Understanding the Common Service Data Model (CSDM) in ServiceNow
The Common Service Data Model (CSDM) serves as a unified framework that helps organizations manage and illustrate their services and related data…
As the country’s leading designer and marketer of children’s apparel, this multi-billion dollar retail giant employs over 20,000 individuals and has earned a reputation as the most trusted name across various segments of the children’s clothing market.
This company needed to replace its legacy Cherwell system with a modern platform that would function across the enterprise, including both corporate and retail environments–and they had to do it within an accelerated three-month timeframe to avoid Cherwell license renewal costs (we did it in two).
One major challenge in this implementation was completing it within the required timeline; an implementation of this scope would normally take twice as long. To meet this deadline while maintaining our high standard of service required detailed planning and constant communication between the Beyond20 team and this organization’s stakeholders, as well as strict adherence to a rigorous schedule of checkpoints and milestones. Beyond20’s proprietary Development Standards and Surge Development process allowed for multiple Technical Consultants to configure the platform at once, resulting in increased development velocity while maintaining tight control over quality and consistency.
Organizations shouldn’t have to choose between speed and quality when implementing critical IT solutions.
To kick off our collaboration, Beyond20 facilitated a week-long design session to deeply and thoroughly understand the client’s unique requirements and desired future-state. Technical Architects worked hand-in-hand with their internal team to design a replacement solution for Cherwell within the ServiceNow platform. Once the design was finalized, Beyond20’s development team brought this vision to life over two focused 2-week sprints, supporting iterative releases into Production along the way.
In the first sprint, the priority was Incident and Change Management, ensuring a seamless transition from the Cherwell solution before the existing license expired. Despite the tight timeline, Beyond20 uncovered additional enhancement opportunities and integrated quick wins into the engagement. During this sprint, we identified and implemented ServiceNow’s work assignment capabilities to streamline workflows, delivering this improvement within the same sprint. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) revealed that the new process significantly reduced the time required to resolve incidents and changes. To ensure a smooth transition, Beyond20 collaborated with their team to gradually release the first phase into Production. This approach allowed the help desk to become familiar with the new solution while managing a soft transition, working existing tickets in Cherwell and creating new ones in ServiceNow, thereby avoiding the complications of transferring open tickets from the legacy system.
The second sprint expanded the focus to Problem, Request, Service Portal, and integrating Jira with ServiceNow’s Incident and Change Management. We implemented three key request types (Application Access, Order Management, and New Firewall) that were previously managed outside the Cherwell system. Integrating these into ServiceNow enhanced automation, replacing manual processes and swivel-chairing. This new capability was rigorously tested and seamlessly integrated into the live system.
To mitigate any potential business disruption and ensure the client experienced a smooth transition to their new system, we provided comprehensive process guides for Change and Incident Management, supplemented by over 30 hours of online training sessions. These interactive sessions, designed around “a day in the life” scenarios, empowered technicians to confidently handle their operational duties from day one of the roll-out. Additionally, Beyond20 conducted multiple training sessions for the client’s internal Administration team, providing them with insights into the solution’s development so they would be well prepared support it post-go-live.
Improved Customer Satisfaction: With streamlined processes and automated workflows, this client can now resolve issues faster, significantly improving customer satisfaction.
Real-Time Issue Tracking: The new end-user portal provides system users with the ability to track their open issues and view ticket status in real time, increasing transparency and trust.
Automated Requests: By automating application, order management, and firewall request processes, the client eliminated time-consuming manual tasks, boosting overall efficiency.
Unprecedented Operational Efficiency: The implementation of well-defined workflows and process automation has increased efficiency across the board, allowing the team to focus on strategic initiatives.
Data-Informed Decision-Making: Access to a variety of metrics enables the client’s leadership to make data-driven decisions, providing accurate and up-to-date information for critical business insights.
Effective KPI Tracking: The ability to monitor IT and retail metrics through KPIs for Incident and Change Management helps teams track performance and drive continuous improvement.
Agent Empowerment: Agents can now generate ad-hoc reports to track their own performance metrics, fostering a culture of accountability and growth.
