Originally introduced in ServiceNow Utah, Application Portfolio Management (APM) was a part of the Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) toolset. APM offered the capability to analyze the use of your business applications and rationalize 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 organizations seeking to enhance agility, improve decision-making, and streamline their technology management operations.
ServiceNow Enterprise Architecture is a solution that helps organizations design, plan, and manage their IT architectures in a way that aligns with business objectives. It provides a structured framework for visualizing 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 organizations to capture, analyze, and optimize their architecture with real-time data and insights.
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 centralized 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.
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 modernization.
By identifying redundant or underutilized applications, ServiceNow EA helps organizations reduce unnecessary IT expenditures. It also aids in rationalizing the application portfolio to maximize value.
In a dynamic business environment, agility is key. ServiceNow EA allows organizations to respond quickly to changes by providing real-time insights into how new business initiatives or market shifts impact the IT landscape.
Digital transformation initiatives require a clear understanding of the current state and a roadmap for the future. ServiceNow EA enables businesses to visualize and plan these journeys effectively.
ServiceNow EA fosters cross-functional collaboration by providing a common language and shared understanding of the organization’s architecture. This ensures that business, IT, and operational teams are all on the same page.
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 organizations to make smarter decisions, optimize 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.