The Power of Visuals: Crafting Compelling ServiceNow Reports That Drive Improvement

ServiceNow is a powerful platform for managing IT services and workflows. But the true value of ServiceNow lies in its ability to provide actionable insights through reporting. Raw data alone can be overwhelming; however, transforming that data into compelling visuals unlocks its power, driving improvements across your organization. This blog post explores how to craft effective ServiceNow reports that not only present data but also tell a story, enabling better decision-making and continuous improvement.

Why Visuals Matter in ServiceNow Reporting

Visual reports translate complex data into easily digestible formats. This accelerates understanding, highlights trends, and reveals areas requiring attention. Compared to tabular data, visuals are:

• Easier to Understand: The human brain processes visual information much faster than text.
• More Engaging: Compelling visuals capture attention and encourage exploration.
• More Effective for Identifying Trends: Charts and graphs clearly illustrate patterns and anomalies.
• Better for Communication: Visuals communicate insights more effectively to a broader audience, regardless of their technical expertise.

Types of ServiceNow Reports and Visualizations

ServiceNow offers a variety of report types and visualization options. Choosing the right one is crucial for effectively communicating your data.

1. List Reports

• Purpose: Displays data in a tabular format, allowing users to view and interact with individual records.
• Use Cases: Showing a detailed list of incidents, problems, changes, or other records.
• Visualization: While primarily tabular, can be enhanced with conditional formatting (e.g., highlighting overdue tasks).
• Example: A list of all open incidents, sorted by priority and assigned to a specific group.

2. Bar Charts

• Purpose: Compares values across different categories.
• Use Cases: Comparing the number of incidents resolved by different assignment groups, showing the distribution of incident categories, or displaying the average resolution time for different service offerings.
• Visualization: Vertical (column) or horizontal bars.
• Example: A bar chart showing the number of incidents resolved per month for the last year.

3. Pie Charts

• Purpose: Shows the proportion of each category relative to the whole.
• Use Cases: Representing the percentage of incidents in each priority level, showing the distribution of incident sources, or illustrating the breakdown of IT budget allocation.
• Visualization: Circular chart divided into slices.
• Caution: Avoid using pie charts with too many categories, as they become difficult to read.
• Example: A pie chart showing the percentage of incidents originating from email, self-service portal, and phone calls.

4. Line Charts

• Purpose: Shows trends over time.
• Use Cases: Tracking the number of open incidents over time, monitoring the average resolution time, or visualizing the performance of a service level agreement (SLA).
• Visualization: Lines connecting data points.
• Example: A line chart showing the number of new incidents reported each day for the past month.

5. Area Charts

• Purpose: Similar to line charts, but also emphasizes the magnitude of the values.
• Use Cases: Tracking cumulative values over time, such as the total number of incidents resolved or the total cost of incidents.
• Visualization: Area under the line is filled in.
• Example: An area chart showing the cumulative number of incidents resolved each month for the past year.

6. Heatmaps

• Purpose: Displays data as a color-coded matrix, highlighting areas of high or low concentration.
• Use Cases: Identifying bottlenecks in a process, showing the correlation between different variables, or visualizing the performance of different service offerings across different regions.
• Visualization: Matrix with cells colored based on their value.
• Example: A heatmap showing the average resolution time for different incident categories, broken down by assignment group.

7. Funnel Charts

• Purpose: Visualizes the stages of a process and shows the number of items at each stage.
• Use Cases: Tracking the progress of incidents through the resolution process, monitoring the conversion rate of leads in a sales pipeline, or visualizing the flow of users through a self-service portal.
• Visualization: Cone-shaped chart with each section representing a stage.
• Example: A funnel chart showing the number of incidents at each stage of the incident resolution process (e.g., New, Assigned, In Progress, Resolved).

8. Control Charts

• Purpose: Displays data over time with upper and lower control limits, helping to identify process variations.
• Use Cases: Monitoring the stability of a process, identifying out-of-control conditions, or tracking the impact of process improvements.
• Visualization: Line chart with control limits.
• Example: A control chart showing the average incident resolution time with upper and lower control limits.

