ServiceNow rarely delivers outcomes on its own. In real enterprise environments—especially in subscription-based, asset-heavy, or service-driven businesses—the value of ServiceNow is unlocked through tight, reliable integrations with surrounding platforms. Systems like Zuora, AgentForce, Sitracker, and other SaaS and enterprise applications don’t just exchange data with ServiceNow—they complete the service lifecycle. When integration strategy is weak, organizations experience broken workflows, delayed resolution, and frustrated customers. When done well, these integrations create seamless, end-to-end service experiences.

Many organizations have successfully automated workflows in ServiceNow. Fewer have crossed the more difficult—and more valuable—threshold: autonomy. Automation removes manual steps. Autonomy enables systems to sense, decide, and act with minimal human intervention.

DevOps is often discussed in the context of application development, but some of the most meaningful DevOps transformations I’ve seen happen in platform and integration ecosystems—particularly around ServiceNow.  At scale, ServiceNow is not just a workflow engine. It becomes a mission-critical platform where reliability, speed, and coordination directly impact customers, revenue, and operational cost. Applying DevOps principles here is not optional—it’s essential.

One of the most common failure modes I see in ServiceNow programs isn’t technical—it’s strategic. Organizations invest heavily in the platform, deliver dozens of workflows, and still struggle to answer a simple executive question:  “What business outcomes did we actually improve?”  The difference between a busy roadmap and an effective one is not velocity—it’s intentional outcome design.

Enterprise organizations don’t struggle with a lack of tools—they struggle with fragmentation, handoffs, and outcomes that don’t connect back to the business. Over the years, I’ve seen ServiceNow succeed or fail based on one core decision: whether it is treated as a ticketing platform or as a product-driven orchestration layer that sits at the heart of the enterprise. This distinction matters deeply for leaders responsible for ServiceNow and integrations.

ServiceNow is often described as an IT tool, but that framing dramatically understates its value. At scale, ServiceNow is an enterprise workflow orchestration platform—one that connects people, processes, and systems across IT, customer operations, and field services.