Transforming service delivery through an integrated ServiceNow Center of Excellence
Overview
In August 2024, a leading global enterprise partnered with HCLTech to drive a transformative shift in their service delivery ecosystem by establishing a dedicated ServiceNow Center of Excellence (CoE). Faced with a fragmented landscape marked by multi-vendor complexities, governance gaps and inconsistent platform maturity across HR, IT, customer service and risk management domains, the engagement focused on uniting diverse operational silos under a coherent, strategic and scalable platform. This collaboration has laid the groundwork for the client’s evolution into a future-ready, data-driven organization with heightened operational agility and sustained competitive advantage.
The Challenge
Fragmentation undermining potential
The enterprise’s service delivery environment was constrained by entrenched challenges that limited its ability to innovate and scale:
- Multi-vendor fragmentation: Varied vendors operating on disparate Time and Materials (T&M) models led to uneven service quality and inefficiencies.
- Platform strategy disconnect: Absence of a unified ServiceNow strategy hindered coordination across units, restricting scalability and cross-functional synergy.
- Complex ROI and capacity management: Diverse custom needs across ITSM, CMDB, ITOM and GRC tracks complicated tracking of return on investment and resource allocation.
- CMDB inaccuracies and portal silos: Outdated configuration data and fractured portals obstructed streamlined operations and user experience.
- Governance and ownership gaps: No central ownership led to unclear accountability, adversely impacting transformational progress and performance measurement.
Collectively, these challenges slowed the client’s progress compared to industry peers, introduced operational overheads and made it difficult to fully leverage ServiceNow’s transformative potential.
The Objective
Partnering to reimagine ServiceNow as a catalyst for modernization
Recognizing that transformation requires more than technology alone, the client sought a strategic partner with deep ServiceNow expertise and a commitment to operational excellence. The expectation was a solution that fuses governance, flexibility and innovation into a unified platform—serving as a foundation for scalable growth and superior service delivery.
Key expectations included:
- An integrated ServiceNow Center of Excellence (CoE) with clear ownership and governance
- Agile resource management capable of aligning capabilities to dynamic business priorities
- A roadmap for consolidation—simplifying portals and enhancing analytics
- Tools and frameworks enabling continuous improvement and demand forecasting
This vision linked directly to the client’s broader aspirations of operational efficiency, cost optimization and renewed market leadership.
The Solution
Architecting an integrated, agile and intelligent service delivery model
Recognizing the complexity and ambition of the challenge, the client sought a strategic partner who could couple deep ServiceNow expertise with operational agility and a commitment to innovation. HCLTech answered this call with a comprehensive, scalable and future-ready solution encompassing:
- Center of Excellence (CoE) hierarchy: Led by an internal champion, this autonomous unit drives cohesive ServiceNow adoption while fostering innovation and accountability.
- Innovation councils: Regular forums benchmark strategies against industry leaders, driving continuous improvement and agile responsiveness.
- Dedicated ServiceNow advocacy: A focused advocate guides platform adoption, champions transformation initiatives and facilitates stakeholder engagement.
- Agile resource management: Dynamic resource rotation flexibly aligns talent to evolving priorities across GRC, ITSM, CMDB and beyond.
- Demand and capacity forecasting: Quarterly and monthly cycles ensure precise alignment of resources with business needs, enabling strategic prioritization.
Validation and execution
Meticulous pilot projects validated key components like portal consolidation and performance analytics, ensuring the proposed roadmap was pragmatic, impactful and aligned with evolving business realities.
The Impact
From fragmentation to operational excellence
- Enhanced operational efficiency: Integration and a unified DevOps strategy reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) and accelerated delivery cycles.
- Improved decision-making: Advanced performance analytics enabled real-time ROI tracking and transparent platform usage insights.
- Automated Distribution List provisioning through ServiceNow minimized manual effort, addressed the growing volume of incidents and improved resolution times.
- Implemented Shared Mailbox automation through collaboration between Service Desk, ServiceNow, and O365 Support, reducing manual effort, addressing increasing incident trends and driving continuous improvement via API integration.
Driving aspirations forward
A roadmap for continuous innovation
This partnership extends well beyond immediate wins. The integrated CoE model and innovation governance create a resilient foundation for:
- Sustained modernization and digital transformation
- Proactive governance and ownership structures that inspire confidence and clarity
Conclusion
Accelerating progress with pragmatic optimism
HCLTech’s collaboration embodies a pioneering spirit coupled with grounded execution—turning challenges into springboards for innovation. By fostering progress through integrated governance, agile resource management and continuous learning, the client is now positioned to realize a vision of transformative growth and unwavering operational excellence.
HCLTech remains committed as a responsible, resilient partner, fueling progress and delivering solutions that stand the test of time.
