Now Learning Blog – So you want to be a ServiceNow Architect?

[Julie7]

Part 1 – Essential Courses for the ServiceNow Architect 

“How do I become a ServiceNow Architect?” is a question we hear quite often in the Training and Certification group at ServiceNow.  While there is currently no formal prescribed training path* to become a ServiceNow architect, there are core technical competencies that can be achieved through the completion of ServiceNow training, knowledge of industry best practices and daily practice using the ServiceNow platform and products.  This blog is part 1 of a multi-part series that will guide you through the recommended training requirements to achieve a ServiceNow Architect level knowledge.   

In this first blog, we will review the ServiceNow courses needed to build key competencies of a ServiceNow Architect.  Upcoming blogs in this series will highlight additional courses, recommended industry best practices and other areas of importance for a career as a ServiceNow Architect. 

*Note: Training and Certification are currently designing a new curriculum for ServiceNow Architects with a release date of Q3 2020. The learning path will be made available in Now Learning, and appropriate announcements made internally and through the Partner Portal. 

Definition 

First, off we should start off by defining what a ServiceNow Architect is.  There are many types of architects, from Solution Architects to Platform Architects, so for the purposes of this blog, I will attempt to give a fairly generic definition that covers the various types of architects out there.  Architects are the people that align the IT strategy with business goals.  They plan for the deployment and use of complex technologies, in this case, the ServiceNow platform and products. They often are the people that develop, oversee and communicate technology standards for the entire organization and ensure compliance to corporate standards for all deployed services.  

The Fundamentals 

ServiceNow Fundamentals and ServiceNow Platform Implementation – 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. 

Why these classes? It really goes without saying, anyone considering the ServiceNow Architect path should have not only these courses but a number of Certifications under their belt. These two courses together will familiarize you with the ServiceNow holy trinity of [sys_user] / [task] / [cmdb_ci] and other possible data models.  You will learn: Where do users come from? How do they get work (assignments)? How does work behave/get tracked (process engines of business rules/script includes and flows)?  Additionally, you will become familiar with basic security, testing, integrations, upgrades, development basics and system properties. 

Configuration Management Database (CMDB) 

Configuration Management Database (CMDB) Fundamentals  and Common Services Data Model (CSDM) Fundamentals  – CMDB Fundamentals will teach you how to implement a successful CMDB, configure rules to prevent duplicates, and populate data from various sources.  The Introduction to CSDM will help you understand what the Common Service Data Model is and why it is important to the implementation efforts of ServiceNow products, it will also explain the CMDB framework utilized across the ServiceNow platform and products that will enable and support multiple configuration strategies. 

Why these classes? Understanding how to design, deploy, and maintain a useful and functional CMDB regardless of discovery source are critical components in the ServiceNow Architect’s toolkit.  Our ever-quotable Principal Technical Trainer notes, “If an army marches on its stomach, a service runs on its CIs.” 

Performance Analytics 

Performance Analytics Essentials, Performance Analytics Fundamentals and Performance Analytics Advanced  – The Essentials course will introduce new users to Performance Analytics and business process performance management for improved service delivery. The Fundamentals course will teach best practices for using and administering the premium ServiceNow Performance Analytics application.  This includes Performance Analytics Visualizations, exploring the Performance Analytics data structure, managing role, generating automated indicators, creating manual indicators and populating scoresheets, building formula indicators and working with widgets.  The advanced course builds upon the knowledge obtained in the Performance Analytics Fundamentals course. Here you apply advanced reporting, performance analytics, and application administration skills to take your historic trends and measurements to the next level. 

Why these classes? Our suite of Performance Analytics (PA) courses will teach you how to understand the past, make decisions about the present, and infer performance in the future.  As an Architect, it is necessary to understand the value of Key Performance Indicators and articulate that to appropriate stakeholders, be able to articulate the difference between leading and lagging indicators. Architects need to understand this, not only from a technical point of view but from a business point of view. A good site to find starter KPI's to consider depending on the industry and process is the KPI Library: https://kpilibrary.com/. 

Service Portal 

Service Portal  Fundamentals and Service Portal Advanced  – These Service Portal courses are designed for low-code System Administrators and Web Designers/Developers who want to learn how to create Service Portals that offer users an intuitive and delightful experience when accessing an organization's services online.  In the advanced course, participants learn how to use their existing AngularJS, Bootstrap, CSS, HTML, and ServiceNow API (JavaScript) skills to create custom Widgets. 

Why these classes? In order for end-users to want to use services, they have to be presented in ways that are attractive and conform to modern UX/UI standards. Portals are a part of every complete and balanced implementation involving end-users.  It is also the gateway to understanding Agent Workspaces and the mobile experience.  

  

What’s Next? 

In next week’s blog, we’ll be looking at some additional course offerings that receive an honorable mention from our experts.  Thanks for reading and happy learning!