Guiding a multinational manufacturer towards one ServiceNow instance

The result? multiple instances that do not communicate with each other, rising costs, slower updates, frustrated users, and an IT environment that’s harder to manage than it should be.  

This is exactly what happened to a Global tire manufacturing company that found itself handling six separate ServiceNow instances, each customized for regional needs. It was time to move forward and set up a scalable IT foundation, thus the company partnered with us to assess the current landscape and plan the consolidation. 

Challenge

The organization was running six different ServiceNow instances, each designed to meet the unique needs of its regional teams. Over the time, they reached the point where customizations got in the way of making the most out of the platform, and this decentralized approach caused a lot of issues including unhappy users, difficulty adopting new features, costly upgrades and changes and degrading performance. 

While there was a global ambition to move toward a single platform, there was currently no clear vision or strategy for how to get there. 

This misalignment made it hard to define a clear, unified path toward consolidation. Adding to the complexity, each region used different ServiceNow modules, which turned the migration into a multi-layered effort. 

Solution 

We started by checking how well each system was built, how efficient the processes were, and how complex the integrations were. 

Then, they made sure the consolidation plan supported the company’s bigger goals like having a more flexible platform, a modern way of working in IT, and better coordination with vendors. 

Considerations were then made if a back to greenfield (or Vanilla) would be a suitable solution or if one existing regional instance should become the new global ServiceNow platform. We also considered stakeholder sentiment and possible resentment around moving to a single instance, since this change would require reorganizing the current ServiceNow support teams. 

Results 

In the end, the strongest and most future-ready system stood out as the right choice to build a single global platform. It followed best practices, was in good technical shape, and met the company’s needs moving forward. The plan also considered important factors like software licenses, compliance, and governance to make sure the transition would go as smoothly as possible. 

To avoid disruption, we designed a step-by-step migration plan that would deliver long-term value. The benefits included improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, simplified governance, and better scalability. Most importantly, the transformation set the stage for a faster return on investment, higher user adoption, and a significantly improved user experience. 

Moreover, this plan also included a transformational blueprint that would facilitate both organizational and technical aspects of the consolidation.