Now Learning Blog – Become an Application Specialist

[Julie7]

Many of my past blogs have focused on the basics of finding content on Now Learning or introductory classes appropriate for when you are just getting started.  In a recent blog, I introduced the concept of a Learning Path and in this blog, I am going to dive into one of our newer paths and give you an overview of a more advanced set of courses.  The Performance Analytics Application Specialist path has been created to enable you to leverage best practices for using, implementing and administering the ServiceNow Performance Analytics application at an advanced level.

What is an Application Specialist?

An Application Specialist has advanced knowledge of the base system and application of specialty. Application Specialists are master users and can implement the application complying with common ServiceNow application designs and technical best practices, meeting the customer’s business requirements. Application Specialists are able to troubleshoot problems related to the performance of the application and have a deep understanding of the customer’s processes and how to achieve results. They also understand the roles of the different application personas and are highly knowledgeable about platform configuration principles that maximize supportability, maintainability, and upgradability for long-term customer success. An awareness of how changes made to core products affect other areas/scopes in the platform is a critical skill, as is mentoring others through the process of becoming an application specialist.

The Path in Detail

The Performance Analytics Application Specialist path is comprised of a mix of instructor-led training and free On Demand courses.  In this path, you will learn how to use the essential Performance Analytics applications, implement the Performance Analytics application at an expert level, perform in-depth process analysis using the Analytics Hub and leverage Dashboard best practices to empower your organization.  Path participants should expect to spend 7 and a half days on course work as well as additional time becoming familiar with the applications doing hands-on work.  At the end of the course and preparatory work, you will be prepared to sit for the Certified Application Specialist-Performance Analytics exam.

The path starts with ServiceNow Fundamentals.  ServiceNow Fundamentals was covered in detail in a previous blog, but as a reminder, the ServiceNow Fundamentals course summarizes fundamental platform features by describing the ServiceNow user interface, providing a summary of the database schema, demonstrating uses for commonly accessed applications, and introducing advanced functionality, such as scripting and application development.

Once you have completed ServiceNow Fundamentals, your next step is to take the Performance Analytics Essentials On Demand course, which teaches you the essentials of Performance Analytics, a performance optimization solution that helps reduce costs, identify bottlenecks and improve the efficiency of your processes and services.

Our new KPI Composer Overview On Demand course follows Performance Analytics Essentials. Attend KPI Composer to learn the processes of planning and requirements gathering.  KPI Composer bridges the gap between Performance Analytics functional specifications and the technical implementation stages.

Performance Analytics Fundamentals a two-day Instructor-Led Training, is the next step on your journey to becoming a Certified Application Specialist.  This course teaches you the best practices for using and administering the Performance Analytics application.

You are now ready to sit for the Performance Analytics Micro-Certification Assessment. This assessment is the final step to earn the Performance Analytics Micro-Certification.  Once you pass the exam you will be issued a micro-certification. 

The next course on your path to becoming a Performance Analytics Application specialist is the On Demand Responsive Dashboards Overview. Attending this course will teach you how performance optimization helps improve your processes and services. 

Following Responsive Dashboards Overview, you should attend the Performance Analytics Widgets training. This free On Demand training takes four hours and will give you a detailed overview of the available Performance Analytics widget types and when to use them.

Performance Analytics Advanced, a two-day Instructor-Led Training is next on your journey to become a Certified Application Specialist in Performance Analytics.  This 2-day training builds upon the knowledge obtained in the Performance Analytics Fundamentals course.  You will learn how to apply advanced reporting, performance analytics and application administration skills to take your historic trends and measurements to the next level. 

Following Performance Analytics Advanced you have the option to take our new, free On Demand course called Formula Indicators where you will learn how to design powerful KPIs with Performance Analytics Formula Indicators.

We then recommend hands-on practice with the application including implementation experience. You should have experience with at least six Performance Analytics implementations.

When you have finished the courses listed above you may then sit for the Certified Application Specialist-Performance Analytics (CAS-PA) exam.  The Certified Application Specialist- Performance Analytics exam certifies that you have the skills and essential knowledge to perform the configuration, implementation and maintenance of a ServiceNow Performance Analytics solution. 

What's next?

If you have completed the Performance Analytics Application Specialist path please share your experiences with others.  What did you like?  What did you find most challenging?  What are you planning to tackle next?