| **Welcome to ServiceNow®** **Customer Service Management** Are you ready to start your Customer Service Management (CSM) implementation journey? With ServiceNow CSM, you’ll empower employees to address customer needs quickly and proactively, connecting your entire organization to deliver a friction-free customer experience. This guide gives you the information you need to get going fast, including proven guidance and links to valuable resources—all designed to set you on the path to success. While this guide is primarily designed for ServiceNow platform owners, it also contains useful information if you have a different role in your organization. Let’s get started! | | |
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| **Guide Overview** Here’s an overview of the topics we will cover in the guide: Familiarize yourself with CSM Decide on business outcomes Chart your implementation path Work with ServiceNow experts Choose self-implementation Prepare for organization change Bookmark resources | | |
| **Start by familiarizing yourself with CSM** CSM comes with many capabilities that help you deliver extraordinary customer service. You can get an high-level overview of these capabilities on the CSM [product page](https://www.servicenow.com/products/customer-service-management.html) and in the CSM [datasheet.](https://www.servicenow.com/content/dam/servicenow-assets/public/en-us/doc-type/resource-center/data-sheet/ds-customer-service-management.pdf) You’ll find links to [product documentation](https://docs.servicenow.com/csh?topicname=customer-service-bus-unit-overview.html&version=latest) for selected capabilities in the box on the right. This short [video](https://youtu.be/ktYPUwEVSf4) also provides a high-level overview of CSM capabilities. However, you don’t need to implement everything at the start. Here are the key CSM capabilities to focus on first: **CSM Data Management:** Organize and manage data for both internal users and external customers, including account and contact information, products, assets, contracts, and entitlements. ([product documentation](https://docs.servicenow.com/csh?topicname=csm-data-management.html&version=latest)) **Case Management:** Use a variety of features available with Customer Service Management to manage cases for your customers. ([product documentation](https://docs.servicenow.com/csh?topicname=csm-case-management.html&version=latest)) **CSM Configurable Workspace:** Provide customer service agents with the tools they need to help answer customer questions and resolve customer issues. ([product documentation](https://docs.servicenow.com/csh?topicname=exploring-configurable-workspace.html&version=latest)) This [Customer Service Management Fundamentals](https://nowlearning.servicenow.com/lxp?id=learning%5Fcourse%5Fprev&course%5Fid=0ca1382d472a15d4f6b11244846d4310) on-demand course will also help you to understand some of the key CSM applications and how they work. If you are new to ServiceNow, we also recommend that you take this very short [Get Started with the Now Platform](https://nowlearning.service-now.com/lxp?id=overview&sys%5Fid=9455b7f91b288050528f639fbd4bcb48&type=course) course to learn the platform basics. If you want a deeper dive into the Now Platform, a longer [ServiceNow Fundamentals](https://nowlearning.service-now.com/lxp?id=overview&sys%5Fid=6b78901c1b748050b1c7fe631a4bcb73&type=path) course is also available. 1 Messaging (part of Omni‑Channel) is included in the Professional package. 2 Agent Affinity and Shift-Based Assignment (parts of Advanced Work Assignment) are included in the Professional package. 3 IT Operations Management is needed for Proactive Customer Service Operations 4 Project Portfolio Management is needed for Customer Project Management. | **Selected CSM Capabilities** **CSM Standard** package includes: **CSM Professional** package adds: **CSM Enterprise** package adds: [Workforce Optimization](https://docs.servicenow.com/csh?topicname=configurable-wfo-cs.html&version=latest) [Process Optimization](https://docs.servicenow.com/csh?topicname=process-optimization.html&version=latest) | |
| **Identify your desired business outcomes** Before you begin CSM implementation, it’s critical to clearly understand your business goals. CSM allows you to deliver multiple positive business outcomes, and you can achieve all of these over time. However, by deciding which outcomes are most important for your organization, you set clear stakeholder expectations and focus your initial implementation to realize this goal. Here are a few examples of business outcomes ServiceNow customers have achieved with CSM: Rogers Communications reduced daily case volumes by 41%. ([case study](https://www.servicenow.com/customers/rogers.html)) Tennessee Department of Human Services reduced inquiry resolution times by 70%. ([case study](https://www.servicenow.com/customers/tennessee-dept-of-human-services.html)) 7-Eleven increased case resolution rates by 205%. ([case study](https://www.servicenow.com/customers/7-eleven.html)) If you want guidance on maximizing the value of your CSM investment, ServiceNow success maps shows you how to envision, create, validate, and champion value using [Now Value](https://www.servicenow.com/success/now-value.html), our proven methodology to realize success with ServiceNow. This [success map](https://www.servicenow.com/content/dam/servicenow-assets/public/en-us/doc-type/success/success-map/modernize-customer-service.pdf) focuses on modernizing customer service management. | | |
