A few habits I used and wished I'd used

| View this email in your browser A ServiceNow Architect's Retrospective Document deployed solutionsI did this for the most part, but as a matter of practice, and legacy knowledge store, I'd do it every single time, no exceptions. There's three REALLY good reasons for this. I'd do it this way. 1) Your customers / employer deserve it. The only way knowledge survives transition is via memorialized memory - documentaiton. 2) It helps you grow. Writing things down hardens the memory of that thing. Plus you can easily reference "that time I built that awesome thing" 3) It helps you SELL. Massive ecosystem blindspot!! Every new version allows you to cross reference your customer documentation and see if there reason to call them. "hey that thing we built now has an OOB solution". If it gets you one deal it pays for an entire career of being a documentation fanatic. Ingress DocumentationYes, I've written about this before. It's super important, and I think about it often. It's a huge blind-spot in the ecosystem that we rarely, if ever, document the ingress of our processes... or the catalysts that initiate the work. Check this math. Assume there's 5000 ServiceNow customers and each leverage 3 processes (we'll even generously pretend Catalog is ONE process). Lets also assume 1/2 of the customers have at least 2 inbound actions, and the other have have at least 2 integrations. That's (5000 * 3) + (2500 *2)*2 = 25,000 processes currently being tracked in ServiceNow. How many of those have their starting points documented? Imagine leaving a customer/employer with NO MEANS of knowing what components begin the work of the processes! This document alone can mean the difference between doomsday re-architecture or not over time. Make a code libraryIf you're proud of a piece of code there's better than even chance that you'll want to re-use it, or use it to teach. I sorely wish I had done a lot more cataloging of my code. Over the years I've spent an absurd amount of time re-inventing stuff, or fondly remembering EPIC wins that I no longer have access to. BUT if you're doing the first point well (documenting solutions), this shouldn't be a problem for you anymore :) Build an Outcomes TalkIt took me a while to realize that desired outcomes > requirements > features to deploy. I learned over time that no processes is worth deploying until you can measure the desired outcomes. Then, one day I helped a customer who's phase1 implementation with a large partner went... poorly. One conversation changed their whole trajectory with ServiceNow. On another occasion, thinking about the outcomes prevented TONS of unnecessary development projects. Developing an Outcomes Talk doesn't require that you know every process... just that every process wants an outcome. You would be well suited to understand Performance Analytics as deeply as you can though. Catalog Opinions on FeaturesIt's crazy how big ServiceNow is getting. Starting my career today I'd be taking copious notes about each process / tech I touched. Not like docs documentation, or even "how to". Rather, logging how I feel on various features, ESPECIALLY if my gut feeling is different from the main stream. You either learn important wisdom, or pioneer new trails!- Do I like the way this works?- Does it deploy as easily as I thought?- How would I improve it? - How would I prep a customer to deploy it?- What things have to be built / reconciled (prior to NewYork you couldn't do good billing with Time Cards because they were WEEK records not DAY records) This habit will pay off in two ways. 1) Documenting makes the knowledge stick better. 2) With each new version a retrospective on your notes will fill gaps that are sure to grow between your knowledge and product reality. Both of these ensure you're actively maximizing your breadth of knowledge in ServiceNow. What habits have served you well or wish that you had done differently? Did You Enjoy This Content?Taking my content survey helps me navigate what to create.If you'd like to sponsor my content, reply to this message for options & rates. If you get tremendous value, consider a donation. If not, I still greatly appreciate your readership. VICTORY through superior design and story telling friends. I remain yours truly, Robert "The Duke" Fedoruk Want to change how you receive these emails?You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
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This email was sent to <> why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Robert Fedoruk · 5215 W Winona St · Chicago, IL 60630-2238 · USA