SharePoint has dominated the business world as a versatile solution for document and workflow management. Teams have used the platform to improve collaboration, store digital resources, and share information. But it is far from a perfect solution in terms of usability: Common SharePoint complaints include its confusing interface, complicated routing, and a frustrating learning curve. Its benefits used to outweigh these complaints, but as new business intelligence tools come into the market, it is now facing tougher competition.
Cloud-based platform ServiceNow, for example, brings intelligent routing to automated workflows, searchable knowledge bases, and customized portals to companies. Its user interface is incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use. Instead of offering a closed system of tools, ServiceNow allows third-party applications and integrations, meaning companies can add existing software to their ServiceNow platform.
It is time for SharePoint users to make the switch to ServiceNow. Exciting new technology partnerships with ServiceNow, coupled with customizable functionality and intranet management, offer organizations the best possible solution to optimize service performance and improve information sharing.
Comparing SharePoint and ServiceNow: Then and Now
Until recently, SharePoint has been one of the better options for companies looking to optimize workflow and collaboration. Since its launch in 2001, SharePoint has given companies the tools to collaborate and communicate between departments.
At the time, companies using this web-based platform could:
- Avoid investing in expensive physical infrastructure
- Build extensive intranet pages
- Quickly share documents
- Create digital workflows
But as the market becomes more saturated with business tools, Microsoft has been shifting its focus away from SharePoint. For customers, this can make their existing software less than optimal.
In the past few years, ServiceNow has added impressive automation capabilities to its platform that make it tough competition for SharePoint. With ITIL-based practices built into its applications, ServiceNow offers technology that follows IT best practices and makes it easy to integrate existing software solutions or phase out legacy systems. Today, companies can control all aspects of their IT operations, as well as HR, Finance, and Customer Services, using their ServiceNow platform.
Why Replace SharePoint?
Changing software systems is a challenging process and causes stress for users accustomed to the look, feel, and functionality of a program. In fact, this reason causes many companies to avoid investing in new solutions. If the current software works well enough, why spend the time, money, and resources migrating staff to a new solution?
Replacing SharePoint with ServiceNow adds value to an organization’s investment by offering:
- Better information organization
- Enhanced customization
- Improved workflow automation
New AI capabilities push ServiceNow users even further into the future of business operations through intelligent automation and predictive modeling.
If your company is a SharePoint user, making the switch to ServiceNow is not as challenging as it may seem. In fact, ServiceNow has an integration for companies opting to use both services. Since so many companies have used SharePoint as a business management tool, it makes sense for some users to be hesitant to make the switch. Luckily, the legacy information your company needs can be transferred to ServiceNow, making it even easier to search for and share knowledge across the enterprise.
The Power of Organization
Many organizations struggle with information management, which is why SharePoint’s document management features are so compelling. Unfortunately, the ability to collect documents in one place does not fully solve this issue. Businesses need a consolidated solution that organizes and maintains information while making it readily accessible to all users.
ServiceNow’s centralized knowledge base allows organizations to share information, key articles, and communicate easily. Finding information in this knowledge base is simple – with customizable search options, users can quickly find relevant articles, collaborate on new information, and revise outdated documents. In this area, SharePoint’s document management ability falls flat.
Flexible Software that Fits Your Business
ServiceNow users can tailor the platform to fit their business needs. Many software solutions – SharePoint included – have out-of-the-box functionality that may not meet these needs. As a result, companies create clever workarounds that are useful only until a new software version comes along. Certified ServiceNow tech partners can create custom applications for specific industry or business needs, allowing companies to pick and choose the right functions for their company, paying only for what they use. Partnering with these tech companies can further your ServiceNow investment.
Automation as an IT Business Solution
The SharePoint platform’s most significant benefit is its ability to automate workflow and services. For years, ServiceNow has been bringing automation to the workplace to consolidate and simplify work for end users. Though SharePoint has been praised for its workflow engine offering a solution for routine workflows, Microsoft has only just begun working with third-party companies to add an automation integration into SharePoint, while ServiceNow is further improving its automation by adding an intelligent engine.
Replacing your SharePoint services with the ServiceNow platform can improve the way your entire organization collaborates and shares information. The same automation it has offered for years now goes further in helping predict performance, prevent outages, and inform strategic goals.
Promising Partnerships for Future Innovation
In the past year, ServiceNow has displayed an almost aggressive drive to further improve its IT workflow automation with new partnerships. The company recently acquired DxContinuum and plans to add its intelligent automation engine to the ServiceNow platform. An ongoing partnership with IBM allows ServiceNow to leverage cognitive technology and analytics to boost its intelligent automation offerings.
For ServiceNow users, this hints at a promising future of continuous innovation and improved technology integration. SharePoint has released its own integrations and even offers cloud capabilities to users with SharePoint 2013, but since SharePoint integrations are available for ServiceNow users, it is still the smarter option.
Making the Switch from SharePoint to ServiceNow
Comparing recent updates to both software solutions tips the scale in favor of ServiceNow. As Microsoft scales back its updates to SharePoint to invest in different software integrations, ServiceNow is ramping up its services by adding artificial intelligence, powerful global analytics, and predictive modeling. The ServiceNow platform now serves more areas than just IT: from Human Resources to customer service management, companies can automate, organize, and optimize workflows and performance across the enterprise. Your company can even choose to integrate SharePoint workflows into its ServiceNow platform while benefiting from improved services and consolidates processes in other areas. Now is the perfect time to consider making the switch from SharePoint to ServiceNow.
As a ServiceNow Technology Partner, Infocenter can help. Contact us today to learn more.