What Does a ServiceNow Platform Owner Actually Do?
Recently, I sat in a meeting where a simple question stumped everyone in the room: "What does a ServiceNow Platform Owner actually do?" The company had just hired someone for this role without a clear definition, and we all realized none of us could agree on their responsibilities.
This confusion persists today. If you put five ServiceNow Platform Owners in a room, you'll get five different definitions of their role. This creates problems for both organizations and the individuals in these positions.
Understanding the Platform
Think of a platform as a foundation where teams build and connect services—like Shopify for online stores or YouTube for content creators. ServiceNow is not different. It enables organizations to do various things:
However, while platforms share common concepts, they differ significantly in design, technology stack, and infrastructure. An Amazon platform fundamentally differs from ServiceNow, which means the skills needed to manage them vary, too.
The Core Mission
The Platform Owner's core mission is simple but crucial: Create Value and Reduce Risk. This means answering three fundamental questions:
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
In my experience working with various organizations, I've observed three common pitfalls:
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⚠️ Technical Pitfall: Promoting developers without product skills - (they often miss business perspective)
⚠️ Business Pitfall: Hiring product managers without platform expertise ( lack technical fluency)
⚠️ Title Trap: Seeing the Platform Owner role as a fancy title or prestigious role
To avoid these pitfalls:
For Technical Professionals:
For Non-Technical Professionals:
The most successful Platform Owners or organizations understand this: this isn't just a technical role or a fancy title—it's a strategic position that bridges user, technology, and business value. When Platform Owners treat their platform like a product, not just a tool, they unlock tremendous value, enabling teams to build truly impactful solutions that drive digital transformation and innovation.
Are you a ServiceNow Platform Owner? I'd like to hear your thoughts!
#ServiceNow #ServiceNowcta #Servicenowplatformowner #platformowner
I help organization maximize the value of ServiceNow by addressing real user problems and transforming strategic insights into adopted solutions that deliver measurable outcomes.
4moThank you for sharing. I will share this article the next time I encounter a customer having issues identifying the role of a ServiceNow Platform Owner.
ServiceNow Admin/Developer | ITIL
4moThank you for sharing this insightful and informative post!
Trusted Advisor and Practitioner helping clients achieve Digital Transformation and User adoption by leveraging leading industry practices and frameworks.
4moThank you! Spot on. In my previous role, I was also responsible for managing the developers and representing the output of our Agile/Scrum Development to our stakeholders. Additionally, I was a Platform Advocate to our CIO and had to define and defend requests to expand upon the ServiceNow footprint in our organization. Partnering with your ServiceNow Account Executive becomes an invaluable relationship. I had a great partner in Monika Beyer who helped me navigate, evaluate, and consider all the relevant ServiceNow Product offerings. Thanks!
CTA & Managing Consultant @Luckyway Global | SN Community Rising Star '24 | Deloitte + Accenture AFS Alum|CSA|CAD|7xCIS -APM, FSM, SAM, SPM, ITSM, ITSMPro, ITSMPro+, CSM, CSMPro, CSMPro+, HR, HRPro, HRPro+|
4moGreat share and message Sam P.. Synergy between strategy and platform value and ourcomes. #Blessings!
ServiceNow Career Accelerator | AI Enthusiast | Process Optimization Expert | PeopleCert Ambassador - ITIL & DevOps | Helping Professionals Land ServiceNow Roles & Organizations Achieve ROI from ServiceNow Solutions.
4moGreat post Sam P.