Upgrading your IT systems can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’re dealing with a platform like ServiceNow that’s young and has been heavily customized over the years. I recently navigated a major ServiceNow “family upgrade” — a journey that took us back to processes designed in 2018 and brought them roaring into the present.
The Upgrade Dilemma: Why Bother?
Imagine running a crucial part of your IT service management on a system that hasn’t embraced new functionalities for years. That was our reality: custom workflows, intricate complexities, and a very old version. The temptation to just “keep things as they are” was strong. So, why undertake such a time-consuming process that, on the surface, doesn’t seem to offer immediate, tangible benefits?
This was the big question I found myself answering multiple times a day. And the answer is crucial: ServiceNow applications thrive on synergy. They’re built to work together seamlessly on a single platform. Upgrading isn’t just about getting a new version; it’s about unlocking integrated value that fuels business agility. It’s about optimizing productivity, boosting customer loyalty, and improving employee experiences. It’s about ensuring your organization can leverage the full power of a platform designed to evolve.
The constant need to explain “why” highlighted a profound realization: how deeply entrenched existing processes are, and, more importantly, the fear of paralyzing those processes with change.
Navigating the Upgrade: Making it Smoother
So, how do you transform this potentially chaotic process into a smoother, more manageable journey? It all boils down to planning and preparation. While the full upgrade path involves many technical steps, here are the key areas every process owner and product manager should absolutely understand:
1. Know What’s Coming: Dive into the Release Notes
Don’t let the technical teams hoard these! Release notes are your roadmap to what’s new and improved. Understanding upcoming features helps you spot potential benefits for your areas or realize that ServiceNow is now offering a functionality you were considering building from scratch. This can save you immense development time and effort. Plus, it’s a chance to identify if a legacy process has had its day and can finally be replaced by the latest ITIL framework.
2. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work (and Tames the Chaos)
Our upgrade was critical. Everyone agreed on the destination, but their planned journeys were wildly different. This meant bringing all stakeholders to the table, navigating diverse perspectives, and making constant course corrections.
This is where project management shines. By applying best practices, we identified key people across the organization who would be instrumental in making the upgrade a success. Getting everyone on the same page wasn’t just about visibility; it brought much-needed structure to the chaos.
3. Test, Test, Test (and Communicate!)
After an upgrade, especially when new features are introduced and old ones deprecated, rigorous testing is non-negotiable. You need to ensure your critical business processes still work exactly as expected. Prepare a defect log and make it incredibly simple for testers to record any issues. While the technical teams handle the heavy lifting, your support and clear communication with all stakeholders are crucial. And, crucially, set a deadline for testing completion.
4. Understanding “Skipped Records”: Your Customizations’ Fate
During an upgrade, ServiceNow often encounters files you’ve customized. To avoid overwriting your unique changes, the system “skips” its update. These are your “skipped records.” After the upgrade, these require careful review. You’ll need to decide whether to:
- Keep your customization
- Revert to the new ServiceNow version
- Merge the changes (a blend of both)
Crucially, if no action is taken, your customization is kept. Reviewing these can be time-consuming, especially with many customizations. Don’t rush to revert, retain, or merge; consult everyone involved in the related process. If in doubt, mark the record to revisit later.
Tools to Lighten the Load
Thankfully, ServiceNow offers powerful tools to simplify the upgrade process:
- Upgrade Center: (Available from the Paris release onwards) This application within ServiceNow centralizes all relevant information and tools.
- Upgrade Preview: Simulates an upgrade before the actual event, predicting skipped records and allowing you to address potential conflicts early.
- Upgrade Monitor: Tracks the progress of an active or scheduled upgrade and provides a summary report, including details on skipped records.
- Upgrade History: Keeps a record of all past upgrades for easy reference.
- Automated Test Framework (ATF): This is a game-changer! Manually testing thousands of processes can be a huge burden on resources and finances. ATF allows you to automate a large percentage of your testing, saving significant time and boosting confidence that your key workflows remain functional post-upgrade. We’ve started using ATFs for our most important processes and are gradually integrating them into our development process.
The Path Forward
Regular upgrades are something I’ll now strongly recommend (ideally twice a year!). By understanding these basics — especially the importance of previewing, thorough testing, and diligently reviewing skipped records — you can ensure a smoother process and quickly unlock the valuable new features ServiceNow consistently delivers.
Stay tuned for a follow-up post where I’ll share our detailed upgrade plan!
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