9. Pivot Tables

• Purpose: Summarizes and aggregates data from a table, allowing users to analyze data from different perspectives.
• Use Cases: Analyzing incident trends by category, priority, and assignment group; summarizing the cost of incidents by service offering and region; or tracking the performance of different service level agreements (SLAs).
• Visualization: Tabular format with rows and columns representing different dimensions of the data.
• Example: A pivot table showing the number of incidents for each category, broken down by assignment group and priority.

Crafting Compelling Reports: Best Practices

Creating visually appealing reports is just the first step. To create truly compelling reports that drive improvement, consider these best practices:

1. Define Your Audience and Purpose:

   • Who will be viewing the report?
   • What information do they need?
   • What actions do you want them to take based on the report?

2. Choose the Right Visualization:

   • Select the chart or graph that best represents your data and answers your specific questions. Don’t just use the flashiest option.
   • Refer to the “Types of ServiceNow Reports and Visualizations” section above for guidance.

3. Keep it Simple and Clear:

   • Avoid cluttering your reports with too much information.
   • Use clear and concise labels, titles, and legends.
   • Use appropriate colors that are easy on the eyes.

4. Use Filters and Breakdowns:

   • Allow users to drill down into the data and explore different aspects of the report.
   • Use filters to focus on specific time periods, service offerings, or assignment groups.
   • Use breakdowns to segment the data and identify patterns.

5. Tell a Story:

   • Structure your report to guide the viewer through the data and highlight key insights.
   • Use annotations to explain important trends or anomalies.
   • Provide context and explanations to help users understand the significance of the data.

6. Use Interactive Elements:

   • ServiceNow allows you to create interactive reports that allow users to explore the data in more detail.
   • Use drill-down capabilities, tooltips, and other interactive elements to enhance the user experience.

7. Regularly Review and Refine:

   • Ask for feedback from your audience and make adjustments based on their needs.
   • Ensure that your reports are accurate and up-to-date.
   • Continuously look for ways to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your reports.

Practical Examples in Real Life

Let’s look at some real-world examples of how compelling ServiceNow reports can drive improvement:

• Incident Management: A line chart showing a spike in P1 incidents alerts the IT team to a potential major outage. By drilling down into the data, they identify the root cause and implement a fix, preventing further disruptions.
• Problem Management: A heatmap showing a high concentration of recurring incidents related to a specific application prompts the problem management team to investigate the root cause and implement a permanent solution.
• Change Management: A funnel chart showing a bottleneck in the change approval process leads to process improvements, reducing the time it takes to implement changes and minimizing the risk of disruptions.
• Service Level Management: A control chart showing that the average resolution time for incidents is consistently above the SLA target triggers a review of the incident management process and the implementation of measures to improve efficiency.

Leveraging ServiceNow Performance Analytics

ServiceNow Performance Analytics takes reporting to the next level by providing deeper insights into trends and performance. It offers features like:

• Automated Data Collection: Performance Analytics automatically collects data from ServiceNow and other sources.
• Pre-built Dashboards and Reports: It includes pre-built dashboards and reports for common IT service management processes.
• Trend Analysis: It helps you identify trends and patterns in your data.
• Goal Setting: It allows you to set goals and track your progress.
• Predictive Analytics: It uses machine learning to predict future performance.

By leveraging Performance Analytics, you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of your IT service management processes and identify areas for improvement.

Visualizing the Reporting Process

Here’s a simple flowchart summarizing the ServiceNow reporting process:

Resources

• ServiceNow Documentation: Reporting 
• ServiceNow Community: Reporting Best Practices 

Conclusion

Transforming data into compelling visuals is essential for unlocking the power of ServiceNow and driving continuous improvement. By choosing the right visualization, following best practices, and leveraging features like Performance Analytics, you can create reports that not only present data but also tell a story, enabling better decision-making and actionable results. Remember to always consider your audience, keep it simple, and focus on providing insights that lead to positive change within your organization.