More than just a ticketing tool, ServiceNow has become the platform of choice for orchestrating enterprise service management. But no matter how powerful the platform is, its value is only fully realised when people can use it efficiently and confidently.

Creating a better experience for those interacting with ServiceNow isn’t about fancy UI elements or layering on automation for its own sake. It’s about enabling users to do their jobs effectively, with minimal friction. Whether you’re responsible for the platform, the process, or the people using it, a better user experience (UX) improves adoption, satisfaction, and performance across the board.

Common UX Challenges in ServiceNow Environments

Despite the platform’s extensive capabilities, many organisations find that the out-of-the-box experience doesn’t always align with the way their people work. Here are some of the more persistent challenges:

Platform Complexity: The depth and breadth of ServiceNow can overwhelm users, particularly those who only use a small slice of the platform in their role

One-size-fits-all Design: Default interfaces, forms, and workflows may not reflect business-specific processes or user needs, leading to inefficiencies and frustration.

Limited Training: Even experienced users may not be aware of time-saving features or the most efficient ways to complete their work.

These friction points can quietly erode the value of your ServiceNow investment. When users avoid the platform or develop their own workarounds, data quality suffers, governance is undermined, and business outcomes are delayed.

Strategic Enhancements

Improving UX doesn’t require a complete rebuild. In fact, the most effective enhancements often come from small, thoughtful changes made with the user in mind. Here are some high-impact approaches we regularly recommend:

Streamline Interfaces and Workflows: Audit key processes to identify where clicks can be reduced, forms simplified, or decision points clarified. Minimising cognitive load makes it easier for users to complete tasks without unnecessary steps or confusion.

Role-Based Personalisation: Use ServiceNow’s built-in capabilities to tailor experiences for different roles. Custom dashboards, homepage widgets, and role-specific views help users focus on what matters most to them, reducing noise and improving engagement.

Simplify Forms and Data Entry: Long or complex forms slow down work and increase the risk of errors. Consider strategies such as field defaults, conditional visibility, autofill based on user or context, and logical groupings of fields to make forms quicker and more intuitive.

Integrate with Collaboration Tools: Embedding ServiceNow into everyday tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack helps users stay in the flow of work. They can view and update tickets, receive notifications, or collaborate on issues without switching platforms.

Improve Performance: Slow load times or laggy interactions are one of the fastest ways to frustrate users. Tuning the platform for performance - such as reducing client-side scripting, optimising queries, and ensuring responsive design - has an immediate impact on usability.

Contextual Help and Guidance: Inline guidance, tooltips, and contextual help features reduce reliance on training and documentation. These lightweight additions empower users to solve issues independently without leaving the task at hand.

Sustaining UX Improvements Over Time

User needs evolve, and so does the platform. That’s why organisations should treat UX as a continuous improvement initiative rather than a one-time project. Maintaining a great user experience means:

  • Regularly reviewing feedback and support tickets to identify pain points
  • Staying up to date with ServiceNow’s latest features and releases
  • Applying internal standards and governance around interface and workflow design
  • Tracking adoption and usage metrics to measure success

These efforts build a culture of responsiveness and platform maturity, where ServiceNow doesn’t just support business outcomes, but actively accelerates them.

AC3’s ‘User Experience Review & Analysis’ is designed to identify practical, high-value improvements that enhance usability and adoption across your instance. We provide a structured, expert-led review focused on:

  • Available Features & Product Capabilities – Are you leveraging what’s already there?
  • Standards & Governance – Is the user experience consistent and aligned with platform best practices?
  • Technology & Security – Are UX improvements designed with performance and compliance in mind?

The result is a tailored, actionable roadmap for improving the ServiceNow experience - one that not only makes the platform easier to use, but also more aligned to your business needs and user expectations.