ServiceNow's new platform helps businesses facing hybrid work challenges

ServiceNow has announced its Now Platform Rome release, delivering hundreds of innovations to help organisations adapt to the hybrid work era.

ServiceNow has a customer base representing nearly 80% of the Fortune 500. The company says as the global economy expands at its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years, the Now Platform Rome release will give organisations the tools needed to create agile work environments and deliver new customer and employee experiences. The latest platform release brings a number of new AI and automation capabilities, allowing IT teams to adjust to new working methods.

"The rapid onset of hybrid work has accelerated the digital imperative and forever changed 21st-century business models," says ServiceNow chief product and engineering officer, Chirantan "CJ" Desai.

"Our customers need digital platforms that enable seamless, compelling employee and customer experiences in any environment, helping them stay agile, resilient, and productive. With our latest release, ServiceNow is creating workflow solutions to help businesses navigate work moments that matter in a new economy."

"In the Rome release, new employee-focused solutions, delivered via a  unified employee experience platform, allow organisations to create simple, engaging employee experiences from anywhere, so employees can navigate work moments that matter with ease and confidence," he says.

Some new Now Platform solutions include:

• Employee Center: This serves as the digital command centre for a hybrid workforce. It provides a single, connected interface for employees to find personalised information quickly, complete tasks, get help and request services across departments - including IT, HR, facilities, procurement, and legal. Organisations can curate information and services into dynamic, personalised topic pages, so employees can more easily find information. The Employee Center will also integrate with Microsoft Teams.
• Employee Journey Management: This feature provides connected experiences for cross-departmental journeys like onboarding, work transitions, and off boarding. It also empowers HR teams and managers to personalise resources, plans, and needs on the same platform. 

In today's increasingly challenging talent environment, 3.6 million Americans quit their jobs in May 2021 alone, says ServiceNow, with fatigue a likely factor of departures. It says digital transformation is no longer only a driver of growth and productivity. It's imperative to help employees find a better balance in the hybrid world of work and keep them creative, productive, and engaged.

"In the transition to hybrid work, organisations will be tasked with making the holistic employee experience efficient, frictionless, and collaborative, which will in turn spur engagement and productivity increases," says IDC general VP and chief information officer, Suite Tech Agenda Lead, Phil Carter.

"Simplifying the employee experience will be vital in achieving this, making sure employees have access to work solutions in one place, from anywhere, and in multiple ways. We anticipate ServiceNow's new solutions will offer more resources for employees to make their lives easier for a new era of work."

The shift to hybrid work, compounded by widening talent shortages, is accelerating automation across the enterprise. ServiceNow says automation at scale will be imperative for 21st-century businesses to alleviate employees from managing mundane tasks, freeing them to focus on projects that drive business value.