| [**Chart a path to implementation** ](https://www.servicenow.com/community/new-customer-onboarding-article/chart-your-path-to-implementation-success/ta-p/2735416)**Work with ServiceNow experts** Many ServiceNow customers work with a ServiceNow partner or ServiceNow Expert Services for their CSM implementation since this accelerates rollout and helps them achieve their goals faster. If you have chosen to work with a ServiceNow partner or ServiceNow Expert Services for your implementation, it’s important to clearly communicate the business outcomes you want to achieve and agree on a well-structured roadmap to attain these goals. If you need guidance on successfully engaging with an implementation partner, this [workbook](https://www.servicenow.com/content/dam/servicenow-assets/public/en-us/doc-type/success/workbook/partner-strategy-development.pdf) is an excellent starting point. To accelerate time to value and reduce risk, make sure that your partner uses [Now Create](https://nowlearning.service-now.com/nowcreate), ServiceNow’s library of more than 700 leading implementation practices. We also recommend you use Now Create if you are self-implementing, as it provides a wealth of assets designed to guide you to success. If you want to work with a partner but haven’t selected one yet, check out our [Partner Finder](https://www.servicenow.com/partners/partner-finder.filtered.html/) or talk to your ServiceNow account representative about [ServiceNow Expert Services](https://www.servicenow.com/services/expert-services.html). We can also work with your chosen partner to infuse our expertise into your implementation through our [ServiceNow Co-Delivery service offering](https://www.servicenow.com/services/codelivery.html#!). For those of you who have purchased ServiceNow Impact services, ServiceNow experts and resources are at your fingertips to help you implement CSM and achieve your goals. If you don’t have a ServiceNow Impact package, consider how having dedicated resources, discounted training, and jumpstart services can help you get the most out of your ServiceNow investment. Read more [here](https://www.servicenow.com/impact/accelerate). | | |
| **Choose Self-implementation** **Build your team’s skills** If you do plan to self-implement, you’ll need to build your platform team’s knowledge and skills before you begin. This is another reason many CSM customers choose to work a partner instead of self-implementing. The following certification paths are a good starting point for building these skills, but we do strongly recommend that you also engage resources who have previous CSM implementation experience. **Make your implementation smooth and easy** For a comprehensive implementation process framework that is proven to scale to the largest, most complex global deployments, take a look at our Success Packs on [Now Create](https://nowlearning.service-now.com/nowcreate). Success Packs tailor our core Now Create methodology of more than 700 leading practices to deliver business outcomes aligned with specific product sets. There are a number of Success Packs for CSM, including the following: This [implementation checklist](https://www.servicenow.com/content/dam/servicenow-assets/public/en-us/doc-type/success/checklist/customer-service-management-readiness.pptx) can also help you get ready for implementation. **Join the CSM community** Visit the [CSM community page](https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community%5Fforum&sys%5Fid=bc29962ddbd897c068c1fb651f9619c0). You’ll find best practices and other useful resources for CSM application implementation, and it’s also the forum to talk to ServiceNow experts, get your questions answered, and connect with other community members. **Understand ServiceNow releases and upgrades** If you’re not already on the latest ServiceNow release, we strongly recommend that you upgrade before you go live. By upgrading, you get new ServiceNow innovations into the hands of your users faster, gain access to the latest performance and security enhancements, and ensure that support is there when you need it. To make your upgrade smooth and successful, check out these [upgrade resources.](https://www.servicenow.com/success/instance-upgrades.html) | **Pro Tip** Stick to out-of-the-box ServiceNow functionality wherever possible when self-implementing. The process guides below provide detailed descriptions of “as designed” ServiceNow functionality for key CSM capabilities. | |
| **Prepare for organizational change** To successfully deploy CSM, you need your business to understand and use CSM, and to recognize its benefits. To do this, you need to communicate what’s changing and why, both to your end users and to your service desk agents. You also need to ensure that your HR staff are trained on ServiceNow CSM. This [webpage](https://www.servicenow.com/success/playbook/change-management-plan-guide.html) provides detailed guidance on how to plan for organizational change. If you need help creating a winning communications plan, this [communications plan template](https://nowlearning.service-now.com/nowcreate?id=nc%5Fasset&asset%5Fid=094da9068744f450ed3b74c9cebb350f) also provides useful advice. The following courses are a great starting point for training your agents: [Get Started with the Now Platform](https://nowlearning.service-now.com/lxp?id=overview&sys%5Fid=9455b7f91b288050528f639fbd4bcb48&type=course) [Getting Started with Agent Workspace](https://nowlearning.servicenow.com/lxp?id=learning%5Fcourse%5Fprev&course%5Fid=1a107ef3dba008503e3aaca2ca96196b) | | |
| **Bookmark these resources!** [ServiceNow Customer Success Center](https://www.servicenow.com/success.html) \-- The CSC is a one-stop shop that gives you instant access to proven methodologies, leading practices, and expert insights and advice. [NowSupport](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0547260) \-- You can get technical issues resolved quickly by contacting our team comprised of ServiceNow employees with deep product knowledge and real-world experience. Read more [here](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0547103) on how to use support. | **** | |

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