The Situation:
The Bank was seeking to improve the capability and value of ServiceNow’s ITOM Health module in production, specifically in its ability to support effective Event Management. The existing module was not capturing all the essential data from relevant environments, leading to an information gap, and negatively impacting trust and the quality of decision-making. The need for improvement was amplified by audit findings related to incident management, where excessive incidents were generating "white noise," distracting teams and jeopardising productivity and service delivery. Trust in the ServiceNow platform hinged on the accuracy and completeness of data, requiring a solution to seamlessly integrate multiple data sources.
The Process:
AC3 was engaged to conduct a comprehensive review of the Bank’s Event Management application, processes and technologies. The resulting report outlined around fifteen recommendations aimed at reducing notification noise and extracting more value from the ServiceNow application. Key recommendations included leveraging ‘primary’ alerts to reduce incidents by an estimated 75%, using Service Operations Workspace for visibility, and instigating continuous improvement processes for relevance and automated remediation. Following the review and solution proposal, the team was engaged to work with the Bank’s Event Management team, as a collaborative hybrid partnership, to act on the agreed workstreams to deliver the desired outcome.
"AC3 thoroughly understood our key pain points, and their strategic recommendations addressed these issues and provided a roadmap for sustainable improvement. This has truly set the foundation for ongoing enhancement of our Event Management processes."
Key Challenges:
The key challenges identified by the Bank’s key stakeholders included excessive notifications, difficulty in discerning critical issues to action, and varying levels of application engagement across teams. Trust issues with Event Management data, and the necessity for improved configuration management and service mapping completeness and accuracy were also noted. The multifaceted nature of these challenges required a holistic approach in order to address processes, technology and stakeholder engagement.
The Solution:
The initial solution approach involved a comprehensive review and strategic development process, engaging the Bank’s key stakeholders, to understand Event Management perspectives. Simultaneously, a detailed technical analysis was carried out to assess the configured state of the ServiceNow Event Management application, as well as workshops to discern the alignment of the current Event Management data with ServiceNow’s Common Services Data Model. The team also methodically assessed the Event Management ITOM Health module, MID Server, and potential ACC locations, reviewed how data from integrations were reconciled within ServiceNow, and identified alternative API-based or out-of-the-box integrations for monitoring tools. We tabled a High-Level Solution Design, incorporating the gathered stakeholder feedback and several actionable recommendations and workstreams. Using the strategic roadmap, AC3 and the Bank’s Event Management team implemented a number of critical workstreams, with a tactical focus on the management of alert records and improvement of data quality.
"The strategic approach and in-depth technical analysis undertaken by the AC3 team streamlined processes, significantly reducing incident noise. The result was not just a successful exercise, but a transformative solution that has enhanced trust in our data, improved decision-making, and elevated the efficiency of our teams."
The Outcome:
The introduction of the new Event Management approach was seamless. The Bank’s internal teams embraced the changes, and new user processes were successfully adopted. The ServiceNow Event Management application is now widely utilised within the environment. The immediate and significant improvement in the quality of incident data led to an 80% reduction in lower-priority incidents, eliminating the distraction of “white noise”, and providing a solid foundation for future AI implementation. Proof of concepts were developed to demonstrate real-world examples of automation remediations triggered by ServiceNow Event Management, AIOps and the wider ServiceNow platform. Further enhancements allowed the Bank to use the platform’s alert capabilities natively, eliminating the need for additional alert communication tooling. The outcomes not only resolved the immediate challenges that were identified, but also positioned the Bank for continuous improvement, leveraging AI for enhanced efficiency and decision-making. The successful collaboration between AC3 and the Bank’s Event Management team showcases the effectiveness of a strategic, holistic approach to ServiceNow ITOM Health module analysis and enhancement.