR, customer service, and security operations.
At its core, ServiceNow acts as a central hub where you can manage tasks, track progress, and automate manual processes that might otherwise slow down productivity.
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By leveraging the Now Platform — which provides a customizable, task-based framework and incorporates machine learning — ServiceNow increases output, reduces operational costs, and supports structured, sustainable scaling.
The platform connects systems, centralizes data, and reduces disruptions caused by fragmented tools or outdated processes.
ServiceNow also offers powerful integrations with other business-critical tools, allowing you to manage operations seamlessly across departments. This reduces manual workload in key areas such as project management, resource allocation, and strategic planning.
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Who is ServiceNow used by: Organization types and use cases
ServiceNow is widely adopted by mid-market companies, especially those with complex operations that need to reduce repetitive tasks and enhance their digital processes across departments.
For example, imagine you manage a mid-sized company with separate IT, HR, and customer service departments. ServiceNow can streamline workflows by automating service requests, unifying employee data for HR processes, and improving customer service response times — all within a single platform.
Therefore, mid-market firms that are strapped for internal IT resources benefit from ServiceNow’s ability to integrate with existing systems and scale as their operations grow.
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Meanwhile, enterprise-level organizations use ServiceNow to automate intricate processes such as global IT support, employee onboarding across multiple locations, and complex supply chain management.
This ensures efficient collaboration, improves service delivery, and enhances visibility across operations.
ServiceNow’s robust solutions for IT operations, customer and employee experience, risk management, and automation, make it suitable for operations across multiple sectors, including:
- Finance
- Healthcare
- Government
- Education
- Manufacturing
- Telecommunications and media
- Retail
- Energy and utilities
- Non-profit
How ServiceNow benefits businesses: Three case studies by sector
ServiceNow delivers tangible business benefits across multiple industries and use cases by simplifying complex operations and automating critical processes.
The following case studies demonstrate how companies in the finance, manufacturing, and retail sectors leveraged the platform to enhance visibility across operations, cut manual tasks, improve service delivery, and increase operational productivity.
Finance: NatWest Group
NatWest Group wanted to become the top UK bank for customer service while reducing costs and remaining compliant.
With ServiceNow, they unified their IT service management, replacing 13 legacy tools. The automation of key processes, including change management and incident handling, saved 46,000 employee hours and improved the average time to raise a change by 76%.
By integrating ServiceNow with 15 data sources and automating 50% of their critical IT controls, NatWest enhanced responsiveness and reduced operational complexity, providing a better experience for both employees and customers.
Manufacturing: Lavazza
Lavazza, a global leader in coffee production, faced increased IT complexity due to rapid expansion in its manufacturing and distribution operations.
To manage these challenges, Lavazza implemented ServiceNow’s IT Service Management (ITSM) and Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) solutions. These tools streamlined ticket management for 6,000 users, handling 70,000 tickets annually, and integrated IT project management across 100+ projects each year.
The platform’s automation features reduced manual processes and duplicate tickets, enhancing efficiency despite limited IT resources. By leveraging ServiceNow, Lavazza improved governance and operational control, which play a key role in its continued growth.
Retail: 7-Eleven Mexico
7-Eleven Mexico implemented ServiceNow IT Service Management (ITSM) and IT Operations Management (ITOM) to enhance visibility and streamline operations across its 1,800 stores.
By improving its IT infrastructure, 7-Eleven reduced duplicate database records by 80,000 and achieved 100% uninterrupted operations in all stores. ServiceNow helped the company establish realistic SLAs, automate manual processes, and improve decision-making with real-time insights.
The platform’s Service Mapping feature enabled 7-Eleven to monitor and map processes more effectively, boosting collaboration between departments and increasing the overall success of IT operations.
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Key ServiceNow features yielding business results
ServiceNow delivers measurable business value by automating processes, improving service delivery, and providing real-time insights.
The platform’s key products include:
- AI Agents: Autonomous AI tools that handle tasks 24/7 for IT and customer service
- IT Service Management (ITSM): A platform for managing IT services to improve productivity and ROI
- Customer Service Management (CSM): Tools designed to enhance customer service while lowering operational costs
- IT Operations Management (ITOM): A system that uses AIOps to manage and optimize digital operations
- HR Service Delivery: A service that streamlines HR tasks and improves employee interactions
- Security Operations: A platform for detecting and responding to security threats
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The following features and products help you reduce operational costs, enhance productivity, and improve key metrics such as service uptime, employee efficiency, and customer satisfaction:
Workflow automation
ServiceNow’s workflow automation ensures consistency and reduces human error, accelerating response times and optimizing resource allocation. It also enhances scalability so you can grow or adapt to increased demand without needing to increase headcount.
Incident management
The platform’s incident management capabilities helps you quickly address IT issues, minimizing downtime and improving service continuity. By automating the tracking and resolution of incidents, you can maintain operational efficiency and prevent disruptions that impact productivity and customer satisfaction.
AI-powered tools
ServiceNow’s AI-powered tools leverage machine learning to identify patterns and predict potential issues, allowing you to address problems before they escalate. They optimize IT service management, customer service, security operations, and strategic decision-making by automating responses and enhancing resource allocation.
Service Mapping
Service Mapping provides visibility into how services, applications, and infrastructure are interconnected. ServiceNow’s platform offers out-of-the-box solutions, integration with the ServiceNow CMDB (Configuration Management Database) for real-time visibility and accuracy, automated updating, and AI-driven insights for fast identification of service issues.
Knowledge management
ServiceNow’s Knowledge Management centralizes critical information with features like advanced search, AI knowledge gap identification and creation, and feedback management. These tools reduce reliance on support teams by enabling faster issue resolution and improving productivity through self-service capabilities and access to relevant information.
Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM)
ServiceNow’s SPM provides detailed insights into project portfolios, enabling you to track progress, efficiently allocate resources, and ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. By giving teams real-time control over project timelines and financials, it directly improves project outcomes and overall business performance.
Unlock the full potential of ServiceNow with Vendr
Vendr helps you secure low pricing and fair terms on ServiceNow by leveraging expert contract analysis and skilled negotiators.
On average, our customers save around 11%, translating to approximately $11,000 in savings — significantly lower than the prices listed on the official ServiceNow website.
We assess factors like usage needs, contract length, and required features to ensure you’re getting the most value from your ServiceNow investment.
By simplifying the procurement process, we eliminate time-consuming negotiations and reduce unnecessary interactions with sales teams — so you can focus on improving your operations without having to take on the additional workload of time-consuming vendor relationship management.
