Transform your digital operations with ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture

Originally introduced in ServiceNow Utah, Application Portfolio Management (APM) was a part of the Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) toolset. APM offered the capability to analyse the use of your business applications and rationalise them, which was a significant boost to the platform’s SPM capabilities. As of the Xanadu update (Summer 2024) APM was relaunched with a new name, and a much wider batch of features. Enter ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture (EA) - a critical tool for organisations seeking to enhance agility, improve decision-making, and streamline their technology management operations. 

What is ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture? 

ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture is a solution that helps organisations design, plan, and manage their IT architectures in a way that aligns with business objectives. It provides a structured framework for visualising the relationships between business capabilities, IT applications, data, and technology infrastructure. 

Built on the ServiceNow platform, it leverages the power of the Now Platform to offer a single source of truth for enterprise architecture. This enables organisations to capture, analyse, and optimise their architecture with real-time data and insights. 

Key features of ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture 

• Centralised Repository: ServiceNow EA provides a unified repository to store all architecture-related data. This includes business capabilities, applications, technology assets, and their interdependencies.
• Visualisation Tools: The platform offers interactive visualisations, such as capability maps, application dependency diagrams, and roadmaps. These tools make it easier to identify gaps, redundancies, and optimisation opportunities.
• Business-IT Alignment: By linking business goals to IT assets and processes, ServiceNow EA ensures that all technology investments are aligned with strategic business objectives.
• Impact Analysis: ServiceNow EA enables impact analysis, allowing organisations to assess the potential effects of changes across their IT landscape before implementing them.
• Risk Management: With detailed insights into dependencies and risks, enterprises can proactively identify vulnerabilities and take measures to mitigate them.
• Scenario Planning: Enterprises can model different scenarios to evaluate the impact of various decisions on the overall architecture. This helps in making informed, future-proof choices. 

Enterprise Architecture Use Case

Imagine a company named EraThree, a global manufacturing company with a large portfolio of both legacy and more modern applications, that has decided one of its goals for 2025 is to improve application governance and compliance. Historically, the company’s IT teams have struggled with managing its diverse application portfolio, as a result of inconsistent documentation, incomplete lifecycle tracking, and difficulty identifying non-compliant applications, which posed audit and operational risks. To address these issues, EraThree can implement ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture with an emphasis on the Application Certification feature, enabling centralised application data, defined certification criteria, and automated compliance processes. By doing so, outcomes like reduced negative audit findings, reduced manual effort in portfolio compliance, and improved decision-making on application investments and decommissioning are well within reach. 

Why is Enterprise Architecture valuable? 

Facilitates better decision-making 

ServiceNow EA provides executives, architects, and IT leaders with a holistic view of the enterprise’s IT ecosystem. This transparency enables better, data-driven decisions about technology investments, decommissioning, and modernisation. 

Optimises IT costs 

By identifying redundant or underutilised applications, ServiceNow EA helps organisations reduce unnecessary IT expenditures. It also aids in rationalising the application portfolio to maximise value. 

Enhances agility 

In a dynamic business environment, agility is key. ServiceNow EA allows organisations to respond quickly to changes by providing real-time insights into how new business initiatives or market shifts impact the IT landscape. 

Supports digital transformation 

Digital transformation initiatives require a clear understanding of the current state and a roadmap for the future. ServiceNow EA enables businesses to visualise and plan these journeys effectively. 

Improves collaboration 

ServiceNow EA fosters cross-functional collaboration by providing a common language and shared understanding of the organisation’s architecture. This ensures that business, IT, and operational teams are all on the same page. 
 

Transform your digital operations

ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture is more than just a tool - it’s a strategic enabler for businesses navigating the complexities of modern IT ecosystems.  By providing visibility, alignment, and actionable insights, it empowers organisations to make smarter decisions, optimise costs, and drive successful digital transformation initiatives. See how Thirdera was able to help this financial services company use ServiceNow EA to consolidate their applications and drive massive savings here. 

Whether you’re looking to enhance agility, improve business-IT alignment, or streamline operations, ServiceNow EA is a powerful ally in your enterprise's digital journey. Discover how Thirdera can help you jumpstart your EA adoption plan with Integrity - our Built with ServiceNow offering.