Why Most Ops Are Broken (And What Actually Fixes Them)

Most businesses don’t fail because they lack tools. They fail because their tools don’t talk to each other—or worse, they make things more complicated.

A 2023 McKinsey study found that 70% of digital transformations fall short. Not because of bad tech. Because of bad process.

That’s where ServiceNow comes in. Not as a magic solution, but as a serious engine for getting operations in line—if you use it the right way.

I’ve seen it firsthand. From law firms to real estate giants, I’ve used ServiceNow to cut costs, reduce errors, and streamline how teams work together. This post breaks down how we did it—and how you can too.

So What Is ServiceNow?

Imagine your business as a team of people shouting across a crowded room. ServiceNow is the headset that connects everyone clearly.

It’s a cloud-based platform that automates workflows, manages services, and brings order to chaos. Originally built for IT service management, it’s now used by HR, Finance, Facilities, Legal, and more.

Fun fact: ServiceNow was founded in 2004. Today, over 80% of Fortune 500 companies use it.

ServiceNow Is Not a Silver Bullet

Let’s be clear: installing ServiceNow without fixing your processes is like buying a gym membership and never showing up. You won’t get results.

At a leading global law firm, we led a global business services (GBS) optimization effort powered by ServiceNow. But before we even touched the platform, we:

• Mapped all the as-is and to-be processes
• Interviewed dozens of employees across IT, Recruitment, Secretarial and Creative teams
• Ran workshops to understand pain points and identify waste

Only then did we build ServiceNow into the operations. The result? Streamlined services, fewer handoffs, and consistent delivery across departments.

Use Case 1: Breaking Silos with Workflow Automation

In one project, four teams had overlapping tasks, confusing handoffs, and endless back-and-forth emails.

We used ServiceNow to design a clear, automated workflow. Here’s what changed:

• Tickets were auto-assigned based on request type
• SLAs were built in
• Dashboards showed real-time progress

Impact:

• 5 full-time equivalents (FTEs) of manual work removed
• Data accuracy jumped from 20% to 80%

No more missed emails. No more duplicated work. Just flow.

Use Case 2: Everyone On the Same Page (Finally)

Before ServiceNow, each department did things their own way. After? Standard templates, rules, and processes baked into the platform.

We used “Voice of the Customer” interviews to design experiences that made sense for users. These weren’t just technical fixes—they were operational upgrades.

The biggest win? A smoother, faster onboarding process across multiple locations, all tracked and supported in one place.

Use Case 3: Stop Firefighting, Start Fixing

ServiceNow makes it easy to collect and analyze data. But data without action is useless.

We ran root cause workshops using ServiceNow ticket logs. We identified the real issues, not just the surface-level ones. Then we used 8 Wastes analysis to remove bottlenecks.

Quote from the project:

“We went from fixing the same problem 50 times to fixing it once—properly.”

Use Case 4: Building Continuous Improvement Into the System

One of the best things about ServiceNow? It’s not static. You can grow it.

We set up dashboards to track:

• SLA breaches
• Team workloads
• Customer satisfaction trends

\And we trained internal teams to run Lean Six Sigma projects using these insights. This wasn’t just a system rollout—it was a mindset shift.

Real Stats From Real Projects

Over the last decade, here’s what this approach has delivered:

• 10,000+ hours saved through automation
• $10 million+ in business savings
• 1,000+ processes mapped and reworked
• 70%+ reduction in repeat errors

These aren’t estimates. These are results.

Final Thoughts: If You’re Not Using ServiceNow Right, You’re Wasting Money

Let’s get one thing straight: ServiceNow doesn’t fix broken operations. You do—by fixing your processes first.

But when you get it right, ServiceNow becomes a rocket booster. It turns messy operations into sleek systems. It helps your teams work smarter, not harder. And it gives you the insights to keep improving every single day.

Want help doing this in your business?
I’ve rolled out ServiceNow across global teams, saved millions, and trained staff to keep it going. If your operations need a serious upgrade, let’s talk. Visit improvewithrobert.com or schedule a meeting below.